No. 176 Gearing up the ex LMS 4P Tanks, Hornby and Bachmann
I have been revisiting my stock of ex LMS 2-6-4 4P tank engines. In total the LMS constructed some 650 of these engines starting in 1927. Construction continued into British Railways days in the late 1940s. You might also include the British Railways Standard 2-6-4 tanks which were given smaller wheels and classified as 4MT rather than 4P. The LMS engines can be divided into three basic types corresponding to the Superintending Engineer at the time of construction. Ex LMS 4P Tank Engines – Hornby Fowler 4P (front), Hornby Stanier 4P (middle) and Bachmann Fairburn (top) The first engines were designed by Sir Henry Fowler and I would say are characterised by a parallel boiler and massive smoke box. Later engines received cabs with side windows but this variation was not produced by Hornby. 42334, Hornby Fowler 4P Tank R3404 The second batch of engines was built by Sir William Stanier and is characterised by his signature taper boiler. A small number were built with three smaller cy