Midland Railway Class 3 4-4-0

The Midland Railway Class 3 4-4-0 was a series of 80 steam engines built by the Midland railway at the Derby locomotive works between 1900 and 1905.

They were designed for express passenger trains, earlier types not being powerful enough for the new heavier trains. They were the first of that railway's engines to be built new with Belpaire fireboxes, and the engines were generally known as "Belpaires".

Overview
There were only minor differences between the four groups. All had 6 ft 9 in driving wheels with inside cylinders of 19½ in diameter with 26 in stroke. Seventy-three received type G8AS superheated boilers between 1913 and 1926. The remaining 7 continued in service with non-superheated boilers.

Accidents and Incidents

 * On 13 October, 1928, locomotive No. 714 of the class was hauling a night mail train from Leeds to Bristol, when it failed to stop at a signal near Charfield railway station. It collided with a freight train, which was hauled by GWR 4300 Class no. 6381. Another freight train, hauled by an 0-6-0 on the opposite line, was partially derailed. In total, 16 people were killed and 41 people were injured. No. 714 was scrapped as a result of the accident.

Disposal
The 7 non-superheated locomotives were withdrawn in 1925/6. No. 714, was destroyed in the Charfield railway disaster of October 1928 and the remainder withdrawn between 1935 and 1953. None has been preserved.