LMS Route: Rugby to Wolverhampton
LMS Route: Rugby to Leamington
LMS Route: Rugby to Tamworth
LMS Route: Rugby to Leicester
LMS Route: Rugby to Market Harborough

Rugby Shed: lnwrrm345

LNWR Southern Division 2-2-2 'Small Bloomer' No 602 seen posed outside one of Rugby's coke sheds circa 1868. The most famous engines on the Southern Division were McConnell's 'Bloomers' which were introduced in 1851 and were inside-cylinder inside-frame single-wheelers. In 1854 the 'Small Bloomer' as seen above were introduced. The were basically similar to the ‘Large Bloomer’ but had smaller boiler and 6'-6" driving wheels instead of 7'-0" driving wheels. In 1861 McConnell produced three enlarged ‘Bloomers’ at Wolverton Works which had 7ft 6in driving wheels and boilers with various McConnell patent features. On 4th July 1861 a member of the 'Large Bloomers' class, LNWR No 249, suffered a severe boiler explosion north of Rugby whilst working the down Irish Mail. Remarkably the boiler had run 336,368 miles in 9¾ years.

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