Midland Counties Railway Locomotives. In its short life, the Midland Counties Railway bought nearly fifty steam locomotives from a number of manufacturers. Initially, outside cylindered engines were ordered because of the frequency of crank axle breakage with inside cylinders. However, one of the sub-committee delegated to order the motive power, Theodore Rathbone, was an admirer of the Bury engines used on the London and Birmingham Railway, and all further orders were for inside-cylindered locos. The initial delivery of engines had 11 inch cylinders, but, being found to be short of power, further orders were for engines with 13 inch cylinders.