LMS Route: Rugby to Tamworth

Trent Valley Lineside - Newbold on Avon: lnwr_nupa1170

LMS 4-6-2 Princess Coronation class No 6232 'Duchess of Montrose' is seen fresh from the shops picking up water whilst at the head of the second portion of the up 'Royal Scot' as indicated by the reporting code 2W96 circa 1938. Built at Crewe works in July 1938 as part of the third batch of locomotives, but the first not streamlined, No 6232 suffered bomb damage at Berkhampstead in 1940 but to ill effect as she remained in service until December 1962 when she was withdrawn from Polmadie shed in Glasgow to be scrapped in November 1963 by Crewe works. The non-streamlined locomotives were considered to be very handsome locomotives even more so after 1945 when smoke deflectors were added to clear drifting smoke which was obscuring the crews forward vision = with the last five of the class carrying them from new.

The Second World War interrupted the building of the locomotives, but given the dire shortage of express motive power several more were then finished during the war and turned out in unlined black. The LMS continued their production after the war with Nos 6253 to Nos 6257 being turned out in the 1946 LMS lined black whilst the last member of the class was completed post-nationalisation and as No 46257 was turned out in BR black. The last two locomotives were built in 1947 and were modified by George Ivatt with a different trailing truck under the firebox, ball-bearing axle boxes and a space in the running plate in front of the cylinders (as seen on the de-streamlined locomotives.

Single chimneys were fitted to Nos 6220 to Nos 6234 when built but they were replaced with double chimneys between 1939 and 1944 and from No 6235 onwards they were built with double chimneys. An unusual feature of the tenders was that they were fitted with a steam-operated coal pusher to bring the coal down to the firing plate. This was because the quantity of coal required for long distance work was substantial and with fireman having to work such long distances it was very beneficial in easing their work load. When the pusher was in operation a plume of steam could be seen rising from the rear face of the coal bunker back wall.

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