LNWR 17in Coal Engine

LNWR 17in Coal Engine
No. 3209 stands outside Manchester London Road station
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Francis Webb Builder LNWR, Crewe Works Build date 1873–1892 Total produced 499
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 0-6-0 Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Driver dia. 4 ft 3 in (1.295 m) Wheelbase 15 ft 6 in (4.724 m) Loco weight 32.00 long tons (32.5 t) Fuel type Coal Water cap 1,800 imperial gallons (8,200 l; 2,200 US gal) Firebox:  • Firegrate area 17.1 sq ft (1.59 m2) Boiler pressure 140 psi (0.97 MPa) Heating surface:  • Tubes 1,074.6 sq ft (99.83 m2) Cylinders Two, inside Cylinder size 17 in × 24 in (432 mm × 610 mm) Valve gear Stephenson Valve type Slide valves
Performance figures Tractive effort 16,530 lbf (73.5 kN)
Career Operators LNWR · ROD · LMS · BR Power class LMS/BR: 2F Number in class 499 Disposition All scrapped

The LNWR 17in Coal Engine was a class of 0-6-0 steam tender engines designed by Francis Webb for the London and North Western Railway. They were simple locomotives and in UK service they were very reliable. "17in" refers to their cylinder diameter in inches. They were called "Coal Engines" because they were used for hauling coal trains.

The 17in Coal was the first new design of engine to be built by Webb since he became Chief Engineer of the LNWR in September 1871. A policy of 'low costs' was in force at the LNWR, with running costs per engine mile reduced from  10 ³⁄₄d per engine mile in 1857 to  7 ³⁄₄d by 1871. The first 17in Coal was constructed in 1873, the first of five hundred built. Ernest L. Ahrons is quoted as regarding the type as "probably the simplest and cheapest locomotives ever made in this country", and O.S. Nock described them as "splendid".

Many aspects of the 17in Coal's design reflected John Ramsbottom's final design: the 0-6-0 Special Tank, including the identical wheel diameter and cylinder dimensions, but the new engines had a larger, improved boiler. In February 1878, one engine of this design was built from scratch in  25 ¹⁄₂ hours.

During the First World War the Railway Operating Division of the Royal Engineers took many Coal Engines for use overseas, including many to the British Expeditionary Force in France and 42 to the Palestine Military Railway. Those in Palestine were reported to have performed badly and Palestine Railways sold them all for scrap by 1922. This may have been due partly to the poor quality of water used in Palestine.