LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-2T 1241

LMS 41241
41241 Waiting to depart from Loughborough Central on the Great Central Railway.
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer H. G. Ivatt Builder BR Crewe Works Build date September 1949
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-6-2T  • UIC 1′C1′ h2t Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Leading dia. 3 ft 0 in (0.914 m) Driver dia. 5 ft 0 in (1.524 m) Trailing dia. 3 ft 0 in (0.914 m) Wheelbase 30 ft 3 in (9.22 m) Length 38 ft 9 1⁄2 in (11.82 m) Loco weight 63.25 long tons (64.3 t; 70.8 short tons) 41290–41329: 65.20 long tons (66.2 t; 73.0 short tons) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 3 long tons (3.05 t; 3.36 short tons) Water cap 1,350 imp gal (6,100 l; 1,620 US gal) Firebox:  • Firegrate area 17.5 sq ft (1.63 m2) Boiler LMS type 7 Boiler pressure 200 lbf/in2 (1.38 MPa) Heating surface:  • Tubes and flues 924 sq ft (85.8 m2)  • Firebox 101 sq ft (9.4 m2) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 134 sq ft (12.4 m2) or 124 sq ft (11.5 m2) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 16 in × 26 in (406 mm × 660 mm)
Performance figures Tractive effort 17,400 lbf (77.40 kN)
Career Operators London, Midland and Scottish Railway British Railways Power class 2MT Axle load class Route Availability 1 Withdrawn December 1966 Disposition Operational at the K&WVR

41241 is an LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-2T that was built at Crewe Works in September 1949. She is one of four members of the class left in preservation but one of two that's located on the mainland (the 2nd engine being 41312), the other two being located on the Isle of Wight.

Working Life

41241 was built by British Railways at Crewe Works in September 1949. From new she was allocated to Bath Green Park on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway and saw use on local passenger services over the S&D including the occasional banking job. Alongside spending the first 9 years allocated to the S&D she was reallocated to Bristol Barrow Road in July 1958, this however wasn't to last for long and she returned to her former home at Bath Green Park in October 1958 (by then under the control of the western region of BR).

Other shed allocations she was based at included: Wellington, Leamington Spa, Bangor, Croes Newydd, Llandudno Junction & Skipton. Following her allocation to Wellington she was transferred back to the former LMS region and was allocated to Leamington from February 1964. Her final shed allocation was to Skipton and she was to remain there for the rest of her working days on BR until 10 December 1966 when she was withdrawn from service.

Purchase from BR

She was purchased directly from BR by the nearby Keighley and Worth Valley Railway for preservation, arriving on the KWVR in March 1967 under her own power. Due to BR asking that preserved steam locomotives didn't wear the BR livery with their then current crest she was repainted into lined maroon livery with the letters K&WVR written on her sidetanks. She wore this livery for the railways reopening in June 1968 and in 1975 she made her only preservation mainline appearance at the Rail 150 Cavalcade in Shildon, she arrived and returned from the event under her own power with a set of the Worth Valley's coaches.

She was later repainted into authentic BR Black livery and this livery she has worn for most of her preservation career, she has worn both the early and late versions of the BR black livery in preservation and is expected to keep this as her main livery. She last operated on a heritage railway in January 2013 and has since then being undergoing an overhaul at Haworth. With 2018 being the 50th anniversary since the K&WVR was opened in 1968 as well as the 50th anniversary since 1T57 in August 1968, the K&WVR had decided that she would return to her original maroon livery with the K&WVR lettering on her sidetanks. After an extensive overhaul, she was able to run in the K&WVR 50th Anniversary gala in July 2018, and now operates regularly on the K&WVR.

Photographs

• 
  41241 At Keighley in non authentic KWVR maroon in 1974
• 
  41241 Waiting to depart Rothley during a visit to the Great Central Railway
• 
  41241 Running around its train at Keighley
• 
  41241 Being checked over at Haworth shed in Oct 2012

References