GER Class Y14

Last updated

GER Class Y14
LNER Class J15
GER J15 with demo freight train.jpg
No. 65462 with a demonstration freight train
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
Designer T. W. Worsdell
Builder Stratford Works (270)
Sharp, Stewart & Co. (19)
Build date1883-1913
Total produced289
Specifications
Configuration:
   Whyte 0-6-0
   UIC C n2
Gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.4 ft 11 in (1.499 m)
Length47 ft 3 in (14.40 m)
Loco weight37.1 long tons (37.7 t; 41.6 short tons)
Tender weight30.65 long tons (31.14 t; 34.33 short tons)
Fuel type Coal
Fuel capacity5 long tons (5.1 t; 5.6 short tons)
Water cap.2,640 imp gal (12,000 L; 3,170 US gal)
Boiler pressure160 psi (1,100 kPa)
Cylinders Two, inside
Cylinder size 17+12 in × 24 in (444 mm × 610 mm)
Performance figures
Tractive effort 16,940 lbf (75,400 N)
Career
Operators
Class
  • GER: Y14
  • LNER: J15
Power classBR: 1P2F
Axle load classLNER/BR: Route availability 1
Withdrawn1922 - 1962
DispositionOne preserved, remainder scrapped

The Great Eastern Railway (GER) Class Y14 is a class of 0-6-0 steam locomotive. The LNER classified them J15.

Contents

The Class Y14 was designed by T.W. Worsdell for both freight and passenger duties - a veritable 'maid of all work'. Introduced in July 1883, they were so successful that all the succeeding Locomotive Superintendents continued to build new batches up until 1913 with little design change, the final total being 289. [1] During World War I, 43 of the engines served in France and Belgium. [2]

Background

On 10–11 December 1891, the Great Eastern Railway's Stratford Works built one of these locomotives and had it in steam with a coat of grey primer in 9 hours 47 minutes; this remains a world record. The locomotive then went off to run 36,000 miles (58,000 km) on Peterborough to London coal trains before coming back to the works for the final coat of paint. It lasted 40 years and ran a total of 1,127,750 miles (1,814,940 km). [3]

Because of their light weight the locomotives were given the Route Availability (RA) number 1, indicating that they could work over nearly all routes.

Table of orders and numbers [4]
YearOrderManufacturerQuantityGER Nos.LNER Nos.1946 Nos.Notes
1883Y14 Stratford Works 10610–6197610–7618, —
1884K15 Stratford Works 20620–6397620–7639
1884 Sharp, Stewart & Co. 3146–31641937–41, 119–124, 592–5997037, 07038–07039, —, 7600, 7119–7124, 7592–759941 renumbered 600 in 1912
1885N16 Stratford Works 10680–6897680–7689
1885–86P17 Stratford Works 10690–6997690–7699
1886M18 Stratford Works 10800–8097609, 7801–7809800 renumbered 609 in 1892
1886–87X18 Stratford Works 10810–8197810–78195350
1887D20 Stratford Works 10820–8297820–78295351–5353
1887–88U20 Stratford Works 10527–5367527–75365354–5356
1888R21 Stratford Works 10537–541, 830–8347537–7541, 7830–78345357–5360
1889T22 Stratford Works 10835–8447835–78445361–5364
1889P23 Stratford Works 10845–8547845–78545365–5372
1889T23 Stratford Works 10855–8647855–78645373–5375
1889Y23 Stratford Works 10865–8747865–78745376–5381
1890U25 Stratford Works 10875–8847875–78845382–5388
1890Y25 Stratford Works 10885–8947885–78945389–5394
1891L28 Stratford Works 10895–9047895–79045395–5400
1891N28 Stratford Works 10905–9147905–79145401–5407
1891P28 Stratford Works 10915–9247915–79245408–5414
1891–92S28 Stratford Works 10925–9347925–79345414–5421
1892X28 Stratford Works 10936–9457936–79455422–5427
1899I45 Stratford Works 10507–5167507–75165428–5435
1899S45 Stratford Works 10517–5267517–75265436–5439
1899X45 Stratford Works 10640–6497640–76495440–5449
1906A60 Stratford Works 10552–5617552–75615450–5459
1912B70 Stratford Works 10562–5717562–75715460–5469
1913G73 Stratford Works 10542–5517542–75515470–5479

Accidents and incidents

Notable features

As built all the locomotives had a stovepipe chimney; this was replaced in LNER days by a cast chimney with a small lip. The original Worsdell and early Holden series had three-ring boilers with the steam dome placed in the middle. Also the Worsdell boilers had a flat grate, however from 1890 Holden developed a boiler with a sloping grate and a two-ring telescopic barrel with the dome located well forward. The advantage of the dome position was a short 5½ inch steam pipe which limited pressure drop between the boiler and the cylinders. This boiler was adopted as standard and persisted on all Great Eastern Locomotives down to 1898; from then on it was perpetuated on the smaller locomotives as long as these remained essentially in their original configuration - which could be down to the 1960s. [2]

As with all Great Eastern classes, the Y14 had a cab with a low wooden roof covered with canvas sealed by a coat of lead paint. This was replaced in LNER days by a higher arched sheet metal roof. Some engines had special side window cabs for service on the exposed Brightlingsea and Colne Valley branches. [2]

Allocations

On 1 January 1923 there were 272 J15 locomotives in existence. They were allocated as follows: [14]

In 1942 during World War II, six locomotives were drafted in to assist with coal traffic in South Yorkshire with three allocated to Mexborough engine shed and three to Barnsley engine shed. [15]

On 1 January 1948 when British Railways was formed, there were 127 J15 locomotives in existence. [16]

Unusually, in 1957 a couple of the class were allocated to Aylesbury and worked freight trains on the former Great Western Railway branch from Princes Risborough to Watlington before being withdrawn in 1958. [17]

In film

In September 1936 locomotives 7541 and 7835 were withdrawn by the LNER and sold to London Film Productions for their film Knight Without Armour . The two locomotives were moved to Denham film studios and underwent cosmetic modification to look more Russian as that was where the film was set. The locomotives were then sold to the War Department and worked on the Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Railway as WD221 and WD212. During their war service both were involved in incidents and returned to Stratford in 1944 and subsequently scrapped. [18]

Another member of the class appeared in the 1954 film Happy Ever After disguised as an Irish locomotive. [19]

Preservation

65462 at Sheringham J15 65462 running around - geograph.org.uk - 1479919.jpg
65462 at Sheringham

Number 564/7564/65462 is preserved on the North Norfolk Railway and owned by the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway Society. [20] In 2002 the locomotive reached the end of a major overhaul and was painted in LNER (numbered 7564) and BR black numbered 65462) liveries for the duration of its boiler ticket. It originally operated in these liveries when classified as a J15 in LNER and BR days. Following withdrawal from service in 2013, the locomotive received another overhaul (completed 2015) where it was outshopped in GER lined blue and sporting its original number of 564 and representing its days when classified as a Y14.

65469 was originally a candidate for preservation, but it was scrapped. [21]

Models

Hornby produces a ready-to-run model of the J15 in 00 gauge (4 mm) in BR (with the rebuilt high-arched cab roof) and LNER liveries (both as-built and high-arch cab roofs). [22] Also in 00 gauge, there are kits from Alan Gibson and Nu-Cast. Finley and Smith produce a 3 mm kit. A 7mm (O gauge) kit is made by Connoisseur Models.

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References

  1. Locomotives of the Great Eastern Railway
  2. 1 2 3 The Class J15 (GER Class Y14) 0-6-0 Locomotives
  3. Allen 1961, p. 110.
  4. Baxter 2012, pp. 51–52, 67–72.
  5. Freestone, Jill; Smith, Richard W (1998). Ipswich Engines and Ipswich Men. Ipswich: Under Stoke History group. ISBN   0-9532257-0-4.
  6. Lt-Col. P. G. von Donop, R.E. / Board of Trade (13 November 1900). "Great Eastern Railway" (PDF). Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  7. Von Donop, P. G. (1915). Report on Accident at County School station, 1915 (PDF). H.M.R.I.
  8. "J15 7629". BRDatabase.
  9. Lt. Col A H Mount / Board of Trade (7 January 1927). "London and North Eastern Railway" (PDF). Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  10. Earnshaw 1990, p. 16.
  11. "1930s Accident at Ongar". Epping and Ongar Railway .
  12. Atterbury, Paul. (2012). Paul Atterbury's railway collection. Newton Abbot, United Kingdom: David & Charles / F & W Media. ISBN   978-1-4463-0202-6. OCLC   794708326.
  13. "Car collides with train on North Norfolk railway line". 19 November 2018.
  14. Yeadon, W B (1996). LNER Locomotive Allocations 1st January 1923 (The first day). Challenger Publications. ISBN   1-899624-19-8.
  15. James, H N (July 1975). "Great Eastern Wanderers Part 8". Ipswich Transport Journal (132): 19.
  16. "Steam Loco Class Information Class J15 Details". RailUK. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  17. Great Eastern Railway Society Journal No 84 - letter and photograph from Dick Riley (October 1995)
  18. Walker, Peter (July 2017). "Classic Camera". Great Eastern Journal. 171: 2.
  19. James, H N (July 1975). "Great Eastern Wanderers Part 8". Ipswich Transport Journal (132): 19.
  20. Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway Society – Home
  21. "65462 (GER 564, LNER 7564, LNER 5462 & BR 65462)". Preserved British Steam Locomotives. 10 July 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  22. "National Model Rail Database". National Model Rail. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2015.