The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Fowler 3F is a class of steam locomotives, often known as Jinty. They represent the ultimate development of the Midland Railway's six-coupled tank engines. They could reach speeds of up to 60 mph (97 km/h).

Introduction

Design of this class was based on rebuilds by Henry Fowler of the Midland Railway 2441 Class introduced in 1899 by Samuel Waite Johnson. These rebuilds featured a Belpaire firebox and improved cab. 422 Jinties were built between 1924 and 1931; this class was just one of the Midland designs used on an ongoing basis by the LMS. The locomotives were built by the ex-L&YR Horwich Works and the private firms Bagnall's, Beardmores, Hunslet, North British and the Vulcan Foundry.

Details NumbersLotNo.DatebuiltBuilt byNotesOriginal19347100–71197260–7279121924Vulcan Foundry 3717–3736 7120–71347280–7294131924North British 23121–23135 7135–71417295–7301141924Hunslet 1460–1466 7142–71497302–7309141925Hunslet 1467–1474 7150–71567310–7316—1929W. G. Bagnall 2358–2364Né SDJR 19–2516400–164597317–7376341926North British 23396–23455 16460–165097377–7426351926Vulcan Foundry 3948–3997 16510–165187427–7435361926Hunslet 1511–1519 16519–165347436–7451361927Hunslet 1520–153516535–165437452–7460371926W. G. Bagnall 2288–2296 16544–165497461–7466371926W. G. Bagnall 2297–2302 16550–165547467–7471501928Vulcan Foundry 4175–4179 16555–165607472–7477501927Vulcan Foundry 4169–4174 16561–165997478–7516501928Vulcan Foundry 4180–4218 16600–166247517–7541511928Beardmore 325–34916625–166327542–7549521927Hunslet 1558–1565 16633–166497550–7566521928Hunslet 1566–78/82/80/81/79 16650–166697567–7586581928Hunslet 1591–1610 16670–166747587–7591581929Hunslet 1611–1615 16675–166847592–7601591928W. G. Bagnall 2343–2352 16685–167237602–7640601928Beardmore 350–388 16724–167497641–7666601929Beardmore 389–414 16750–167647667–7681821931LMS Horwich Works When new, they were numbered 7100–7149, 16400–16764. Numbers 7150–7156 were added when the LMS absorbed the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway locomotives in 1930. In the 1934 LMS renumbering scheme, the locomotives were assigned the series 7260–7681. On the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 they were initially chosen as the standard shunting locomotive for the War Department, but later the more modern Hunslet "Austerity" was chosen in preference. Nevertheless, eight were dispatched to France before its fall in 1940, and only five returned in 1948. Two, 7456 and 7553, were converted to the Irish broad gauge in 1944 and 1945 for use on Northern Counties Committee lines in Northern Ireland, becoming the NCC Class Y, and numbered 18 and 19. A total of 412 thus entered British Railways stock in 1948, rising to 417 by the end of the year.

British Railways numbers were the LMS numbers prefixed with '4'. Numbers 47477, 47478, 47479, 47480, 47481, 47655 and 47681 were fitted for push-pull train working. Withdrawal The first withdrawals started in 1959 and by 1964 half had been withdrawn. The final five survived until 1967, with a further one, 47445 continuing with the National Coal Board.

+ Table of withdrawals Year Quantity inservice atstart of year Quantitywithdrawn Locomotive numbers Notes 1940 422 8 7589, 7607/11/13/17/59–60/63. to WD 8 to 15 1944 414 2 7456, 7553 to NCC 18/19 1948 412 -5 47589, 47607/11/59–60. Repatriated from SNCF 1959 417 25 47274/91/96/99,47301/09/15/29/31/37/39/46/63–64/70/82/87/94,47407/09/11/40/77/89,47538. 1960 392 48 47260/62/65/71/82,47303/11/23/35/47/52/74,47401/36/43/46/63/86/98,47509–10/23/25/27–28/37/41/60–61/63/67–69/73/75–76/85–86/91/95,47600/35–36/39/50/52/70/72. 1961 344 34 47263/68/77,47312/34/69/98,47403/05/18/20–21/38/48/62/84,47508/13/29/40/59/70–71/80,47605/07/19–20/24–26/32/34/37. 1962 310 75 47261/69–70/75/90/92,47302/04/10/16/19/28/32/40/42/48/51/53/58/66/76/81/92,47402/04/14/17/22/24–26/31/33/55/57/66/70/73–75/79/83/88/91/97,47504/14/16/22/26/36/42/45–46/48/52/54–56/62/72/74/88/93,47601/04/08/10/21/30/33/42/44/78. 1963 235 40 47264/67/78/81/83/87/94,47300/22/60/79/86,47412–13/19/41/49/58–60/64/81/90/96,47502/18/32/39/47/51/81–83/89.47618/38/51/54/57/79. 1964 195 49 47284/88/97,47306/08/20/33/43–45/49/54–55/65/68/72/75/80/85/90,47430/34/61/67/69/76/78/92,47501/03/11/15/17/24/49–50/57–58/79/84/87/94,47609/22–23/28/40/48/53. 1965 146 63 47285–86/95,47305/21/25/30/38/50/59/61–62/71/78/95/99,47400/08/23/28–29/32/39/42/51–52/54/64/68/80/85/87/95/99,47500/05/12/19–20/43–44/64/77–78/96–97,47606/14/16/45–47/55–56/60/64–66/76–77/80–81. 1966 83 77 47266/72–73/76/79–80/93/98,47307/14/17–18/24/26–27/36/41/57/67/73/77/84/88–89/91/93/96–97,47406/10/15–16/27/35/37/44–45/47/50/53/71–72/82/93–94,47503/07/21/30/33/35/65–66/90/92/98–99,47602–03/11–12/15/27/31/41/43/49/58–59/61–62/67–68/71/73–75. 47445 to NCB 1967 6 6 47289, 47313/83, 47531/34, 47629.

Preservation Due to their large numbers and late withdrawals, nine of these engines have been preserved, along with a spare set of frames and a boiler (from 47564). Many were restored within a few years of leaving the scrap heap, and most have a further working life ahead of them. All have steamed in preservation, with the exception of 47445.

One member of the class has operated on the main line in preservation. This was 7298/47298, which took part during the Rainhill celebrations in 1980 when it hauled a number of Steamport residents from the museum in Southport to Rainhill and also took part in the cavalcade. Owned by Ian Riley, in February 2017 it was undergoing its "ten-yearly overhaul"ELR Resident Locomotives and was expected to return to operation "in a couple of years".

Locations and condition are shown below (current numbers in bold):

Image Original Number (S&D number) BR Number Built Builder Withdrawn Base Status Notes711947279Aug 1924Vulcan FoundryDec 1966 Keighley and Worth Valley Railway Static Display On display inside the museum at Oxenhope.713847298Oct 1924Hunslet Engine CompanyDec 1966 Ian Riley Engineering Operational1640747324Jun 1926North British Locomotive CompanyDec 1966 East Lancashire Railway Undergoing Overhaul 16410 (23)47327Jul 1926North British Locomotive CompanyDec 1966 Midland Railway Static Display Currently painted in S&DJR Prussian Blue. Appeared in the film Train of Events, as a London yard shunter.1644047357Jul 1926North British Locomotive CompanyDec 1966 Midland Railway Running In Made its first post overhaul moves in October 2023, to re-enter public service in December 2023.1646647383Oct 1926Vulcan FoundryOct 1967 Severn Valley Railway Static Display, Awaiting Overhaul Last to be withdrawn. On display inside The Engine House at Highley.1648947406Dec 1926Vulcan FoundryDec 1966 Great Central Railway Static Display, Awaiting Overhaul Currently on display inside Mountsorrel Railway's Museum. 1652847445May 1927Hunslet Engine CompanyApr 1966 Midland Railway Under Restoration Sold to NCB after withdrawal.1657647493Feb 1928Vulcan FoundryDec 1966 Spa Valley Railway Undergoing Overhaul Only example preserved with Screw Reverser, enhances performance

In fiction An engine of this class can be seen in the Rev. W. Awdry's The Railway Series book The Eight Famous Engines. The character is named Jinty and comes from the "Other Railway" (a.k.a. British Railways) to help out when the main engines went on a journey to England.

In the video game Transport Tycoon by Chris Sawyer, the Jinty is offered as the cheapest and most basic engine in the game. The Jinty later appeared in Chris Sawyer's Locomotion as the third UK steam engine available, after the Fowler 4F, and the Stirling 8ft

Models An OO gauge model of the Class 3F was first produced by Tri-ang in 1952 and production continued after the company became Hornby Railways in the 1970s. Hornby released a retooled version in 1978 with better detailing and continue to produce that model for their "Railroad" range.

In the 2000s Bachmann Branchline released a more detailed OO model. In N gauge Graham Farish produced a model as a "GP Tank" in various liveries including some of other railway companies before later tooling an accurate 'Jinty' model. In O gauge and Gauge 1 Bachmann Brassworks produce an example. In O gauge, Connoisseur Models produces an etched brass kit. In HO (3.5 mm) scale Firedrake Productions produced a small run of 20 kits.

Darstaed, a model train company in Great Britain, produced O gauge tintype models of the LMS Fowler Class 3F, affectionately referring to them by the nickname of Jinty

Dapol has produced a Jinty for the O gauge market which was released in September 2017

References

External links

LMS Jinty at Spa Valley Railway - 28 April 2004 - Photo gallery