The Midland's Paget Locomotive
Ben Jones looks back at the Midland Railway's enigmatic and ill-fated experimental steam locomotive designed by Sir Cecil Paget.
Ben Jones looks back at one of Britain's most enigmatic experimental steam locomotives. An ill-fated attempt to break away from traditional 'Stephensonian' designs that was smothered by the internal politics of the Midland Railway.
KNOWN as the 'Paget Locomotive',
'Paget's Folly' by its critics, 2-6-2 No. 2299 was an experimental steam locomotive constructed at Derby Works in 1907/08 to the design ofMidland Railway General Superintendent, Sir Cecil Paget.
His novel concept could have played a greater role in shaping the future of steam locomotives, but internal politics at Derby Works reduced it to little more than a footnote in British railway history.
Paget, son ofMidland Railway (MR) chairman Sir George Ernest Paget and then Derby Works manager, had been widely tipped to replace Samuel Johnson as locomotive superintendent in 1906, but the job instead went to Richard Deeley.
Cecil Paget remained as his assistant until 1907 when he was promoted to become the company's first general superintendent, responsible for train operations and the men associated with it.
Deeley, reluctantly, had his title changed to chief mechanical engineer and was unhappy at losing influence over the operational side of his locomotive fleet. The resulting tensions within the MR did Paget's personal project no favours at Derby Works.
The Midland shrouded No. 2299 in secrecy, with the result there is only one known photograph, only released after the Grouping of 1923, which saw the MR become part of the new London Midland & Scottish Railway. By that time the locomotive had been scrapped for almost a decade.
Paget initially financed the project himself, but ran out of money and the MR is said to have covered the shortfall on the understanding all subsequent tests were undertaken on its terms.
Inspired by the Willans stationary engine concept, which was being used with great success in electricity generating stations of the time, the locomotive had no fewer than eight single-acting cylinders arranged in two groups of four placed between the first and second and second and third driving axles.
Rotary steam distribution valves were placed over each and a bronze sleeve in the valve body was rotated to control piston cut-off. Two were connected to the leading driving axle of the 2-6-2. Four were connected - two each side - to the middle axle, with the final two situated behind the rearmost driving axle. These drove a jackshaft which operated and reversed the valves, with cut-off being controlled by rotary sleeves.
The large diameter boiler had an unusual integral steel firebox, lined with firebricks, as used in industrial furnaces. This eliminated the need for an expensive copper firebox, standard for British steam locomotives of the time, and around 75% of the firebox stays.
The locomotive was also well ahead ofits time in other details, including the view of the line ahead from the cab and ash disposal from the ashpan and smokebox - all ofwhich were designed with crews and fitters in mind.
The frames were placed outside the driving wheels, crucially providing the space to accommodate the four large diameter cylinders in two overlapping barrels.
"The perfectly balanced, free-running design could have exerted a much greater influence on British locomotive design if it hadn't been the victim of internal jealousies and conservative thinking at Derby."