LMS Princess Royal Class.html



Princess Royal Class

One of the two preserved Princess Royals, 6201 Princess Elizabeth at Chester on a railtour.
Power type	Steam
Designer	William Stanier
Builder	LMS Crewe Works
Build date	1933 (2), 1935 (10), 1952 (1 rebuilt from Turbomotive)
Total production	13
Gauge	4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm)
Leading wheel size	36 in (0.914 m)
Driver size	78 in (1.981 m)
Trailing wheel size	45 in (1.143 m)
Length	74 ft 4¼ in
Locomotive weight	104t 10cwt, 110t 11cwt (Turbo.) tender: 54t 13cwt
Fuel type	Coal
Fuel capacity	9 long tons (9.1 t), later 10 long tons (10.2 t)
Water capacity	4,000 imp gal (18,000 l)
Boiler	LMS type 1
Boiler pressure	250 psi (1.72 MPa) superheated
Fire grate area	45 sq ft (4.2 m2)
Heating surface: Firebox	190 sq ft (18 m2) or 217 sq ft (20.2 m2)
Cylinders	4
Cylinder size	16¼ in bore × 28 in stroke (413×711 mm)
Valve gear	Walschaerts (piston valves) 6205 had outside Walschaerts with rocking shafts operating inside valves.
Tractive effort	40,285 lbf (179.20 kN)
Career	London, Midland & Scottish
Class	7P reclassified 8P in 1951
First run	1933
Retired	1952 (1), 1961 (6), 1962 (6)
Disposition	Two preserved, remainder scrapped

The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Princess Royal Class is a class of an express passenger steam locomotive designed by William Stanier. They were Pacifics (i.e. had a 4-6-2 wheel arrangement). Thirteen examples were built at Crewe Works, between 1933 and 1935 and two are preserved.

Overview

When originally built, they were used to haul the famous Royal Scot train. Two batches were built; a first batch of two, and a second batch of eleven, including a single example of a version using steam turbines instead of cylinders (No.6202) - which was in its own, separate class. They were withdrawn in the early 1960s in line with British Railways' modernisation plan.

Each locomotive was named after a princess, the official name for the class was chosen as Mary, Princess Royal was the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Scots. However, they were known to railwaymen as "Lizzies", after the second example of the class named for Princess Elizabeth who later became Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Later examples of express passenger locomotive built by the LMS were of the related but larger, Princess Coronation Class.

Details

Preservation

Two examples, 6201 Princess Elizabeth and 6203 Princess Margaret Rose are preserved.

Gallery

46201 Princess Elizabeth at Carlisle awaiting scrapping. The locomotive was later preserved.	6201 Princess Elizabeth at Chester on a railtour.	Nameplate of 6201 Princess Elizabeth.	46203 Princess Margaret Rose at Butterley in September 1985 in BR green livery.
Princess Margaret Rose's nameplate.

Media

• 6201 at Langho on Whalley Bank - sound recording.

External links

• Princess Royal Locomotive Trust
• 46201 in the Railuk database
• 46201 in the Preserved Locomotive database
• 46203 in the Railuk database
• 46203 in the Preserved Locomotive database
• Butlins steam locomotives

References

• Ian Sixsmith The Book of the Princess Royal Pacifics ISBN 1-903266-02-5
• Hugh Longworth British Railway Steam Locomotives 1948-1968 ISBN 0-86093-593-0
• Rowledge, J.W.P. (1975). Engines o0f the LMS, built 1923–51. Oxford: Oxford Publishing Company. ISBN 0 902888 59 5.