Jenny Lind
Design and development
David Joy, designer at the E. B. Wilson works in Leeds, drew up in 1847 a 2-2-2 with 6 ft 0 in driving wheels, inside cylinders, a domeless boiler at unusually high pressure for the period (90 psi), and a distinctive raised firebox crown. Wilson's manager, James Fenton, named the prototype after Jenny Lind, the celebrated Swedish soprano then performing at Her Majesty's Theatre in London.
The Jenny Lind proved exceptionally fast and fuel-efficient, and Wilson received orders from numerous railways: the LBSCR, MR, GNR, NBR, and many others. Around 60 were built between 1847 and 1851, making it one of the most successful contractor-built locomotive types of the era.
Service and withdrawals
The Jenny Linds worked British express services through the 1850s and 1860s. As traffic loads grew they were progressively superseded by larger engines, but the design's influence persisted in the singles built by major British workshops through the 1860s. The originals were withdrawn during the 1870s and 1880s. None were preserved.
Identification features
2-2-2 with 6 ft 0 in driving wheels, inside cylinders, parallel boiler with raised firebox crown (a distinctive feature), brass dome over the firebox, and elegant lined-out livery typical of the period.
Notable locomotives
- Jenny Lind (1847, not preserved)