Great Northern Railway Ivatt 'C1' class 4-4-2 No. 271. Built at Doncaster in July 1902 and withdrawn in June 1936 as LNER No. 3271.

Various experiments were tried with Ivatt's 'C1' class that were initially proving to be poor steamers. This photograph was taken in September 1904 to illustrate the Walschaerts Valve gear fitted for the outside valves that drove the trailing axle of the unique 4-cylinder compound No. 271. The inside valves were Stephenson's link motion driving the leading coupled axle. The experiment was not deemed to be a success and the locomotive was rebuilt in 1911. Superheating and a variety of other modifications in the Gresley era eventually proved to make the class superb locomotives.

© Steve Armitage Collection