District railway steam

When the Metropolitan District Railway (MDR) began its services it had rolling stock that was provided by the Metropolitan Railway. However, in 1871 the Metropolitan District Railway (MDR) needed to own its own rolling stock, which culminated in an order for twenty-four condensing steam locomotives was placed with Beyer Peacock and Company which would be similar to the Metropolitan Railway Class A locomotives. The locomotives came equip with 410mm (16in) by 510mm (20 in) cylinders, 1.537m (5ft ½in) diameter driving wheels and weighed 42 tons when they were in working order. The boiler pressure was maintained at 120PSI, the front wheels being on a Bissell trunk and was fitted with a 1.1m3 (40ft3) bunker. These were intended for use on the railway underground therefore there was no drivers cabin supplied, but a weatherboard with a bent-back top and backplate of the bunker was able to be risen to provide protection when the train was driven with the dunker first. In order to reduce the smoke in the underground sections of the railway, initially the Metropolitan Railway used coke however this was changed in 1869 to Welsh smokeless coal. The only noticeable difference between the District and Metropolitan trains was the chimney style which was different and the inclusion of a bent-back top weatherboard.

The locomotives were later made from an Adams bogie replacing the Bissel truck and the earlier locomotives where modified.

There was a total of fifty-four locomotives that were purchased for the Metropolitan District Railway (MDR) and they remained in service until 1905 when the Metropolitan District Railway (MDR) was electrified, displacing the rolling stock. The fleet had been sold baring six locomotives by 1907, two locomotives, locomotive numbers 33 and 34, where retained for use departmentally by 1925, although in 1926 locomotive number 33 was scrapped and replaced by a Metropolitan Railway Class A locomotive number 22 which became Metropolitan District Railway (MDR) locomotive number 35, with both of the locomotives being replaced by 1931 by two goods vehicles that were purchased from the Hunslet Engine Company. These were passed to the London Transport Passenger Board (LTPB) in 1933 and numbered L30 and L31 however these where subsequently withdrawn in 1963.