In recent years many noteworthy contributions to steam locomotive progress have been made by the four group railways of Britain. To name a few of the outstanding constructions, we have machines like the “King George V.” engines of the Great Western; the London, Midland and Scottish Company's “Royal Scot” locomotives; the “Lord Nelson” and “King Arthur” types of the Southern line; the Pacific type of the London and North Eastern; and high-pressure “hush-hush” locomotive No. 10,000 of the “Baltic” type.

What is claimed to be an even more powerful express passenger locomotive than any of these famous engines has just been put into traffic on the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. This is the first of a new series of superheated 4-6-2 four-cylinder “Pacific” type designed by Mr. W. A. Stanier, the Company's Chief Mechanical Engineer, and built in the Crewe works. Designed to haul 500-ton expresses between Euston Station, London, and Glasgow—a route including the stiff climbs at Shap and Beattock, which normally require a couple of engines in their negotiation—these locomotives have an especially large boiler to carry them through the long and arduous Anglo-Scottish run. They also have tenders of unusually large capacity, some 4,000 gallons of water, and nine tons of coal being accommodated.

The new L.M. and S. “Pacifics” develop, at 85 per cent. boiler pressure, a tractive effort of 40,300lb. The firegrate area is 45 sq. ft., and the total heating surface, excluding superheater, is 2,713 sq. ft. The boiler pressure is 250lb. per sq. in., and the four simple cylinders are of 16¼in. diameter by 28in. stroke. The tender is carried on three roller-bearing axles, and the total weight of the engine and tender in working order is 158 tons 12 cwt., the overall length being 74ft. 4¼in.