The Class D49s were the first new express locomotives to enter traffic after the Grouping with the newly formed London & North?Eastern?Railway; 76 examples were built between 1927 and 1935. The need for additional motive power for secondary main line services gave rise to the decision to build the class, incorporating the well-proven 4-4-0 wheel arrangement and to a design having 6ft 8in diameter driving wheels.
The type was constructed in two batches, with locomotives built between 1927 and 1929 taking the names of `Shire’ counties and the second batch built between 1932 and 1935 taking the name of ‘Hunts’, generally situated within the area served by the LNER.
The locomotives were more than capable of operating services to which they were allocated, but the subsequent introduction of Thompson’s Class B1 mixed-traffic 4-6-0 locomotives in 1942 saw the D49s gradually fall out of favour. The first withdrawal came in?September 1957, with the last example taken out of service in April 1961. One example, No 62712 `Morayshire’, survives in preservation on the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway in Scotland.
The LNER Class D49s: Hunts and Shires is an illustrated survey of the class. It contains a black & white photograph of each class member accompanied by tabulated details of numbers carried, name, date to service, first shed and date of withdrawal. Brief caption details also provide further information about each class member. 80 pages. Hardback.