The Midland Railway 156 Class was a class of tender engines built at

Derby Works The Derby Works comprised a number of British manufacturing facilities designing and building locomotives and rolling stock in Derby, England. The first of these was a group of three maintenance sheds opened around 1840 behind Derby railway sta ...

between 1866 and 1874. In total 29 of the class were built under the

Midland Railway The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 in rail transport, 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had ...

. They were rebuilt sometime between 1873 and 1903.

History

These engines were used on express passenger trains to

London King's Cross railway station King's Cross railway station, also known as London King's Cross, is a passenger railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden, on the edge of Central London. It is in the London station group, one of the List of busiest railway stations in ...

, which was then the Midland Railway's terminus there. 21 survived to become part of the

London, Midland and Scottish Railway The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSIt has been argued that the initials LMSR should be used to be consistent with London and North Eastern Railway, LNER, Great Western Railway, GWR and Southern Railway (UK), SR. The London, Midland an ...

(LMS) fleet of engines in 1923. By then they were reduced to the humblest of roles. In September 1930, the LMS recognised the significance of the class and number 156 itself was ear-marked for preservation. However,

William Stanier Sir William Arthur Stanier (27 May 1876 – 27 September 1965) was an English railway engineer, and was chief mechanical engineer of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. Biography Sir William Stanier was born in Swindon, where his f ...

chose not to preserve it and the engine was scrapped two years later.

Preservation

One engine, 158A (originally built as 158 before subsequently renumbered, becoming Midland Railway No. 2 in 1907 and finally 20002 by the LMS in 1934) survives. It was withdrawn from service in July 1947 as a

station pilot A switcher locomotive (American English), shunter locomotive (British English), station pilot (British English), or shifter locomotive (Pennsylvania Railroad terminology) is a locomotive used for maneuvering railway vehicles over short distanc ...

Nottingham station Nottingham station, briefly known as Nottingham City and for rather longer as Nottingham Midland, is a railway station and tram stop in the city of Nottingham. It is the principal railway station of Nottingham. It is also a nodal point on the ...

by the LMS and restored to Midland condition and original number. It was a static exhibit in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

during the centenary celebrations at the

New Street station Birmingham New Street, also known as New Street station, is the largest and busiest of the Birmingham station group, three main railway stations in Birmingham city centre, England, and a central hub of the Rail transport in Great Britain, Brit ...

in 1954. The locomotive was preserved at Derby Works until being moved to the

National Railway Museum The National Railway Museum (NRM) is a museum in York, England, forming part of the Science Museum Group. The museum tells the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It is the home of the national collection of historical ...

. It was placed on loan to the

Midland Railway – Butterley The Midland Railway – Butterley is a heritage railway and museum complex at Butterley, near Ripley in Derbyshire. History Overview The ''Midland Railway – Butterley'' lies on the Ambergate to Pye Bridge line of the old Midland Rai ...

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...

in 1975 and remained on display there until 2021. Following cosmetic attention at the

Locomotion Museum Locomotion, previously known as Locomotion the National Railway Museum at Shildon, is a railway museum in Shildon, County Durham, England. The museum was renamed in 2017 when it became part of the Science Museum Group. Overview The museum was ...

Shildon Shildon is a town and civil parish in County Durham (district), County Durham, in England. The population taken at the 2011 Census was 9,976. The town has the Locomotion Museum, due to it having the first , built in 1825, and locomotive works on ...

, the locomotive was placed on a three-year loan to

Barrow Hill Engine Shed Barrow Hill Roundhouse, until 1948 known as Staveley Engine Shed, is a former Midland Railway roundhouse in Barrow Hill, near Staveley and Chesterfield, Derbyshire (), now serving as a railway heritage centre. History Staveley Roundhouse wa ...

from August 2022. The surviving example is not in as built condition, being reboilered twice and having the front end rebuilt, and the current tender being taken from scrapped 700 Class No. 2846.D Sharpe, ''The Railways of Cadbury and Bourneville'', Bournbrook Publications, 2002. Page 66

References

* 0156 2-4-0 locomotives 1B n2 locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 1866 Standard-gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain {{UK-steam-loco-stub