LMS Route: Rugby to Tamworth

Tamworth Station: lnwr_tam3648

Another unidentified LMS 4-6-0 'Royal Scot' class locomotive races south of Tamworth on an up express service. Following trials with a GWR Castle class after the debacle of Fowler having his compound Pacific being cancelled by the Board, the LMS placed an order with the North British Locomotive Company of Glasgow for fifty locomotives. The North British, with its extensive drawing office and two works, possessed sufficient capacity to expedite the order within a year although this wasn't to the delivery date originally agreed. The North British Locomotive Company's staff and the Derby drawing office collaborated in designing the class, with the NBL producing the working drawings. Sir Henry Fowler took little part in the design process, which was carried out by Herbert Chambers, Chief Draughtsman at Derby, and his staff. The LMS had as a result of the trial requested a set of drawings of the Castle class from the GWR, but didn't receive them. Ultimately a set of drawings of the Southern Railway's Lord Nelson Class were obtained to facilitate the design of the firebox. The main features of the design followed existing Derby practice, fortunately with the cylinders and valve gear being derived from the successful Fowler 2-6-4T, also being designed at Derby at that time.

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