Jessica

Jessica is a LMS Hughes Crab

## Bio:

In 1963, Jessica was seen pulling into Birmingham Station with a goods train where she met up with Arthur and Harold. Shortly after Arthur left, she asked Harold why Arthur looked so glum to which the Coronation Express engine explained that BR are going to close down Arthur's branch line. The two former LMS engines then began commenting on how at the rate everything was going that British Railways wouldn't have any railway lines left. Jessica then explained to Harold that she was the only member of her class to be given smoke deflectors and a blast pipe, their conversation drifted to what they were good at doing either passengers and goods work before the conversation was cut short by the guard of Jessica's train. At Wolverhampton Station, she briefly encountered Jasper who was looking for some cargo to steal, she was surprised to see a ex-Southern locomotive far up north. Jasper tried to explain to her that he was just collecting some goods, but the LMS Crab locomotive wasn't falling for it. Their conversation was interrupted by Jimmy who pulled into the station, just as Jessica was about to introduce Jimmy to Jasper, the N15 had disappeared. The two ex-LMS engines began talking about Harold, Jessica told Jimmy how she suggested to his older brother to try and take goods trains more often, but Jimmy is very doubtful in that as Harold can be so tight with his coaches that he is surprised their not a part of him. Both knew that Harold was so tight with the LMS and that he should try to make friends with other engines that aren't LMS. Jessica then ask Jimmy if he has told Luca about his crush on him, but Jimmy explained how he hadn't gotten around to telling him yet. The Big Green Coronation Express engine then told Jessica about Harold's liking towards her, but he was just shy in opening up. Jessica knew that Harold likes her, but she wouldn't return her feelings to him until he changes first. Later that night at Euston Downside Sheds, Jessica was left there as she had burst her safety valve and was unable to take her next goods train, so Harold offered to take it for her. When Harold and Jimmy returned to the sheds, they talked with her about how their day went even as Luca arrived in to the spend the night with them before all four engines drifted off to sleep.

In 1969, Jessica was preserved by the National Railway Museum in York with several other engines. She was there to witness Green Arrow and Murdoch arriving in who were both escaping from scrap. Mallard explained to Jessica that he and Green Arrow are old friends and how they use to see each other from time to time. After Green Arrow and Murdoch settled in, Jessica asked them about the other engines they were talking about and then asked if Harold and Jimmy were part of their group, but to her dismay they both said they didn't know those two and they weren't part of the group, before telling them that they were close friends of her's and hope that both of the Coronation Express engines were alright.

### Specials:

* 2019- 1963
* 2020- 1969
* 2021- 1970

## Technical Details:

### Basis:

Jessica is based of the LMS Hughes Crab!

Designed by George Hughes, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the LMS, and built at the ex-L&YR works at Horwich and the ex-LNWR works at Crewe. The inspiration came from a Caledonian Railway 2-6-0 design at the grouping, however the cylinders were too large for the LMS's English section's loading gauge, resulting in Hughes having to adapt the concept. They were put into service by his successor, Henry Fowler. The design incorporated a number of advanced features for the time such as long travel valves, compensated brake gear, a new design of tender and a new boiler, the latter based on the one fitted to Hughes's four-cylinder Baltic tank locomotives built at Horwich.[*citation needed*]

Fowler tried to have the design altered to use standard Derby components. However the design process and pre-production were sufficiently advanced to prevent the fitting of a smaller Derby pattern boiler, and the cylinders and motion also remained as designed by Hughes. The tender was replaced by a Derby standard type, which was narrower than the cab. Standard Midland Railway boiler fittings and brake equipment were also substituted, and the class became something of a hybrid design. Nevertheless they performed rather well in most circumstances and gained a strong reputation in some areas, especially in Scotland, where they became the preferred locomotive for heavy unfitted mineral work on difficult routes, even after the introduction of the Stanier mixed traffic 4-6-0s.

#### Experiments:

In 1931 five engines, 13118, 13122, 13124, 13125 and 13129 were fitted with Lentz valve gear. They were renumbered as 42818, 42822, 42824, 42825 and 42829 after nationalization. In 1953 the Lentz valve gear on these engines was replaced with Reidinger valve gear.[*citation needed*]

Tests at Rugby Locomotive Testing Station in 1954 indicated the design had a maximum steaming rate of 16,000 pounds per hour (7,300 kg/h). Modifications of the chimney and blast pipe improved the maximum rate to 20,000 pounds per hour (9,100 kg/h) but no other engine was modified to take advantage of this.

#### Successor:

When an order was placed by the traffic department for delivery of 40 more examples of this type, the new Chief Mechanical Engineer, William Stanier, decided to introduce a taper boiler version, in line with his policy of using taper boilers on all new locomotive designs. There were so many changes to the layout of the locomotive, such as higher boiler pressure and smaller cylinders, that it became a new design, the LMS Stanier Mogul.