Prince Regent
Prince Regent was the second of four Murray-Blenkinsop rack-and-pinion locomotives built for the Middleton Railway near Leeds. Completed shortly after Salamanca in late 1812, Prince Regent shared the same design, twin vertical cylinders, central rack-pinion drive, cylindrical boiler, and worked alongside Salamanca on the Leeds-Middleton coal traffic.
The engine was named after the Prince Regent (the future George IV), who held the regency from 1811 during George III's incapacity. The four Murray-Blenkinsop engines were named after political figures and military victories of the period, celebrating the contemporary British political and military successes.
Prince Regent worked alongside the other Murray-Blenkinsop engines through the 1810s and 1820s. The Middleton Railway became the world's first commercially-operated steam railway from 1812, and the four-engine fleet demonstrated approximately 20 years of profitable steam working. After the loss of Salamanca in the 1818 boiler explosion, Prince Regent continued in service alongside Lord Wellington and Marquis Wellington.
By the mid-1830s the rack-and-pinion adhesion principle had been superseded by the simpler wheel-rail adhesion of Puffing Billy-type and Rocket-derived designs. The Middleton Railway abandoned its rack rails in 1834–1835 and was converted to conventional adhesion working. Prince Regent was scrapped through this period; no original component survives.
Design and development
Prince Regent was built by Fenton, Murray and Wood of Leeds in late 1812, the second engine of the Murray-Blenkinsop class for the Middleton Railway. The engine was identical in design to Salamanca of August 1812: twin vertical cylinders driving a central gear pinion through Blenkinsop's patent rack-and-pinion adhesion system. The naming after the Prince Regent (the future George IV, who held the regency from 1811 during George III's incapacity) reflected the political celebration of the engines.
Service and withdrawals
Prince Regent worked alongside Salamanca and the subsequent two engines through the 1810s and 1820s. The Middleton Railway's commercial success, approximately 20 years of profitable steam working from 1812, was demonstrated by the four-engine fleet across this period. After the loss of Salamanca in the 1818 boiler explosion, Prince Regent continued in service.
By the mid-1830s the rack-and-pinion adhesion principle was being superseded by the simpler wheel-rail adhesion of Puffing Billy-type engines and the Stephenson Rocket-derived designs. The Middleton Railway abandoned its rack rails in 1834–1835 and was converted to conventional adhesion working. Prince Regent and the remaining Murray-Blenkinsop engines were scrapped through this period.
Identification features
Externally identical to Salamanca, substantial cylindrical boiler with twin vertical cylinders mounted on top, driving a central rack pinion. Approximately 8 ft long, weighing about 5 tons. The four Murray-Blenkinsop engines were named after political figures and military victories of the period: Salamanca, Prince Regent, Lord Wellington, and Marquis Wellington.
Numbers and names
None (individual named locomotives)
Notable locomotives
- Salamanca (1812)
- Prince Regent (1812)
- Lord Wellington (1813)
- Marquis Wellington (1814)
Allocations and regions
- Middleton Railway (Leeds–Middleton Colliery), from 1812