LNWR Precedent Class

Year (first built)	1874
Wheel arrangement (Whyte)	2-4-0
UIC classification	1'B n2
Power type	Steam
Railway / Company	London & North Western Railway
Manufacturer / Builder	Crewe Works
Designer	Francis Webb
Number built	70
Driving wheel size	6 ft 6 in (1.981 m)
Service weight	Locomotive 32 long tons; tender 25 long tons; total 57 long tons.
Axle load (t)	14 long tons
Boiler pressure	150 psi (1.03 MPa), saturated.
Cylinders	Two inside, 17 in × 24 in (432 mm × 610 mm)
Tractive effort	13,800 lbf (61.4 kN)
Water capacity (steam)	2,000 imperial gallons in the LNWR tender.
Coal capacity (steam)	4 long tons.
Max speed	85 mph in level running. Hardwicke was timed at over 67 mph average over a 145-mile run during the 1895 Race to the North.
Purpose / Type	Express passenger.
Power classification	LNWR express passenger.
Build dates (from-to)	1874 to 1882
Withdrawal dates (from-to)	Late 19th to early 20th century
Number preserved	1

The LNWR Precedent Class (and its rebuilt successor the Improved Precedent, often called the Jumbo) was Francis Webb's 2-4-0 express passenger engine for the London and North Western Railway. Developed from John Ramsbottom's earlier Newton class and built at Crewe Works between 1874 and 1882, the class handled the LNWR's premier London-to-Scotland expresses through the 1870s and 1880s, including the famous 1888 and 1895 Races to the North. 70 were built and one, 790 Hardwicke, has survived in the National Collection.

Webb was the LNWR's chief mechanical engineer from 1871 to 1903 and one of the most influential British locomotive engineers of the Victorian era. The Precedent of 1874 was a development of Ramsbottom's earlier Newton class with detail improvements. Webb rebuilt the class in the 1880s and 1890s as the Improved Precedent with larger boilers and minor detail changes, hence the "Jumbo" nickname.

The class was concentrated on the LNWR West Coast main line, working from Crewe North, Camden, and Carlisle Upperby. They handled the LNWR's premier London-to-Scotland expresses through the 1870s, 1880s, and 1890s. The class is most associated with the celebrated 1888 and 1895 Races to the North, the impromptu speed competitions between the West Coast (LNWR) and East Coast (Great Northern) routes for the fastest London-to-Scotland services. The Precedents and Jumbos worked the LNWR's side of these races and demonstrated remarkable performance for engines designed in the 1870s. Hardwicke itself averaged over 67 mph between Crewe and Carlisle during the 1895 race.

790 Hardwicke (built at Crewe Works in 1873 and rebuilt as an Improved Precedent in the 1880s) was preserved by the LNWR after withdrawal as an example of the class that had performed so memorably in the Race to the North. It is currently displayed at the National Railway Museum in York in the LNWR's elegant blackberry black livery with white-and-red lining, and is one of the most aesthetically pleasing of all preserved British engines.

Design and development

Francis Webb was the LNWR's chief mechanical engineer from 1871 to 1903 and one of the most influential British locomotive engineers of the Victorian era. The Precedent of 1874 was Webb's 2-4-0 express engine, developed from Ramsbottom's earlier Newton class. The class was rebuilt by Webb in the 1880s and 1890s as the Improved Precedent (Jumbo) class with larger boilers and small detail improvements.

70 engines were built at Crewe Works between 1874 and 1882. The class spent its working life on LNWR West Coast main-line expresses and was central to the LNWR's premier services through the 1870s, 1880s, and 1890s.

Service and withdrawals

The Precedents and Improved Precedents handled the LNWR's premier London-to-Scotland expresses through the 1870s and 1880s, and were prominent in the celebrated 1888 and 1895 Races to the North. Withdrawals began in the early 20th century as larger express engines (Webb's own Jubilee compounds, Whale's Experiment, and others) took over the work.

Identification features

A handsome, classically-proportioned Victorian 2-4-0 with a tall stovepipe chimney, a polished brass dome, and the LNWR's classic black-and-white lined livery in original condition. 790 Hardwicke is one of the most aesthetically pleasing of all preserved British engines.

Numbers and names

LNWR various, with the surviving 790 Hardwicke originally numbered 790 (later renumbered into the duplicate list). The class was rebuilt as Improved Precedents (often called Jumbos) by Webb in the 1880s and 1890s.

Notable locomotives

790 Hardwicke is the surviving Improved Precedent. Built at Crewe Works in 1873 (and rebuilt as an Improved Precedent in the 1880s), it became famous for its performance during the 1895 Race to the North, when it averaged over 67 mph between Crewe and Carlisle. Withdrawn from active service in the early 20th century, it was preserved at the LNWR Museum at Crewe and is now part of the National Collection.

The class is associated with the celebrated 1888 and 1895 Races to the North, the impromptu speed competitions between the West Coast (LNWR) and East Coast (Great Northern) routes for the fastest London-to-Scotland services. The Precedents and Jumbos worked the LNWR's side of these races and demonstrated remarkable performance for engines that had been designed in the 1870s.

Allocations and regions

The class was concentrated on the LNWR West Coast main line. Major depots included Crewe North, Camden (London), and Carlisle Upperby. They worked the LNWR's premier London-to-Scotland expresses.

Livery history

The class was outshopped from new in the LNWR's elegant blackberry black with white-and-red lining and polished brass fittings. The preserved Hardwicke has been kept in this livery throughout its preservation career.