0-10-0 Lickey Banker 'Big Bertha' MR Profile and Models

0-10-0 Lickey Banker 'Big Bertha' MR

2290 near the Lickey Incline in January 1931. ©Public Domain

In 1919, the Midland Railway built a single 0-10-0 steam locomotive, No 2290 (later LMS (1947) 22290 and BR 58100). It was designed by James Anderson for banking duties on the Lickey Incline in Worcestershire (south of Birmingham), England. It became known as "Big Bertha" or "Big Emma" by railwaymen and railway enthusiasts. The Lickey Incline is the steepest sustained main-line railway incline in Great Britain. The function of a banker is to provide extra power on steep inclines by being added to the rear of other trains. Bankers were also used to protect against wagons or coaches breaking away, in which case they might run in front of a train going downhill.

(Information provided via Wikipedia)

Type of Locomotive

Steam

Builder

MR Derby Works

Build Date

1919

Total Built

1

Tractive Effort

43,313 lbf

Wheel Configuration

0-10-0

Operated By

Midland Railway
London, Midland & Scottish Railway
British Railways

Main Duties

Banking on the Lickey Incline

In Service Until

1956

Surviving Examples

0