Robert Stephenson and Co: Four-coupled 'Planet' type locomotives
Note: this is a sub-section of Robert Stephenson and Co
These were 0-4-0 Liverpool and Manchester Railway locomotives derived from the Planet 2-2-0 locomotives. They were larger and more powerful, and designed for use on on the inclined planes at Whiston and Sutton. Despite the differences, they were known as the 'Planet' type.
The first, later called 'Samson', was delivered in early 1831, and the second would be called 'Goliath'.
The type continued to be built, with modifications, for several years.
The photos here show a model at the Musee des Arts et Metiers, made by Eugène Philippe of Paris in 1834. (Locomotive à quatre roues, avec son tender, d’après Stephenson, inv. 04044). It is based on the Stephenson locomotive sent to the Fonderie de Chaillot in 1833, from which César Nicolas Louis Leblanc, draughtsman of the Conservatoire, produced drawings.
In photo 3, note the iron tyres bolted to wooden wheel rims, and the cast iron wheel hubs and wooden spokes. Also note the horns (axlebox guides), iron plates sandwiching the oak frames. Later Stephenson locomotives would have the wooden frames sandwiched between iron plates over the full length. A model showing such an arrangement on a superb 1/5 scale 2-4-0 chassis model by Eugène Philippe in 1838 may be seen here.[1]
