Caledonian Railway 49 and 903 Classes

Caledonian Railway 49 Class [903 Class]

903 Cardean

Type and origin
Power type	Steam
Designer	John F. McIntosh
Builder	St. Rollox Works
Build date	49: 1903 903: 1906
Total produced	49: 2 903: 5

Specifications
Configuration	4-6-0
UIC class	2′C n2
Gauge	4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm)
Driver dia.	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)^[1]
Loco weight	70 tons [73 tons] when built, 71.5 tons [74.25 tons] as rebuilt^[1]
Tender weight	55 tons [57 tons]^[1]
Boiler pressure	200 psi when built, 175 psi as rebuilt^[1]
Superheater	Schmidt (as rebuilt)^[2]
Cylinders	Two, inside
Cylinder size	New: 21 in × 26 in (533 mm × 660 mm) [20 in × 26 in (508 mm × 660 mm)] Rebuilt: 20.75 in × 26 in (527 mm × 660 mm)^[1]
Valve gear	Stephenson

Performance figures
Tractive effort	25,000 lbf (110 kN) [22,700 lbf (101 kN)] when built, 21,300 lbf (95 kN) as rebuilt^[1]

Career
Operators	Caledonian Railway → London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Class	CR: 49 and 903 classes
Power class	LMS: 4P
Numbers	CR: 49–50, 903–907 LMS: 14750–14755
Withdrawn	49: 1933 903: 1915–1930
Disposition	All scrapped

The Caledonian Railway 49 Class and 903 Class were 4-6-0 express passenger locomotives designed by John F. McIntosh and built at the Caledonian Railway's own St. Rollox Works in 1903 and 1906 respectively.

49 Class

Locomotive no. 49 in 1903

In 1903, the Caledonian Railway had no passenger locomotives larger than 4-4-0s, and the heaviest trains over its main line between Glasgow and Carlisle required to be double headed, even in the less demanding southbound ('up') direction. Northbound ('down') trains also required banking assistance on the climb to Beattock Summit. In an effort to avoid these requirements, McIntosh designed a large 4-6-0 based on his 'Dunalastair' series of 4-4-0s. Two locomotives were built in 1903, and immediately became the Caledonian's flagship locomotives. Nonetheless, their performance did not live up to expectations, and it was soon clear that banking assistance was still required over Beattock.^[3] Until 1906 the Caledonian railway had no turntables long enough for the 49 Class, and arrangements for turning them included use of the Cathcart Circle or turning locomotive and tender separately.^[4]

903 Class

By 1906, experience with the 49 Class had enabled McIntosh to design an improved version, and the installation of new turntables at major engine sheds presaged the arrival of five new locomotives. The first of these, number 903, was named "Cardean" after the country estate of one of the CR directors, and immediately became the company's new flagship locomotive, with its name becoming a nickname for the whole class. The Caledonian gave the new locomotives a great deal of publicity and "Cardean" thus achieved some fame. Even so, the performance of the 903s was still unremarkable.^[5]

Rebuilding and subsequent service

Neither class was equipped with superheating when built, but all seven locomotives were rebuilt with Schmidt superheaters and new cylinders during 1911. These modifications reduced coal consumption but made little difference to the locomotives' performance,^[2] and McIntosh built no more large passenger 4-6-0s (although he did build smaller 4-6-0s for goods traffic). His successor William Pickersgill had no greater success with his sluggish outside-cylindered 60 Class or the disastrous three-cylinder 956 Class, so the Caledonian Railway continued to rely heavily upon 4-4-0s for express passenger traffic until the Grouping.

One 903 class locomotive was withdrawn in 1915 due to accident damage, but the other six locomotives passed to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923. The two 49 class locomotives were extensively renewed around 1924 with new frames and cylinders,^[6] but all of the Caledonian passenger 4-6-0s were quickly eclipsed by new LMS Compound 4-4-0 and Royal Scot 4-6-0s. The four surviving 903s were withdrawn in 1927–30, whilst the two 49s lasted until 1933. All were scrapped.

Accidents and incidents

On 2 April 1909, locomotive No. 903 Cardean was hauling a passenger train that became divided and was derailed at Crawford, Lanarkshire due to the failure of the crank axle of the locomotive. A few passengers suffered minor injuries.^[7]

Main article: Quintinshill rail disaster

On 22 May 1915, locomotive No. 907 was hauling one of the trains involved in the double collision and fire at Quintinshill, Dumfriesshire.^[7] The locomotive was consequently withdrawn and scrapped.^[6]

Numbering and locomotive histories

Table of locomotives^[8]
CR no.	CR name	LMS no.	Delivered	Works	Withdrawn	Class
49		14750	000000001903-03-01-0000March 1903	St. Rollox	000000001933-03-01-0000March 1933	49 Class
50	Sir James Thompson	14751	000000001903-04-01-0000April 1903	St. Rollox	000000001933-12-01-0000December 1933	49 Class
903	Cardean	14752	000000001906-05-01-0000May 1906	St. Rollox	000000001930-12-01-0000December 1930	903 Class
904		14753	000000001906-06-01-0000June 1906	St. Rollox	000000001929-05-01-0000May 1929	903 Class
905		14754	000000001906-06-01-0000June 1906	St. Rollox	000000001927-09-01-0000September 1927	903 Class
906		14755	000000001906-06-01-0000June 1906	St. Rollox	000000001928-02-01-0000February 1928	903 Class
907			000000001906-07-01-0000July 1906	St. Rollox	000000001915-05-01-0000May 1915	903 Class

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 Atkins 1987, pp. 98–101.
1 2 Atkins 1976, p. 43.
↑ Atkins 1976, p. 38.
↑ Atkins 1976, p. 39.
↑ Essery & Jenkinson 1986, p. 35.
1 2 Atkins 1976, p. 44.
1 2 Earnshaw 1990, p. 10.
↑ "BritishSteam locomotive information". BritishSteam.com. Retrieved 2013-05-26.

Atkins, C. P. (1976). The Scottish 4-6-0 Classes. Ian Allan. pp. 98–101.
Essery, R. & Jenkinson, D. (1986). An Illustrated History of L.M.S. Locomotives, Volume Three: Absorbed Pre-Group Classes, Northern Division. Oxford Publishing Company.
Earnshaw, Alan (1990). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 6. Penryn: Atlantic Books. ISBN 0-906899-37-0.
http://www.uqp.de/kopka/europa/uk/cardean.htm

Caledonian Railway locomotives

Robert Sinclair (1847–1856)	59 (2-2-2) 96 101 111

Benjamin Connor (1856–1876)	59 (2-4-0) 552 600

George Brittain (1876–1882)	1 130 140 152 179 485 486 670

Dugald Drummond (1882–1890)	66 80 123 124 171 262 264 272 294 323

Hugh Smellie (1890)	Appointed 1 September 1890. Died 19 April 1891

John Lambie (1891–1895)	1 13 19 211 538A

John F. McIntosh (1895–1914)	29 43 49 55 92 139 140 179 184 439 498 611 652 711 721 766 782 812 879 900 903

William Pickersgill (1914–1923)	60 72 113 159 191 300 431 956

Miscellaneous	Highland Railway River Class

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