LMS Route: Stratford Midland Junction - The Shakespeare Route

E&WJR and SMJ - Locomotives and Rolling Stock: smjsa33

Ex-E&WJR 0-6-0 No 2300 stands resplendent in its new LMS livery as the locomotive crew change over on 8th April 1924. Formerly E&WJR No 2, the locomotive has had its number painted on the tender instead of the cab of the locomotive. This was the practice of the Midland Railway one of the constituent companies incorporated into the LMS on 1st January 1923. The LMS' adoption of this practice was because many of their officers had gained the more senior posts in the new company and used their influence to ensure that much of the MR's practices continued. In addition to the locomotive number being painted on the tender the LMS' initials were painted on the cab sides. This practice did not last too many years because of the longer period required to overhaul a locomotive compared to a tender. Frequently a tender was overhauled quickly and therefore available many weeks ahead of the locomotive to which it had been paired. Dropping this practice meant that by the late 1920s when Fowler began building his new tender classes of steam locomotives fewer tenders were needed compared to locomotives.

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