LNWR Samson Class


The LNWR Samson Class was a class of ninety 2-4-0 steam locomotives built by the London and North Western Railway at their Crewe Works between 1863 and 1879.
They were officially designated Curved Link 6-ft Passenger due to the use of a curved link between the fore and back eccentric rods of their Stephenson valve gear and the use of diameter wheel centres, which, together with thick tyres gave a driving wheel diameter of.
Ostensibly a mixed traffic design, they were the first locomotives with coupled driving wheels to be allocated for passenger duties on the LNWR.
They were designed by John Ramsbottom who had fifty built, all without cabs and with pierced driving wheel splashers. Ramsbottom's successor F. W. Webb, built forty more, all with cabs. The earlier locomotives also gained cabs, and all eventually had their splashers filled in.
All ninety locomotives were 'renewed' by a like number of Waterloo class locomotives between 1889 and 1905, but only eighty were scrapped quickly. The ten exceptions were transferred to the Civil Engineer's list, and these were withdrawn between 1914 and 1925.
None were preserved.
LNWR
No.		LNWR NameCrewe
Works
No.		Date builtDate scrappedNotes
633Samson624
634Ellesmere625
733Chimera626
735Charon627
738Terrier628
752Glowworm629
757Banshee630
758Hardman631
763Violet632
821Diomed633
901Hero680
902Onyx681
628Tartarus682
724Eden683
748Waterloo684
764Shap685
792Theorem686
793Martin687
794Woodlark688
795Falstaff689
731Croxteth730
732Hecla731
736Memnon732
737Roberts733
739Sutherland734
742Spitfire735
828Tubal736
829Turk737
830Trent738-
642Bee739
81Greystock780Renamed Greystoke c.1884
1045Whitworth781
401Zeno782
404Zophyrus783
418Zygia784
419Zillah785
35Talisman786
36Thalaba787
124Marquis Douro788
231Firefly789
609The Earl of Chester880
632Ostrich881
746Castor882
814Henrietta883
817Constance884
819Puck885
824Adelaide886
832Sanspareil887
934North Star888
935Planet889
414Prospero1692To duplicate list as 3271 in 1895; to Civil Engineer's Dept in 1903 as Engineer Lancaster; withdrawn 1924.
424Sirius1693To duplicate list as 3206 in 1895; to Civil Engineer's Dept in 1899 as Engineer Crewe; withdrawn 1914.
604Narcissus1694
635Zamiel1695
636Eclipse1696
285Phalaris1697
444Typhoon1698
445Ixion1699
446Siren1700
805Caliban1701
434'1842
468Wildfire1843
469'1844
485Euxine1845
486Skiddaw1846
487John O’Groat1847To duplicate list as 3199 in 1894; to Civil Engineer's Dept in 1895 as Spare Engine, to Engineer Liverpool in 1903; withdrawn 1921.
631Hotspur1848To duplicate list as 3273 in 1896; to Civil Engineer's Dept in 1901 as Engineer Manchester; withdrawn 1914.
1163John O’Gaunt1849
90Luck of Edenhall1850
885Vampire1851To duplicate list as 3269 in 1895; to Civil Engineer's Dept in 1897; became Spare Engine in 1923; withdrawn 1925.
2150Atlas1852
2151Baltic1853To duplicate list as 3268 in 1895; to Civil Engineer's Dept in 1901 as Engineer Walsall; withdrawn 1923.
2152Sybil1854
2153Isis1855
2154Loadstone1856
2155Liver1857
2156Sphinx1858
2157Unicorn1859To duplicate list as 3272 in 1895; to Civil Engineer's Dept in 1905 as Spare Engine; withdrawn 1923.
2158Serpent1860
2159Shark1861
2350Centaur2279Renumbered 773 in 1879; to duplicate list as 3200 in 1894; to Civil Engineer's Dept in 1895 as Engineer Watford; withdrawn 1923.
2351Saddleback2280Renumbered 1162 in 1879.
2352Odin2281Renumbered 1164 in 1879.
2353Wyre2282Renumbered 1166 in 1879; to duplicate list as 3270 in 1895; to Civil Engineer's Dept in 1902 as Engineer Bangor; withdrawn 1925.
2354Cuckoo2283Renumbered 1168 in 1879.
2355Kestrel2284Renumbered 852 in 1879.
2356Petrel2285Renumbered 209 in 1879; to duplicate list as 3198 in 1894, transferred to Civil Engineer's Dept in 1902 as Engineer Northampton; withdrawn 1923
2357Medea2286Renumbered 995 in 1879.
2358Mastodon2287Renumbered 479 in 1879.
2359Pheasant2288Renumbered 263 in 1879.