The L class

A series of 20 4-6-2 locomotives built by Kitson. They had 8-wheel bogie tenders.

Ordered as a more powerful version of the P class to eliminate double-heading of express services, most of the class lasted almost to the end of steam, the final example being withdrawn in 1971 and donated to the National Museum.

Below: 3 decades of preservation - 4 pictures taken in 1975, 1985, 1995 & 2005.

Below: Five photographs showing the locomotives in FMSR livery in the 1920s, the first is a works photograph and is followed by FMSR 217, two shots of FMSR 220 and FMSR 229. Photographs reproduced with permission from the Stephenson Locomotive Society, they are thought to be from the H M le Fleming collection.

Maker	Number	Date	Original Railway / No		MR No.	Notes
Kitson	5300	6 Jan 1921	F.M.S.R.	214	531.01	Preserved, National Museum, Kuala Lumpur.
Kitson	5301	12 Jan 1921	F.M.S.R.	215	531.02
Kitson	5302	20 Jan 1921	F.M.S.R.	216	531.03	Taken to Burma line by Japanese in WWII.
Kitson	5303	20 Jan 1921	F.M.S.R.	217	531.04
Kitson	5304	27 Jan 1921	F.M.S.R.	218	531.05
Kitson	5305	31 Jan 1921	F.M.S.R.	219	531.06
Kitson	5306	4 Feb 1921	F.M.S.R.	220	531.07	Taken to Burma line by Japanese in WWII.
Kitson	5307	11 Feb 1921	F.M.S.R.	221	531.08
Kitson	5308	16 Feb 1921	F.M.S.R.	222	531.09	Taken to Burma line by Japanese in WWII.
Kitson	5309	24 Feb 1921	F.M.S.R.	223	531.10
Kitson	5310	24 Feb 1921	F.M.S.R.	224	531.11	Taken to Burma line by Japanese in WWII.
Kitson	5311	1 Mar 1921	F.M.S.R.	225	531.12
Kitson	5312	8 Mar 1921	F.M.S.R.	226	531.13
Kitson	5313	8 Mar 1921	F.M.S.R.	227	531.14
Kitson	5314	14 Mar 1921	F.M.S.R.	228	531.15
Kitson	5315	17 Mar 1921	F.M.S.R.	229	531.16	Taken to Burma line by Japanese in WWII.
Kitson	5316	21 Mar 1921	F.M.S.R.	230	531.17
Kitson	5317	25 Mar 1921	F.M.S.R.	231	531.18
Kitson	5318	31 Mar 1921	F.M.S.R.	232	531.19
Kitson	5319	26 Apr 1921	F.M.S.R.	233	531.20

Dates quoted above are Kitson test dates.

Leading particulars:
Wheel arrangement:	4-6-2 with 8-wheel bogie tender.	Boiler pressure:	180 lbs, superheated.
Fire grate:	24.3 sq. feet.	Heating surface:	1,485 sq. feet.
Fuel capacity:	6 tons 1cwt.	Water capacity:	2,500 gallons.
Max. axle load:	12 tons.	Fixed wheel-base:	9 feet 5 in..

Variable particulars:

Introduced

Class

Numbers

Cylinders

(2)

Tractive

effort

Loco

weight

Tender

weight

Overall

length

1921

(531)

214 - 233

531.01 - 531.20

17" x 24"

19,645

55.65

32.8

56' 4"

Unclassified	A & B classes	A² class	C¹ class
Burma E and O	C² class	D class	E class
F class	G class	H class	I class
J class	K¹ class	K² class	L class
M class	O class	P class	Mallet
Q class	R class	S class	T class
WWII	Sentinel	WD class

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Page created 12th March 2006.

Las updated 4th November 2008.

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