GCR Class 9K

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Great Central Railway 9K class
London & North Eastern Railway C13
Chester Northgate Locomotive Depot geograph-2359879-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
Designer John G. Robinson
Build date1903–1905
Total produced40 (9K / C13)
12 (9L / C14)
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 •  Whyte 4-4-2T
 •  UIC 2′B1′ n2t, later 2′B1′ h2t
Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Leading dia. 3 ft 6 in (1.067 m)
Driver dia.5 ft 7 in (1.702 m)
Trailing dia. 3 ft 9 in (1.143 m)
Wheelbase 29 ft 10.5 in (9.106 m)
Loco weight66.65 long tons (67.72 t)
Fuel type Coal
Fuel capacity3.65 long tons (3.71 t)
Water cap1,450 imperial gallons (6,600 l; 1,740 US gal)
Firebox:
 • Firegrate area		19.59 sq ft (1.820 m2)
Boiler pressure160 psi (1.10 MPa)
Heating surface1,101 sq ft (102.3 m2) (saturated)
 • Tubes1,778 sq ft (165.2 m2)
 • Firebox108 sq ft (10.0 m2)
Cylinders Two, inside
Cylinder size 18 in × 26 in (457 mm × 660 mm)
Valve gear Stephenson
Valve typeSlide valves
Performance figures
Tractive effort 17,100 lbf (76 kN)
Career
Operators
Class
  • GCR: 9K
  • LNER: C13
Number in class40
Numbers
  • GCR:
  • LNER:
  • later 7400-7439
  • BR: 67400-67439
Withdrawn1952–1960
DispositionAll scrapped

The Great Central Railway 9K and 9L classes were two related classes of 4-4-2T Atlantic steam locomotives. They were both intended for suburban passenger services. After the 1923 Grouping, they served the LNER as classes C13 and C14.

Contents

Their designer was John G. Robinson. The design was based on the earlier Pollitt Class 9G 2-4-2T locomotives, [1] but with a lengthened boiler and a leading bogie to carry it. [2] This extension of running gear also resembled an early Robinson design for the Irish Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway. [2]

All passed into British Railways service and the first was not withdrawn until 1952. Most were withdrawn between 1955 and 1959. The last examples of each class, 9K 67417 and 9L 67450, were scrapped in 1960. [3] None were preserved. [3]

GCR 9K / LNER C13

Forty locomotives were built to the 9K class, in four batches between 1903 and 1905. [2]

The GCR installed water troughs around the same time as this class was built. They were fitted with water scoops, but these were little used by the 1930s and so were removed. [2]

In 1933, six locomotives were fitted for push-pull working, according to the GCR mechanical system. These were converted to the LNER vacuum system and in 1941, two others were converted. [2]

Superheating

Superheated
Specifications
Firebox:
 • Firegrate area		19.59 sq ft (1.820 m2)
Boiler pressure160 psi (1.10 MPa)
Heating surface1,031 sq ft (95.8 m2) (superheated)
 • Tubes503 sq ft (46.7 m2) (tubes) 282 sq ft (26.2 m2) (flues)
 • Firebox108 sq ft (10.0 m2)
Superheater:
​
 • Heating area138 sq ft (12.8 m2)

One example, No. 18 was experimentally superheated in 1915. From 1926 to 1935 the entire class was superheated. [3] During this time, the original saturated locomotives were classified as C13/1 and the superheated rebuilds as C13/2. Some locomotives were rebuilt further as C13/3, with shortened chimneys and domes to fit within the LNER loading gauge. [note 1] By 1938, all locomotives had been rebuilt to the C13/3 standard and so the distinguishing sub-classes were abandoned. [2]

Service

The 9K class was built for the London suburban services, running from the GCR's Marylebone terminus.

Within a few years, the timing of these suburban trains was facing competition from electric services. Competing with these required faster acceleration and the more powerful 4-6-2T Class 9N was introduced. [2]

From 1922 they were dispersed away from London through the GCR network, to South Yorkshire between Manchester, Sheffield and Mexborough. Most notably, many of them went to Wrexham where they were based successfully until the 1950s. The South Yorkshire engines gradually moved to Gorton locomotive shed, from where they were used on Manchester suburban services, and destinations as far as Hayfield and Macclesfield, later joined by the 9Ls, until they were both replaced by DMUs after post-1955 dieselisation. [2]

All passed into British Railways service and survived until at least 1952. but were withdrawn between 1955 and 1959. The last No 67417 was scrapped in 1960. [3] None were preserved.

The class was successful throughout its working life and is considered to be one of Robinson's best designs. [2]

GCR 9L / LNER C14

Great Central Railway 9L class
London & North Eastern Railway C14
Ardsley Locomotive Depot geograph-2359946-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg
LNER 7451 at Ardsley locomotive depot in 1947
Specifications
Loco weight71 long tons (72 t)
Fuel capacity4.3 long tons (4.4 t)
Water cap1,825 imperial gallons (8,300 l; 2,192 US gal)
Career
Class GCR: 9L
LNER: C14
Number in class12
Numbers
  • LNER: 7440–7451
  • BR: 67440–67451
Withdrawn1957–1960
DispositionAll scrapped

A further twelve locomotives were built by Beyer, Peacock & Co. in 1907. [4] These were of basically the same design, but had enlarged water and coal capacity. They were designated 9L by the GCR and later C14 by the LNER.

The side tanks were enlarged for an extra 375 gallons, by widening their side plates. Overall width across the tanks increased from 8' 6" to 8' 9". This gives rise to a visible recognition feature in photographs: the 9K have tank and cab sides in a flat plane, the 9L tank sides project slightly. [4]

Coal capacity was also increased by raising the rear wall of the bunker with a semicircular extension. [4]

The boilers were the same as for the 9K. All were built with saturated boilers and, as for the 9Ks, were rebuilt with superheating as their boilers were replaced. The first to be superheated was Nº 1122 in 1914, although this was not a new boiler and only lasted until 1923 when it was replaced by a saturated boiler. All were converted under LNER ownership, from 1926 to 1935. [4] Water pick-up gear and shortened chimneys to fit the LNER loading gauge were removed and changed as for the 9K class. [4]

Service

The 9L class was built for the London suburban services from Marylebone and they were based at Neasden shed.

With the introduction of the Class 9Ns, the 9Ls were moved to stopping services on the Great Central Main Line and by 1922 they were based around Nottingham, with one of the twelve stabled at Woodford and some occasional allocations to Hitchin and Hatfield. [4]

From 1934, they were dispersed, some to East Anglia and others to the West Riding and Manchester. After Nationalisation, they were once again working suburban passenger services with the 9Ks, out of Manchester. [4]

Nearly all were scrapped in 1957, following the introduction of DMUs for the suburban services. The last Nº 67450 survived until 1960. [3] None were preserved.

Accidents and incidents

Related Research Articles

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John George Robinson CBE, was an English railway engineer, and was chief mechanical engineer of the Great Central Railway from 1900 to 1922.

GCR Class 8K

The Great Central Railway (GCR) Class 8K 2-8-0 is a class of steam locomotive designed for heavy freight. Introduced in 1911, and designed by John G. Robinson, 126 were built for the GCR prior to the First World War. Including wartime construction for the British Army ROD and the post-war GCR Class 8M, the class and its derivatives totalled 666 locomotives.

LNER Class O4

The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Class O4 initially consisted of the 131 ex-Great Central Railway (GCR) Class 8K 2-8-0 steam locomotives acquired on grouping in 1923. The engines were designed by John G. Robinson and built at the GCR locomotive works at Gorton, Manchester.

GCR Class 11F

The Great Central Railway Class 11F or Improved Director Class is a class of 4-4-0 steam locomotive designed by John G. Robinson for passenger work. The LNER classified them as Class D11 from 1923. They were based on the earlier GCR Class 11E "Director" class.

GCR Class 9N

The Great Central Railway Class 9N, classified A5 by the LNER, was a class of 4-6-2 tank locomotives designed by John G. Robinson for suburban passenger services. They were fitted with superheaters, piston valves and Stephenson valve gear.

GCR Class 9F

The Great Central Railway (GCR) Class 9F was a class of 0-6-2T steam locomotive built between 1891 and 1901. From 1923 the locomotives were redesignated Class N5.

LNER Class A8

The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Class A8 was a type of 4-6-2T steam locomotive, designed by both Vincent Raven and Nigel Gresley. They were rebuilt from the LNER Class H1, a 4-4-4T. In 1931, H1 No. 2162 was rebuilt as a 4-6-2T and given the A8 classification.

NER Class Y

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LNWR Whale Precursor Class

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GCR Class 1B

The GCR Class 1B was a class of 2-6-4T (tank) locomotives on the Great Central Railway. They were notable as the first locomotives of the 2-6-4T wheel arrangement to be used by a British standard-gauge railway; there had been two narrow-gauge examples on the Leek & Manifold Valley Light Railway since 1904.

Although overshadowed by the later and more famous steam locomotives that John G. Robinson would go on to design, the Great Central Railway Class 11B 4-4-0 Express Passenger engines were a successful class which totalled 40. Built from 1901 to 1903, in later rebuilt form as 11D, some 11Bs would last in service until 1950. Railwaymen continued to refer to the class as "11B" even after all were rebuilt to 11D. Being contemporary with and to some extent the 4-4-0 version of Robinson's much more numerous 0-6-0 goods class 9J, which were known as "Pom-Poms", the 11Bs acquired the nickname "Pom-Pom Bogies". The London & North Eastern Railway classified the 11Bs, along with their 11C and 11D rebuilds, as Class D9.

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GCR Class 9Q

The GCR Class 9Q, classified B7 by the LNER, was a class of 4-6-0 mixed traffic locomotives designed by John G. Robinson for fast goods, relief passenger and excursion services on the Great Central Railway. They were a smaller wheeled version of Robinson's earlier Class 9P "Lord Faringdon" express passenger class.

GCR Class 2

The GCR Class 2 was derived from a Kitson (Leeds) built/Thomas Parker designed prototype 4-4-0 locomotive No. 561, exhibited in Manchester in 1887. The design lead to the production of a series of express steam locomotives built between 1890 and 1894 for use on the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway, later the Great Central Railway. The last batch of six, built 1894, had larger bearings for the coupled wheels, coil springs for the driving axle and was classified 2A.

The GCR Class 8C was a class of a pair of 4-6-0 locomotives built for the Great Central Railway in 1903–1904 by Beyer, Peacock and Company. They passed to the London and North Eastern Railway at the 1923 grouping and received the classification B1 They were reclassified B18 in 1943 and both were retired in 1947.

GCR Class 8B

GCR Class 8B was a class of 25 two-cylinder steam locomotives of the 4-4-2 wheel arrangement built between 1903 and 1906 for the Great Central Railway. They were nicknamed "Jersey Lillies" after the famous music star Lillie Langtry.

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GCR Class 8F

The GCR Class 8F was a class of ten 4-6-0 locomotives built for the Great Central Railway in 1906 by Beyer, Peacock and Company to the design of John G. Robinson for working fast goods and fish trains. They passed to the London and North Eastern Railway at the 1923 grouping and received the classification 'B4'.

References

  1. ↑ The GCR was known for its unusually large loading gauge, by British standards at least.
  1. ↑ "GCR class 9G / LNER class F3". LNER Encyclopedia.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "GCR class 9K / LNER class C13". LNER Encyclopedia.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Casserley, H.C.; Asher, L.L. (1961) [1955]. Locomotives of British Railways. Spring Books. pp. 103, 436.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "GCR class 9L / LNER class C14". LNER Encyclopedia.
  5. ↑ Earnshaw, Alan (1989). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 5. Penryn: Atlantic Books. p. 28. ISBN   0-906899-35-4.
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