The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Claughton Class was a class of 4-cylinder express passenger 4-6-0 steam locomotives.

History The locomotives were introduced in 1913, the first of the class No. 2222 was named in honour of Sir Gilbert Claughton, who was the Chairman of the LNWR at that time. A total of 130 were built, all at Crewe Works up to 1921. Author Brian Reed points out that weight restrictions and equipment limitations at Crewe limited the size of the boiler, hence engine power. Cylinder design and valve events were not optimal, so the Claughton Class was a mediocre performer on the track.Reed, Brian, 1970, Locomotives - A Picture History, p58

The LNWR reused numbers and names from withdrawn locomotives, with the result that the numbering was completely haphazard. An exception was made for the LNWR's war memorial locomotives. There were two of these: No. 2097 (built in 1917) was briefly named Patriot for a short period in January 1920; and the name was later given to a new locomotive numbered 1914, which entered service in May 1920 (ordinarily, this locomotive would have been numbered 69, which had been unused since January 1920; but instead, Renown Class locomotive No. 1914 was renumbered 1257 in order to release its old number). The nameplates of both locomotives also bore the inscription "In Memory of the Fallen L & N W R Employees 1914–1919". Remembrance Day ceremonies at Rugby featured no. 1914 until its name was transferred to LMS Patriot Class No. 5500. The LMS renumbered them into the more logical series 5900–6029, No. 1914 becoming 5964. Twenty were rebuilt by the LMS with larger boilers, and ten of these had Caprotti valve gear. Twelve others were rebuilt as the initial engines of the Patriot Class, though not much material was reused.

With the introduction of the LMS Royal Scot Class in 1927, the Claughtons' main work had been taken away and many were transferred to the Midland Division. At the end of 1937, all but four, Nos. 5946, 6004, 6017 and 6023, had been withdrawn. These were retained in service until further repair became unworthwhile; three of them were withdrawn in 1940–41, leaving No. 6004, which was regularly used to haul fitted freight trains between London and Edge Hill, becoming increasingly dirty. Inherited by British Railways in 1948, it was allocated the BR number 46004 but was withdrawn in 1949 without it being applied. None were preserved.

Accidents and incidents On 12 February 1929, locomotive No. 5977 was hauling an express passenger train that was in a head-on collision with a freight train, hauled by LMS Fowler 4F 0-6-0 No. 4491, at station, Derbyshire. The driver and fireman of the express were killed. On 6 March 1930, locomotive No. 5971 was hauling a passenger train that departed from station, Cumberland against signals. It subsequently collided with a ballast train, hauled by Midland Railway 3835 Class 0-6-0 No. 4009 at . Two people were killed and four were seriously injured. On 13 March 1935, locomotive No. 5946 was hauling an express freight train which stopped in the section between Nash Mills and King's Langley signalboxes, Hertfordshire due to an engine defect. A milk train, hauled by LMS Compound 4-4-0 No. 1165, ran into the rear of it due to a signalman's error. Two other freight trains, one hauled by LMS Patriot Class 4-6-0 No. 5511 and the other hauled by LMS Class 7F 0-8-0 No. 9598, collided with the wreckage. One person was killed.

Details LNWRNo. CreweWorksNo. LMSNo. Datebuilt Name Date Named Withdrawn Notes 2222 5117 5900 Sir Gilbert Claughton From new 1161 5138 5901 Sir Robert Turnbull From new 1191 5139 5902 Sir Frank Ree From new 1319 5140 5907 Sir Frederick Harrison From new 1327 5141 5908 Alfred Fletcher From new ‡ 21 5142 5903 Duke of Sutherland From new 163 5143 5904 Holland Hibbert From new 650 5144 5905 Lord Rathmore From new 1159 5145 5906 Ralph Brocklebank From new † 2046 5146 5909 Charles N. Lawrence From new 250 5227 5910 J. A. Bright From new † 260 5228 5911 W. E. Dorrington From new 1131 5229 5912 Lord Faber From new 1429 5230 5913 Colonel Lockwood From new 2239 5231 5918 Frederick Baynes From new 209 5232 5914 J. Bruce Ismay From new 668 5233 5915 Rupert Guinness From new 856 5234 5916 E. Tootal Broadhurst From new 1567 5235 5917 Charles J. Cropper From new 2401 5236 5919 Lord Kitchener From new 511 5337 5920 George Macpherson From new 695 5338 5921 Sir Arthur Lawley From new 968 5239 5922 Lord Kenyon From new 1093 5340 5923 Guy Calthrop From new Sir Guy Calthrop from March 1919 1345 5341 5924 James Bishop From new 2174 5342 5925 E. C. Trench From new 2204 5343 5926 Sir Herbert Walker K.C.B. From new 2221 5344 5927 Sir Francis Dent From new ‡ 2338 5345 5928 Charles H. Dent From new 2395 5346 5929 J. A. F. Aspinall From new 37 5367 5930 G. R. Jebb From new 154 5368 5931 Captain Fryatt From new 155 5369 5932 I. T. Williams From new Sir Thomas Williams from December 1919 162 5370 5933 186 5371 5934 713 5372 5935 1334 5373 5936 2042 5374 5937 2097 5375 5938 2230 5376 5939 Clio 1019 5377 5940 Columbus 1355 5378 5941 2366 5379 5942 2373 5980 5943 Tennyson 2411 5381 5944 2420 5382 5945 Ingestre 2427 5383 5946 Duke of Connaught ‡ 2431 5384 5947 2445 5385 5948 Baltic ‡ 2450 5386 5949 116 5387 5950 159 5388 5951 171 5389 5952 986 5390 5953 Buckingham † 1085 5391 5954 1103 5392 5955 2122 5393 5956 2368 5394 5957 ‡ 2416 5395 5958 2426 5396 5959 1914 5502 5964 PatriotIn memory of the Fallen LNWR Employees 1914-1919 From new 69 5503 5960 178 5504 5961 194 5505 5962 ‡ 972 5506 5963 1177 5507 5966 Bunsen 2179 5508 5969 2499 5509 5970 Patience † 2511 5510 5971 Croxteth Locomotive badly damaged in head-on collision between Culgaith and Langwathby on 6 March 1930. 1599 5511 5968 John O’Groat 484 5512 5965 1407 5513 5967 L./Cpl. J. A. Christie, V.C. 1726 5514 5972 † 1741 5515 5973 1747 5516 5974 2035 5517 5976 Private E. Sykes, V.C. Name transferred to 6015 in April 1926 2083 5518 5977 Locomotive badly damaged in head-on collision near Doe Hill station on 12 February 1929. 2231 5519 5978 2268 5520 5979 Frobisher 12 5521 5975 Talisman ‡ 85 5522 5980 98 5523 5981 103 5524 5982 201 5525 5983 499 5526 5984 808 5527 5985 1092 5528 5986 † 1096 5529 5987 1097 5530 5988 Private W. Wood, V.C. Name transferred to 6018 in April 1926 1133 5531 5989 2059 5532 5991 C. J. Bowen-Cooke 1326 5533 5990 2090 5534 5992 2095 5535 5993 † 2101 5536 5998 6 5537 5994 8 5538 5995 10 5539 5996 11 5540 5997 13 5541 5999 Vindictive † Renumbered 2430 in October 1922. Name removed in August 1936. 15 5542 6000 23 5543 6001 30 5544 6002 Thalaba 32 5545 6003 42 5546 6004 Princess Louise † Name removed in June 1935, BR Number never applied. 36 5547 6005 68 5548 6006 102 5549 6007 110 5550 6008 Lady Godiva 119 5551 6009 149 5552 6010 150 5553 6011 Illustrious 152 5554 6012 156 5555 6013 ‡ 157 5556 6014 158 5557 6015 Private E. Sykes, V.C. Name transferred from 5976 in April 1926 161 5558 6016 169 5559 6017 Breadalbane † 179 5560 6018 Private W. Wood, V.C. Name transferred from 5988 in April 1926 180 5561 6019 Llewellyn 183 5562 6020 192 5563 6021 Bevere 205 5564 6022 207 5565 6023 Sir Charles Cust ‡ 208 5566 6024 210 5567 6025 211 5568 6026 517 5569 6027 1216 5570 6028 1220 5571 6029 ‡

† Locomotives fitted with larger boilers from 1928. ‡ Locomotives fitted with Caprotti valve gear and larger boilers from 1928.

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