LMS Route: Birmingham New Street to Nuneaton

Stockingford Shed: mrs1903

MR 2-6-0 No 2222 presents a backdrop to its crew and shunter (with pole) enjoying a break for their photograph being taken at the bottom of the Ansley Hall branch. The locomotive was a member of the Midland Railway's 2501 Class and because of the lack of engine building capacity in the country they were American-built locomotives. The Midland's own Derby Works had reached their capacity, and were unable to produce additional engines at the time, and many British locomotive builders were recovering from an 1897-1898 strike over the eight-hour working day, and thus had large backlogs of unfulfilled orders, so the Midland Railway turned to American builders. Thirty 2501 class locomotives were built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1899, followed by ten 2511 class engines built by the Schenectady Locomotive Works later that same year. Both classes were built in the United States as kits, shipped to Derby, and assembled. The 2501 class engines were numbered 2501–2510, 2521–2540, and the 2511's numbered 2511–2520. In 1907, the Midland Railway had renumbered its engines, and as such the 2501 and 2511 classes were numbered 2200–2229, and 2230–2239, respectively.

Peter Lee

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