Midland Railway Class 2 4-4-0

The Midland Railway Class 2 4-4-0 was a series of 12 classes of 4-4-0 steam locomotives built by and for the Midland Railway between 1876 and 1901 while Samuel W. Johnson was locomotive superintendent, 275 in all, with Sharp, Stewart and Company among the outside builders. They were designed for express passenger trains and were later downgraded to secondary work as more powerful types arrived. They were repeatedly rebuilt, sometimes leaving almost none of the original parts. The ten engines of the 1667 class were built with Joy valve gear, which proved unsatisfactory, and were withdrawn between 1896 and 1901. From 1904 to 1907 all 195 engines received larger H boilers, and from 1912 many were rebuilt with superheated G7S boilers as the 483 class, which formed the basis of the LMS Class 2P, of which 138 were built. The last withdrawal came in 1963 and none has been preserved.