LNWR Webb Precursor Class

Not to be confused with LNWR Whale Precursor Class or LNWR Precursor Tank Class.

The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Precursor class was a class of forty 2-4-0 steam locomotives designed by F. W. Webb and built at the railway's Crewe Works between 1874 and 1879.

LNWR Precursor class (Webb)
LNWR engine No. 680 'Giffard'
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer F. W. Webb Builder Crewe Works Serial number 1902–1821, 2229–2238, 2249–2258 Build date 1874–1879 Total produced 40
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-4-0  • UIC 1B n2 Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Leading dia. 3 ft 6 in (1.067 m) Driver dia. 5 ft 6 in (1.676 m) Wheelbase 7 ft 5 in (2.261 m) + 8 ft 3 in (2.515 m) Loco weight 32 long tons (33 t) Boiler: ​  • Diameter 4 ft 2 in (1.27 m)  • Tube plates 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) Boiler pressure 140 lbf/in2 (0.97 MPa) Heating surface 1,074.6 sq ft (99.83 m2) Cylinder size 17 in × 24 in (432 mm × 610 mm) Valve gear Allan
Career Operators London and North Western Railway Scrapped 1892–1895 Disposition All scrapped

History

The Precursor class was the first locomotive class to be designed wholly by F. W. Webb. He had previously ordered further examples of his predecessor's Samson and Newton classes.

The class featured enclosed wheel splashers and cabs from new, but no brakes were initially fitted; some received steam brakes and others vacuum brakes.

They were fitted with 1,500-imperial-gallon (6,800 L; 1,800 US gal) tenders.

Fleet list

Table of locomotives^[1]

LNWR No.	Name	Crewe Works No.	Date built	Date scrapped	Notes
2145	Precursor	1802	Apr 1874	Mar 1894
2146	Harbinger	1803	Aug 1874	Jun 1893
2147	Champion	1804	Aug 1874	Nov 1895
2148	Vizier	1805	Aug 1874	1893 circa
2149	Candidate	1806	Aug 1874	Jun 1893
1143	Marquis	1807	Aug 1874	1894 circa
1144	Druid	1808	Aug 1874	1892 circa
1145	Cossack	1809	Sep 1874	1894 circa
1152	Arab	1810	Sep 1874	Dec 1892
1153	Sirocco	1811	Sep 1874	Aug 1895
1154	Colossus	1812	Sep 1874	1892 circa
1155	Dragon	1813	Sep 1874	Apr 1894
402	Viscount	1814	Sep 1874	Jun 1893
406	Senator	1815	Sep 1874	1892 circa
408	Simoon	1816	Sep 1874	1894 circa
409	Thunderbolt	1817	Oct 1874	Dec 1892
413	Python	1818	Oct 1874	Jun 1893
425	Oberon	1819	Oct 1874	1893
426	Warrior	1820	Oct 1874	1895 circa
427	Fame	1821	Oct 1874	1894 circa
1147	John Rennie	2229	Oct 1878	1894 circa
1148	Boadicea	2230	Oct 1878	1894 circa
1149	Helvellyn	2231	Sep 1878	1894 circa
1150	Lang Meg	2232	Oct 1878	1893 circa
1151	Lapwing	2233	Oct 1878	May 1895
1165	Vulture	2234	Nov 1878	Dec 1892
1169	Albatross	2235	Oct 1878	Dec 1892
1174	Cerberus	2236	Oct 1878	Jun 1893
679	Harrowby	2237	Oct 1878	1894 circa
847	Cedric	2238	Oct 1878	1895 circa
431	Bessemer	2249	Jan 1879	Dec 1892
838	Henry Cort	2250	Jan 1879	Sep 1895
481	Etna	2251	Jan 1879	Dec 1892
626	Emerald	2252	Jan 1879	1895 circa
255	Eglington	2253	Jan 1879	1895 circa
680	Giffard	2254	Jan 1879	1895 circa
338	Levens	2255	Feb 1879	Dec 1892
718	Jason	2256	Feb 1879	Jun 1893
779	William Baker	2257	Feb 1879	Jun 1893
1180	Pearl	2258	Feb 1879	Feb 1895