LNER Class D49

The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) D49 Class is a class of 4-4-0 steam locomotives designed by Nigel Gresley. They were named after fox hunts and shires.
== History ==
After the grouping of Britain’s railways in 1923 the London and North Eastern, in common with the other amalgamated companies found it had inherited a collection of locomotives, many of which were past their best.
By 1925, Nigel Gresley who was Locomotive Superintendent of the LNER, started looking at the provision of a suitable express passenger engine for intermediate duties in the North Eastern and Scottish areas.  At the end of 1925 he instructed the Locomotive Works at Darlington of his requirements for a 4-4-0 design to replace older classes. The first of the class No. 234 ‘Yorkshire’ emerged from Darlington in October 1927, the first LNER designed passenger engine.  From then until February 1935 a total of 76 engines in three batches were completed.  The first group being fitted with piston valves, the second with rotary cam operated Lentz poppet valves and the finial group with oscillating cam operated poppet valves.  This final group did not prove to be satisfactory and were fitted with new cylinders with piston valves in 1938. The class was the last 4-4-0 type to be built and economies were also made in that it shared the same size of boiler designed originally for J39 goods locomotives.
==Sub-classes==
*D49/1 Introduced 1927 with Walschaerts and, Gresley conjugated valve gear with 8-inch (203 mm) piston valves
*D49/2 Introduced 1928 with Lentz rotary-cam poppet valves
*D49/3 Introduced 1928 with Lentz oscillating-cam poppet valves
==Names and numbers==
==Accidents and incidents==
*On 3 January 1931, locomotive No. 2758 Northumberland was hauling a passenger train that was derailed at Carlisle, Cumberland due to excessive speed through a curve. Three people were killed.
*On August 16, 1952, Locomotive No. 62768 The Morpeth was involved in a collision between a light engine and a passenger train at Dragon Junction near Starbeck. The other two locomotives involved were also Ex-LNER D49's. No.62758 The Cattistock and the other unknown D49 were repaired after the accident but The Morpeth sustained substantial damage and was withdrawn and scrapped that same year.
*In July 1958, locomotive No. 62703 Hertfordshire ran into the turntable pit at Bridlington, Yorkshire and rolled onto its side.
== Preservation ==
* Out of the 76 that were built only one, No. 246/62712 'Morayshire' has been preserved on the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway.
== See also ==
* Stock list
==Gallery==
File:62712 Morayshire at Hawick.jpg|thumb|left|62712 Morayshire before preservation at Hawick.
File:LNER D49 Hunt Class loco in 1948.jpg|thumb|left|D49/2 Hunt 62757 The Burton in early British Railways colours during 1948
File:Hungry work - geograph.org.uk - 904457.jpg
File:3565856 c7e5a25f.jpg
File:D49 doncaster.jpg
File:246PageGraphic.jpg
File:LNER 4-4-0 class D49, 234 Yorkshire (CJ Allen, Steel Highway, 1928).jpg
==External links==
*D49 Hunt/Shire page on the LNER Encyclopedia
*D49 No. 62719 Peebles-shire in 1953 on YouTube
Category:4-4-0 locomotives
Category:4-4-0 steam locomotives
Category:Passenger locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives
Category:Locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:LNER locomotives
Category:Gresley locomotives
Category:Gresley Designs
Category:Darlington Works locomotives
Category:Standard gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:Darlington Works locomotives
Category:LNER locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Locomotives
Category:Standard gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:Sole survivor