# LNWR Bloomer Class

Bloomer was a name used to refer to three similar classes of 2-2-2 express passenger locomotives designed by James McConnell for the Southern Division of the London and North Western Railway (LNWR). A total of seventy-four were built between 1851 and 1862. The classes were similar in design and layout but differed in dimensions.

## History

The name "Bloomer" was at first a nickname, but was quickly adopted officially. The nickname was a topical one in the autumn of 1851 when the first engine arrived on the line, because of the current popular excitement aroused by the appearance of women wearing trousers, as advocated by Mrs Amelia Bloomer. The widespread belief that they were awarded this nickname because they showed more of their wheels than earlier engines makes no sense: most earlier engines on the line had naked wheels.
Another enduring myth is that until 1862 the Bloomers (and other Southern Division engines) were painted vermilion. They were not, although some were painted a very dark plum-red from 1861, before the standard livery reverted to green in the following year, and then changed to black from 1873.
In April 1862, the Southern Division locomotives were renumbered into the all-LNWR series by the addition of 600 to each engine's number.
Apart from two of the 6 ft 6 in engines which were scrapped in 1866, all the Bloomers were given nameplates in 1872; the names awarded were of the usual miscellaneous variety customary on the LNWR.

### (a) 7 ft driving wheel Bloomers ('Large Bloomers' from 1862)

The design of these was derived from six successful 2-2-2 locomotives supplied to the railway by Bury, Curtis and Kennedy in 1848. McConnell substituted plate frames, provided larger boilers and 7 ft 0 in (2.134 m) driving wheels. The first twenty were built by Sharp, Stewart and Company in 1851–1853. A further twenty examples were built in 1861/2: five by Sharp Stewart & Co., five by Kitson and Company, and ten at the Wolverton railway works of the LNWR.
They were numbered 247–256, 287–296 and 389–408 until 1862, when they were renumbered by the addition of 600, becoming 847 to 1008.
The locomotives were primarily used on express passenger services between London and Birmingham and, from 1860, also from Rugby to Stafford.
During the 1860s and 1870s, most of the class were rebuilt with new (Crewe) boilers; the original 2,000 gallon tenders were reduced to hold 1,700 gallons because of the introduction of water troughs on the main line. Withdrawals took place between June 1876 and November 1888.
Table of locomotives :
| 1854 Southern Division No. | Maker | Serial number | Date built | 1862 LNWR No. | 1872 name | Date scrapped | Notes |
| 247 | Sharp Brothers | 677 | Aug 1851 | 847 | Odin | Dec 1878 | |
| 248 | Sharp Brothers | 678 | Sep 1851 | 848 | Hecate | Oct 1883 | |
| 249 | Sharp Brothers | 679 | Sep 1851 | 849 | Aeolus | Dec 1879 | Involved in Atherstone collision of 16 Nov 1860 and Easenhall bridge boiler explosion of 4 July 1861 |
| 250 | Sharp Brothers | 680 | Sep 1851 | 850 | Columbine | Nov 1881 | Involved in Harrow collision of 26 Nov 1870 |
| 251 | Sharp Brothers | 681 | Oct 1851 | 851 | Apollo | Mar 1881 | |
| 252 | Sharp Brothers | 682 | Oct 1851 | 852 | Basilisk | Sep 1879 | |
| 253 | Sharp Brothers | 683 | Nov 1851 | 853 | Vulture | Jan 1877 | |
| 254 | Sharp Brothers | 684 | Nov 1851 | 854 | Dalemain | Dec 1877 | |
| 255 | Sharp Brothers | 685 | Dec 1851 | 855 | Sandon | Dec 1877 | |
| 256 | Sharp Brothers | 686 | Dec 1851 | 856 | Ingestre | June 1876 | |
| 287 | Sharp Brothers | 700 | Oct 1852 | 887 | Knowsley | May 1882 | |
| 288 | Sharp Brothers | 701 | Oct 1852 | 888 | Hydra | Apr 1882 | |
| 289 | Sharp Brothers | 702 | Nov 1852 | 889 | Camilla | Feb 1884 | |
| 290 | Sharp Brothers | 703 | Nov 1852 | 890 | Helvellyn | Mar 1877 | |
| 291 | Sharp Brothers | 704 | Nov 1852 | 891 | Duke | Apr 1883 | |
| 292 | Sharp Brothers | 705 | Dec 1852 | 892 | Polyphemus | Sep 1877 | |
| 293 | Sharp Brothers | 710 | Dec 1852 | 893 | Harpy | Mar 1885 | Renumbered 1817 in Dec 1884 |
| 294 | Sharp Brothers | 712 | Feb 1853 | 894 | Trentham | Apr 1883 | |
| 295 | Sharp Brothers | 713 | Feb 1853 | 895 | Torch | Mar 1887 | Renumbered 1828 in Dec 1884 and 3050 in Nov 1886 |
| 296 | Sharp Brothers | 715 | Feb 1853 | 896 | Daedalus | July 1877 | |
| 399 | Sharp, Stewart | 1289 | Oct 1861 | 999 | Medusa | Sep 1887 | Renumbered 1898 in Dec 1884 |
| 400 | Sharp, Stewart | 1290 | Oct 1861 | 1000 | Umpire | Mar 1885 | Renumbered 1902 in Dec 1884 |
| 401 | Sharp, Stewart | 1291 | Nov 1861 | 1001 | Leviathan | Dec 1884 | |
| 402 | Sharp, Stewart | 1292 | Nov 1861 | 1002 | Theseus | June 1882 | |
| 403 | Sharp, Stewart | 1293 | Nov 1861 | 1003 | Tamerlane | May 1886 | Renumbered 1905 in Dec 1884 |
| 404 | Kitson & Co. | 899 | Sep 1861 | 1004 | Lucifer | July 1883 | |
| 405 | Kitson & Co. | 900 | Sep 1861 | 1005 | Achilles | Oct 1884 | |
| 406 | Kitson & Co. | 901 | Oct 1861 | 1006 | Proserpine | Oct 1876 | |
| 407 | Kitson & Co. | 902 | Oct 1861 | 1007 | President | Dec 1877 | |
| 408 | Kitson & Co. | 903 | Oct 1861 | 1008 | Rowland Hill | Feb 1885 | Renumbered 1907 in Dec 1884 |
| 389 | Wolverton Works | — | Mar 1862 | 989 | Archimedes | Sep 1887 | Renumbered 1853 in Dec 1884 and 3071 in Nov 1886 |
| 390 | Wolverton Works | — | Mar 1862 | 990 | Alaric | June 1886 | Renumbered 1881 in Dec 1884 |
| 391 | Wolverton Works | — | Mar 1862 | 991 | Japan | Jan 1882 | |
| 392 | Wolverton Works | — | Mar 1862 | 992 | Stork | Nov 1888 | Renumbered 1882 in Dec 1884 and 3023 in May 1887 |
| 393 * | Wolverton Works | — | Apr 1862 | 993 | Burmah | Feb 1881 | |
| 394 * | Wolverton Works | — | Apr 1862 | 994 | Ariel | Sep 1884 | |
| 395 * | Wolverton Works | — | Apr 1862 | 995 | Briareus | Sep 1879 | |
| 396 * | Wolverton Works | — | May 1862 | 996 | Raglan | June 1882 | |
| 397 * | Wolverton Works | — | Apr 1862 | 997 | Baronet | Jan 1882 | |
| 398 * | Wolverton Works | — | May 1862 | 998 | Una | June 1885 | Renumbered 1897 in Dec 1884 |
* Number assigned, but possibly never carried

### (b) 6 ft 6 in driving wheels ('Small Bloomers')

Eleven smaller examples were built with 6 ft 6 in (1.981 m) driving wheels in 1854 for use on secondary fast main-line trains and branch lines of the Southern Division. These engines were originally intended by McConnell to be a 7 ft-wheel variant of his Patent class, but the design was altered by order of the directors to a smaller version of the successful Bloomers. Like them, the design was closely based on the Bury, Curtis & Kennedy 6 ft single of 1848; McConnell called the Small Bloomer design 'Bury's Improved'.
Seven were built by R and W Hawthorn and four by Vulcan Foundry. A further twenty of this design were built at Wolverton Works between 1857 and 1861. Numbers originally carried were an assortment from 2 to 381, renumbered 602 to 981 in 1862. Two were withdrawn in 1866, but the others were rebuilt between 1868 and 1876; the last one was scrapped in 1887.
Table of locomotives :
| 1854 Southern Division No. | 1856 Southern Division No. | Maker | Serial number | Date built | 1862 LNWR No. | 1872 name | Date scrapped | Notes |
| 310 | 13 | Vulcan Foundry | 358 | June 1854 | 613 | — | Dec 1866 | |
| 311 | 14 | Vulcan Foundry | 359 | June 1854 | 614 | Wyre | Feb 1879 | |
| 312 | 15 | Vulcan Foundry | 360 | July 1854 | 615 | Lune | Feb 1883 | |
| 313 | 17 | Vulcan Foundry | 361 | July 1854 | 617 | Partridge | June 1883 | |
| 314 | 23 | R. & W. Hawthorn | 842 | Apr 1854 | 623 | Medea | Dec 1877 | |
| 315 | 24 | R. & W. Hawthorn | 843 | Apr 1854 | 624 | — | Dec 1866 | |
| 316 | 25 | R. & W. Hawthorn | 844 | May 1854 | 625 | Mastodon | July 1878 | |
| 317 | 26 | R. & W. Hawthorn | 845 | June 1854 | 626 | Earl | May 1879 | |
| 318 | 27 | R. & W. Hawthorn | 846 | June 1854 | 627 | Bulldog | Aug 1881 | |
| 319 | 29 | R. & W. Hawthorn | 847 | June 1854 | 629 | Swan | Jan 1883 | |
| 320 | 30 | R. & W. Hawthorn | 865 | July 1854 | 630 | Ribble | Feb 1882 | |
| — | 7 | Wolverton Works | — | Aug 1857 | 607 | Inglewood | Feb 1883 | |
| — | 21 | Wolverton Works | — | July 1857 | 621 | Bela | Feb 1882 | |
| — | 103 | Wolverton Works | — | May 1857 | 703 | Osprey | Sep 1881 | |
| — | 140 | Wolverton Works | — | Aug 1857 | 740 | St. David | Nov 1886 | Renumbered 1947 in Nov 1884 |
| — | 238 | Wolverton Works | — | Oct 1857 | 838 | Petrel | Mar 1879 | |
| — | 240 | Wolverton Works | — | 1857 | 840 | Lonsdale | Mar 1878 | |
| — | 2 | Wolverton Works | — | July 1858 | 602 | Caliban | Aug 1881 | |
| — | 165 | Wolverton Works | — | Oct 1858 | 765 | Herald | Mar 1885 | Renumbered 1952 in Nov 1884 |
| — | 168 | Wolverton Works | — | Feb 1858 | 768 | Glyn | Mar 1884 | |
| — | 180 | Wolverton Works | — | Dec 1858 | 780 | Bucephalus | Aug 1883 | |
| — | 3 | Wolverton Works | — | Oct 1859 | 603 | Langdale | Dec 1884 | Renumbered 1941 in Nov 1884 |
| — | 66 | Wolverton Works | — | Aug 1859 | 666 | Pheasant | Dec 1877 | |
| — | 117 | Wolverton Works | — | May 1859 | 717 | Swift | Sep 1882 | |
| — | 189 | Wolverton Works | — | July 1859 | 789 | Cadmus | Dec 1880 | |
| — | 317 | Wolverton Works | — | Jan 1860 | 917 | Napier | June 1880 | |
| — | 377 | Wolverton Works | — | Sep 1861 | 977 | Sultan | Feb 1887 | Renumbered 1954 in Nov 1884 |
| — | 378 | Wolverton Works | — | Oct 1861 | 978 | Mammoth | Feb 1885 | Renumbered 1957 in Nov 1884 |
| — | 379 | Wolverton Works | — | Oct 1861 | 979 | Wasp | June 1880 | |
| — | 380 | Wolverton Works | — | Nov 1861 | 980 | Vandal | Mar 1887 | Renumbered 1816 in Dec 1884 and 3038 in Nov 1886 |
| — | 381 | Wolverton Works | — | Nov 1861 | 981 | Councillor | Jan 1884 | Renumbered 1925 in Dec 1883 |

### (c) 7 ft 6 in driving wheel (H-class 'Special Bloomers')

Three examples were built by Wolverton Works with 7 ft 6 in (2.286 m) driving wheels together with McConnell’s patented firebox in 1861, which were intended for the fastest expresses. They were heavier than had been planned, so a further two engines, ordered and under construction, were cancelled in February 1862. This led to McConnell’s immediate resignation. The three completed engines (Nos. 372/3/5) went into store, so hardly ran in their original state. One of them (No. 373) was put on show at the 1862 International Exhibition in South Kensington from May to November 1862.
After rebuilding with normal boilers in 1866/7, they worked until withdrawal in 1880 and 1882. Many years later, they were described as "Extra-large Bloomers".
Table of locomotives :
| Southern Division No. | Date built | 1862 LNWR No. | 1865 Duplicate No. | 1871 Capital No. | 1872 Name | 1879 Duplicate No. | Date scrapped |
| 372 | Aug 1861 | 972 | 1152 | 1198 | Delamere | 1940 | Jan 1880 |
| 373 | Nov 1861 | 973 | 1155 | 1199 | Caithness | 1885 | Mar 1882 |
| 375 | May 1861 | 975 | 1166 | 1200 | Maberley | 1871 | Mar 1882 |

## Replicas

An accurate full-size, non-working replica was built, by apprentices, for static display outside Milton Keynes station in 1991. It represented the type as in 1873–76 condition, was numbered '1009' as if to follow the last of the class, 1008, and was named 'Wolverton' to commemorate the Southern Division Works, although no engine was so named on the LNWR. It was taken into Wolverton Works (then owned by Alstom and later by Railcare) in 2006 for renovation and repainting. The renovation was funded and carried out by the various owners of Wolverton works and latterly by Knorr-Bremse RailServices at Wolverton Works. The Wolverton and Greenleys Town Council and the Wolverton Arts and Heritage Society wanted the replica to have a position on Stratford road outside the Railway works but this was not viable and led to much delay in the re-siting the model. On 3 March 2017, the replica was moved to its new home at Milton Keynes Museum.
A full-size working engine as in original Southern Division condition (pre-1862) was begun at Tyseley in 1986 and was 90% completed by 1990. It has never been finished; however, the LNWR Bloomer project was launched in June 2019 in order to complete the locomotive.