LMS Route: Grand Junction Railway

Hamstead and Great Barr Station: lnwrgb2290

LNWR 0-6-2T 'Coal Tank' No 3715 trundles through Great Barr station whilst at the head of an up mixed freight from Bescot yard. The 'Coal Tank' class was built by the London & North Western Railway at Crewe Works. It was a class of 4'-3" Side Tank Coal Engines that were designed by the Chief Engineer of the LNWR, Francis W Webb. The design was based on Webb's 0-6-0 'Coal Engine' introduced in 1873. The 'Coal Engine' was the first locomotive produced under Webb's direction as Chief Engineer. These simple, cheap, but effective locomotives carried the coal and water supply in a separate tender. To provide an engine with greater operational flexibility over shorter journeys, Webb produced a tank engine version whereby the coal and water were carried on the engine's own frames. An additional pair of carrying wheels was utilised to help carry this extra weight. This new design of 'Side Tank Coal Engine' - or 'Coal Tank', as they became more commonly known - was introduced in 1881 and 300 examples were built over a period of 16 years. They were originally intended for short-distance freight work, but were found to be very useful for local passenger trains and were soon at work all over the LNWR system. The early engines were painted plain black, but later engines were turned out in the fully lined-out black passenger livery. Courtesy Bahamas Locomotive Society.

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