LMS Route: Trent Valley Line

LMS Route: Nuneaton to Leamington

Nuneaton Station: lnwrns2731

Ex-LMS 4MT 2-6-0 No 43023 is seen in its original condition, in front of the under-repair Nuneaton loco shed, during the summer of 1950. The Mogul was completed in January 1949 by Horwich Works and joined 5 classmates at (2B). The class was designated 4F under LMS auspices, but considered as 4MT by British Railways, who took over the control of all four major railway companies in January 1948. The name Mogul appears to date back to 1878, when the name was carried by an American 2-6-0 engine that was constructed by Neilson's of Glasgow, and some of the design features introduced and developed by George Ivatt do bear witness to the American S160 class 2-8-0 freight engines, and also his time working in France. The somewhat 'ugly duckling' style of double chimney was fitted to the first 50 engines of the class, but were all removed by 1956 and replaced with a far more acceptable single version in conjunction with a single blastpipe, resulting in far greater steaming capabilities. In the case of '43023' that occurred in November 1953, but even though it resulted in a far superior engine, its duties remained much the same as before, mainly working from Nuneaton, to 1960, and from Carlisle Kingmoor (12A) for 6 years.

Derek Dean

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