Midland 990 Class
The Midland Railway 990 Class, universally known as the Midland Spinners or Johnson Spinners, was a series of 95 single-driver 4-2-2 express passenger locomotives designed by Samuel Waite Johnson and built at Derby Works between 1887 and 1900, representing the last great flowering of the single-driver express locomotive tradition in British railway history and the finest example of the Victorian aesthetic applied to locomotive design. Johnson's Spinners are widely regarded as the most beautiful locomotives ever built in Britain — their flowing curves, immaculate crimson lake livery with gold lining, polished brass domes and safety valve covers, and the graceful profile of the large single driving wheel embodied the Victorian railway aesthetic at its very pinnacle.
Johnson returned to the single-driver formula in 1887 at a time when the 4-4-0 was becoming the standard British express configuration, making a deliberate choice that reflected his belief that for the Midland Railway's specific operating conditions — relatively level gradients on the Derby–Manchester main line, the St Pancras–Leicester–Nottingham route, and the London–Leeds services — the single-driver's smooth, vibration-free high-speed running outweighed the adhesion disadvantage on starts. The Spinners used 7 ft 9 in or 7 ft 9½ in driving wheels, among the largest ever fitted to a British standard-gauge locomotive, and their bogie-assisted stability at speed gave them the ability to sustain express schedules on the moderately-graded Midland main lines with a smoothness and speed that delighted passengers.
The Spinners worked the Midland Railway's principal express services through the 1890s and early 1900s, including the celebrated St Pancras–Manchester and St Pancras–Leeds express timings that were among the fastest scheduled services in Britain at that period. Despite their elegance and speed, the 4-4-0 eventually displaced the Spinners from the top-link express duties as train weights increased, and Johnson himself introduced the Midland's first 4-4-0 express types from 1900. The Spinners moved to lighter express and semi-fast duties before progressive withdrawal in the Edwardian years. One example, No. 673, is preserved at the Midland Railway Centre, Butterley, restored to its magnificent Johnson crimson lake livery and representing the very peak of Victorian express locomotive aesthetics.
Design and development
Johnson designed the Spinner series at Derby from 1887, choosing single-driver configuration for its smooth high-speed running on the Midland's moderately-graded main lines. Built in multiple batches 1887–1900, each with progressively larger boilers and higher boiler pressure; the final 1900 batch with 200 psi boiler was the most powerful. 95 total. Johnson simultaneously developed 4-4-0 express types from 1900 as train weights increased beyond what the single-driver could comfortably handle.
Service and withdrawals
The Spinners worked Midland principal express services from 1887, achieving high speeds on the St Pancras–Nottingham, St Pancras–Leeds, and St Pancras–Manchester routes. 4-4-0 types progressively displaced them from top express duties from the early 1900s; continued on semi-fast and lighter express work. MR and LMS withdrawals 1900–1928. No. 673 preserved at Midland Railway Centre, Butterley.
Identification features
4-2-2 with 7 ft 9 in driving wheels, leading 4-wheel bogie, inside cylinders, distinctive Belpaire firebox.
Numbers and names
25–2601Various MR numbers across build batches; No. 673 preserved at Midland Railway Centre Butterley.95 locomotives across multiple build batches 1887–1900, each with progressively larger boilers. No. 673 preserved in Johnson crimson lake livery at Midland Railway Centre, Butterley, Derbyshire.
Notable locomotives
- Various — none preserved
Allocations and regions
Derby and principal Midland Railway main-line passenger depots: Leicester, Leeds (Holbeck), Manchester (Kentish Town), and Nottingham for the Midland's principal express passenger services from St Pancras.
