Crampton locomotive

German Crampton locomotive Badenia of the Baden State Railway, built in 1863

A Crampton locomotive is a type of steam locomotive designed by Thomas Russell Crampton and built by various firms from 1846. The main British builders were Tulk and Ley and Robert Stephenson and Company.

Notable features were a low boiler and large driving wheels. The crux of the Crampton patent was that the single driving axle was placed behind the firebox, so that the driving wheels could be very large. This helped to give this design a low centre of gravity, so that it did not require a very broad-gauge track to travel safely at high speeds. Its wheel arrangement was usually Template:Whyte or Template:Whyte.

Design variations

Because the single driving axle was behind the firebox, Crampton locomotives usually had outside cylinders. However, some inside cylinder versions were built using indirect drive, then known as a jackshaft. The inside cylinders drove a crankshaft located in front of the firebox and the crankshaft was connected to the driving wheels by outside rods. Some long-wheelbase Template:Whytes were also built using this crankshaft system. The boiler feed-pump was often driven from the crankshaft as well because many Cramptons were built before the injector was invented.

Another feature on some Crampton locomotives was the use of a boiler of oval cross-section, to lower the centre of gravity. It was later seen as a major flaw, because the internal pressure would tend to push the boiler into a circular cross-section and increase the risk of fatigue.

Usage

Preserved French Crampton locomotive No 80 Le Continent of the Paris à Strasbourg railway, built in 1852

Crampton locomotives were used by some British railways and speeds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph) were achieved on the LNWR. They were more popular in France, southern Germany and the US. In France the expression "prendre la Crampton" meant to catch an express, and in the argot of the Saint Cyr military academy, footplate staff were known as "officiers de Crampton" (and this as late as 1971). One of the French examples has been preserved in the Cité du Train (the French Railway Museum) at Mulhouse and is still in working order. This is number 80 of the Chemin de Fer de l'Est, the Paris-Strasbourg line, which is named "Le Continent".

Locomotive list

The approximate numbers of Crampton-type locomotives built in Europe were:

• Great Britain: 51
• France: 127
• Germany: 135

Manufactured in Great Britain

Built by Tulk and Ley

All were of the Template:Whyte wheel arrangement.

Works no.	Date built	Railway	Name/no.	Notes
10	1847	Namur and Liege Railway	Namur	Template:Refn
11	1847	Namur and Liege Railway	Liege	Template:Refn
	1847	Namur and Liege Railway		Template:Refn
12?	1847	London and North Western Railway, Southern Division	200 London	Template:RefnTemplate:Refn
14	1847	Dundee and Perth and Aberdeen Junction Railway	Kinnaird	Template:Refn
	1847	Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway	35 Pegasus
	1848	Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway	36 Phlegon
17	1854	Maryport and Carlisle Railway	12

Notes: Template:Notelist

Built by Robert Stephenson and Company

SER No. 136 Folkstone with intermediate crankshaft at the Great Exhibition in 1851.

Robert Stephenson and Company built a number of Crampton type locomotives for the South Eastern Railway and the London, Chatham and Dover Railway. These were all of Template:Whyte wheel arrangement with inside cylinders and indirect drive. The inside cylinders drove a crankshaft located in front of the firebox and the crankshaft was coupled to the driving wheels by outside rods.

Works no.	Date built	Railway	No./Name	Notes
785	1851	South Eastern Railway	134
786	1851	South Eastern Railway	135
787	1851	South Eastern Railway	136 Folkstone	Template:Refn
788	1851	South Eastern Railway	137
789	1851	South Eastern Railway	138
790	1851	South Eastern Railway	139
791	1851	South Eastern Railway	140
792	1851	South Eastern Railway	141
793	1851	South Eastern Railway	142
794	1851	South Eastern Railway	143
	1851	Prussian Eastern Railway	England<ref name=Tower/>
	1851	Prussian Eastern Railway
	1851	Prussian Eastern Railway
	1851	Prussian Eastern Railway
	1851	Prussian Eastern Railway
	1851	Prussian Eastern Railway
1381	1862	London, Chatham and Dover Railway	Coquette	Template:Refn
1382	1862		Echo
1383	1862		Flora
1384	1862		Flirt
1385	1862		Sylph

Notes: Template:Notelist

Built by Bury, Curtis, and Kennedy

All Template:Whyte except Liverpool which was Template:Whyte.

Works no.	Date built	Railway	No./Name	Notes
355	1848	London and North Western Railway, Southern Division	245 Liverpool	Template:Refn
?	1848	South Eastern Railway	68
?	1848	South Eastern Railway	69
?	1848	South Eastern Railway	72
?	1848	South Eastern Railway	74
?	1848	South Eastern Railway	75
?	1848	South Eastern Railway	78

Notes: Template:Notelist

Built by E. B. Wilson and Company

Works no.	Date built	Railway	Name/no.	Notes
?	1847	North British Railway	55	Template:Refn
?	1847	Eastern Counties Railway	108
?	1847	Eastern Counties Railway	109
?	1847	Eastern Counties Railway	110
?	1847	Eastern Counties Railway	111
?	1847	Eastern Counties Railway	112
?	1847	Aberdeen Railway	26
?	1847	Aberdeen Railway	27

Notes: Template:Notelist

Built by R and W Hawthorn

Works no.	Date built	Railway	Name/no.	Notes
890	1854	Sjællandske Jernbane Selskab	Roeskilde	Template:Refn
891	1854	Sjællandske Jernbane Selskab	Ringsted	Template:Refn
892	1854	Sjællandske Jernbane Selskab	Sorø	Template:Refn
893	1854	Sjællandske Jernbane Selskab	Slagelse	Template:Refn
1006	1858	East Kent Railway	Lake	Template:Refn
1007	1858	East Kent Railway	Sondes	Template:Refn
1008	1858	East Kent Railway	Faversham	Template:Refn
1009	1858	East Kent Railway	Chatham	Template:Refn
1010	1858	East Kent Railway	Sittingbourne	Template:Refn
1011	1858	East Kent Railway	Crampton	Template:Refn

Notes: Template:Notelist

Other builders

Midland Railway locomotive No 130, built by Kitson, Thompson & Hewitson in 1848

File:Locomotive "Fire Queen".jpg

Fire Queen built by A. Horlick & Co. in 1848 for the Padarn Railway, preserved at the Penrhyn Castle Railway Museum

Builder	Works no.	Date built	Railway	Name/no.	Notes
Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company	53	1846	South Eastern Railway	92	Template:Refn
LNWR Crewe Works	?	1847	London and North Western Railway, Northern Division	176 Courier	Template:Sfn
Kitson and Company	?	1848	Midland Railway	130
Kitson and Company	?	1848	Midland Railway	131
Timothy Hackworth	?	1848	London, Brighton and South Coast Railway	56
Timothy Hackworth	?	1848	London, Brighton and South Coast Railway	58
A. Horlock and Co		1848	Padarn Railway	Fire Queen	Template:Refn
A. Horlock and Co		1848	Padarn Railway	Jenny Lind	Template:Refn
R. B. Longridge and Company	?	1851	Great Northern Railway	200	Template:Refn

Notes: Template:Notelist

Manufactured in France

Builder	Works no.	Date built	Railway	Name/no.	Notes
Société Ch.Derosne et Cail	139–150 (12)	1849	Chemins de fer du Nord	122 Crampton to 133 Linné	Template:Refn
Société J. F. Cail & Cie	188–199 (12)	1852	Chemins de fer de l'Est	79 Le Globe to 90 L’Amérique	Template:Refn
Société J. F. Cail & Cie	219–230 (12)	1853–54	Chemins de fer du Nord	134 Pradier to 145 Van Eyck	Template:Sfn
Société J. F. Cail & Cie	329–340 (12)	1854	Template:Interlanguage link multi	301 to 312	Template:Refn
Société J. F. Cail & Cie	387–392 (6)	1855	Template:Interlanguage link multi	313 to 318	Template:Refn
Société J. F. Cail & Cie	414–429 (16)	1855	Chemins de fer du Nord	146 Alibert to 161 Volney	Template:Sfn
Société J. F. Cail & Cie	544–555 (12)	1857	Template:Interlanguage link multi	319 La France to 330 La Grèce	Template:Refn
Société J. F. Cail & Cie	443	1856	Chemin de fer du Nord	162 Alma	Template:Refn
Société J. F. Cail & Cie	444	1856	Chemin de fer du Nord	163 Inkerman	Template:Sfn
Schneider et Cie	196–210 (15)	1856	Chemins de fer de l'Est	174 Eupatoria to 188 Taganrok	Template:Sfn
André Koechlin et Cie	820–829 (10)	1864	Chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée	31 Sylphie to 40 Moucheron	Template:Refn

Notes: Template:Notelist

Manufactured in Germany

Builder	Works no.	Date built	Railway	Name/no.	Notes
J. A. Maffei	?–? (4)	1853	Pfälzische Eisenbahnen	26 to 29	Template:RefnTemplate:Refn
Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Karlsruhe	3–4 (2)	1854	Baden State Railway	67 Adler and 68 Falke	Template:RefnTemplate:Sfnb
Borsig	553	1854	Sjællandske Jernbane Selskab	Thor
Borsig	554	1854	Sjællandske Jernbane Selskab	Njord
Borsig	555	1854	Sjællandske Jernbane Selskab	Baldur
Borsig	556	1854	Sjællandske Jernbane Selskab	Fenris
Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Karlsruhe	5–9, 11–12, 10 (8)	1854–56	Baden State Railway	69 Comet to 76 Basel	Template:RefnTemplate:Sfnb
Borsig	557	1855	Sjællandske Jernbane Selskab	Skirner
Borsig	558	1855	Sjællandske Jernbane Selskab	Vidar
Maschinenfabrik Esslingen	?–? (14)	1855–63	Pfälzische Eisenbahnen	36–41, 46–49, 60–63	Template:Refn
Template:Interlanguage link	— (3)	1856	Baden State Railway	1, 2, and 4	Template:RefnTemplate:Sfnb
J. A. Maffei	?–? (12)	1857–58	Bayerische Ostbahn	A1 to A12	Template:Refn
Maschinenfabrik Esslingen	424	1858	Sjællandske Jernbane Selskab	H.C. Ørsted
Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Karlsruhe	74–77, 89-92 (8)	1858–59	Baden State Railway	83 Rheinfelden to 90 Pfalz	Template:RefnTemplate:Sfnb
Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Karlsruhe	195–202 (8)	1863	Baden State Railway	7 Badenia to 14 Offenburg	Template:RefnTemplate:SfnbTemplate:Refn

Notes: Template:Notelist

See also

• Long Boiler locomotive
• 6-2-0 for Crampton locomotives in the USA

Sources

• Template:Baxter-BritishLocoCat2A
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Davies-EstLocoList3
• Template:Davies-NordLocoList
• Template:Davies-PLMLocoList
• Template:Lohr-EFA2.7
• Template:Cite book

External links

• The Cité du Train museum (in English)
• Crampton type Locomotive Video of (2-2)-2-0 No. 80 "Le Continent" in steam