The London and North Western Railway Precedent Class was a class of seventy steam locomotives originally designed for express passenger work.
History They were designed by F. W. Webb and built by the LNWR's Crewe Works between 1874 and 1882. The numbering was haphazard – while the first twenty carried "new" numbers in a solid block, the remaining fifty were given numbers formerly carried by withdrawn locomotives. All seventy carried names from new, many of which had been used on withdrawn locomotives.
Between 1893 and 1901, sixty-two of the locomotives were "renewed" (i.e. replaced with new locomotives carrying the same number and name) as Improved Precedent class locomotives.
The remaining eight were rebuilt as Improved Precedents in the 1890s; they retained their thick frames – the renewals had frames.
Two of the unrenewed locomotives were scrapped in 1907, and two in the 1910s, with four passing to the London Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923. They were allocated numbers 5000–5003 and were withdrawn between 1929 and 1934. The last of these, 5001 Snowdon, had 20000 added to its number six months before withdrawal in order to release its old number for an LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0.
Accidents and incidents On 7 December 1925, locomotive 1170 General ran through a set of level crossing gates and struck a bus at Fenny Stratford; nine bus passengers died.
Fleet list + List of Locomotives LNWR No. Name Crewe Works No. Date built Date renewed Date scrapped Notes 2175 Precedent 1902 — 2176 Robert Benson 1903 — 2177 Edward Tootal 1904 — 2178 Pluck 1905 — 2179 Patience 1906 — 2180 Perseverance 1907 — 2181 Buffalo 1908 — Rebuilt 1887, 1893 and 1902 2182 Giraffe 1909 — 2183 Antelope 1910 — 2184 Reynard 1911 — 2185 Alma 1912 — 2186 Lowther 1913 — 2187 Penrith Beacon 1914 — 2188 Chillington 1915 — 2188 Avon 1916 — 2190 Beatrice 1917 — Renamed Lady Beatrice, then Princess Beatrice; rebuilt Nov 1895, to LMS 5000 2191 Snowdon 1918 — Rebuilt Nov 1892; to LMS 5001; renumbered 25001 2192 Caradoc 1919 — 2193 Salopian 1920 — 2194 Cambrian 1921 — 890 Sir Hardman Earle 2034 — 1177 Princess Louise 2035 — 857 Prince Leopold 2036 — 858 Sir Salar Jung 2037 — 861 Amazon 2038 — 860 Merrie Carlisle 2039 — 862 Balmoral 2040 — 863 Meteor 2041 — Rebuilt 1890s 864 Pilot 2042 — 865 Envoy 2043 — 866 Courier 2044 — 1189 Stewart 2045 — 883 Phantom 2046 — 1105 Hercules 2047 — 867 Disraeli 2048 — 868 Condor 2049 — 869 Llewellyn 2050 — 870 Fairbairn 2051 — 871 Proserpine 2052 — 872 Wizard 2053 — 1173 The Auditor 2219 — 1193 Joshua Radcliffe 2220 — 1194 Miranda 2221 — 749 Mercury 2222 — 517 Marathon 2223 — 1170 General 2224 — Rebuilt 1890s; to LMS 5002 919 Nasmyth 2225 — 193 Rocket 2226 — 1183 Plynlimmon 2227 — 1187 Chandos 2228 — 619 Mabel 2400 — Exhibited at the Stephenson Centenary, 1881 789 Breadalbane 2401 — 477 Caractacus 2402 — 478 Commodore 2403 — 480 Duchess of Lancaster 2404 — 482 Pegasus 2405 — 506 Sir Alexander Cockburn 2406 — 512 Lazonby 2407 — Rebuilt 1890s; to LMS 5003 514 Lawrence 2408 — 945 Humphrey Davy 2409 — 253 President Garfield 2501 — 254 President Lincoln 2502 — 256 President Washington 2503 — 257 Duke of Albany 2504 — Rebuilt 1890s 260 Duke of Connaught 2505 — 262 Wheatstone 2506 — 264 Buckland 2507 — 265 Thomas Carlisle 2508 — 364 Henry Pease 2509 — 955 Charles Dickens 2510 — Rebuilt 1890s
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