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'.

GCR Class 8F
LNER Class B4
B4 4-6-0 No. 1486 at Ardsley Locomotive Depot
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerJohn G. Robinson
BuilderBeyer, Peacock and Company
Order numberBP: 9458
Serial number4816–4825
Build dateJune – July 1906
Total produced10
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-6-0
 • UIC2'Cn2
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Leading dia.3 ft 6 in (1.067 m)
Driver dia.6 ft 7 in (2.007 m)
Wheelbase51 ft 10 in (15.799 m)
Length61 ft 11.25 in (18.879 m)
Height13 ft 0 in (3.962 m)
Adhesive weight54 long tons 18 cwt (123,000 lb or 55.8 t)
Loco weight70 long tons 14 cwt (158,400 lb or 71.8 t)
Tender weight48 long tons 6 cwt (108,200 lb or 49.1 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity6 long tons 0 cwt (13,400 lb or 6.1 t)
Water cap.4,000 imp gal (18,000 L; 4,800 US gal)
Boiler:
​
 • Diameter4 ft 9.5 in (1,460 mm) to 5 ft (1,500 mm)
Boiler pressure180 lbf/in2 (1.24 MPa)
Heating surface
  • As built: 1,911 sq ft (177.5 m2)
  • Superheated: 1,482 sq ft (137.7 m2)
[1]
 • Firebox133 sq ft (12.4 m2)[2]
Superheater:
​
 • Heating area242 sq ft (22.5 m2)[1]
CylindersTwo, outside
Cylinder size
  • As built: 19 in × 26 in (480 mm × 660 mm)
  • B4/1 sub-class: 21 in × 26 in (530 mm × 660 mm)
[3]
Valve gearStephenson
Valve typeSlide, some later 10-inch (254 mm) piston valves
Career
Operators
ClassGCR: 8F
LNER: B4
NumbersGCR: 1095–1104
LNER: 6095–6104, later 1481–1489
NicknamesImmingham
Axle load classLNER: Route Availability: 5
WithdrawnFebruary 1944 (1), 1947-November 1950
DispositionAll scrapped

Design

The new design was very similar to 4-6-0 the two locomotives of the (GCR Class 8C, later LNER class B1) except that they had smaller driving wheels.

They were built with a saturated boiler, inside slide valves and Stephenson valve gear, two outside cylinders connected to 6-foot-7-inch (2.007 m) diameter driving wheels.[4]

LNER ownership

The ten locomotives were renumbered by the LNER by adding 5000 to their GCR numbers; and classified as B4.

Modifications

Between 1925 and 1928 the whole class received superheated boilers, but six received 10-inch piston valves and 21-inch cylinders giving rise to two LNER sub-classes B4/1 and B4/2.[5]

The LNER had designed a new type of superheated boiler (Diagram 16) based on the old design (Diagram 15). These were used on the B1 and B4 class locomotives; no more of this type of boiler was made after 1932, and so to keep the B1 and B4s in service during World War II, some Diagram 15 boilers were modified for use with these locomotives. [1]

Allocation and work

The class were originally used on fish trains between the port of Grimsby and London and Manchester although they were also found to be successful passenger locomotives. No. 1097 was also chosen to haul the special train at the inauguration ceremony for the new port of Immingham in 1906, and was named ‘Immingham’ thereafter, giving the name to the whole class. After grouping the class was transferred to Ardsley, South Yorkshire and did much useful work in the West Riding of Yorkshire.

Withdrawal

No.6095 was withdrawn in 1939, but was reinstated three months later due to the outbreak of war and an expected shortage of locomotive power. After a collision at Woodhead in 1944, No.6095 was officially withdrawn. The remaining 9 were renumbered 1481-1489 in order of construction in 1946. They were withdrawn between 1947 and 1950. The last withdrawal, No.(6)1482(GCR No.1097)Immingham was in 1950, with Immingham being the last GCR 4-6-0 to be withdrawn.

References
  1. Boddy et al. 1975, p. 8.
  2. Boddy et al. 1975, p. 24.
  3. Boddy et al. 1975, pp. 24–25.
  4. Boddy et al. 1975, p. 6.
  5. Boddy et al. 1975, p. 25.
  • Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Platt, E. N. T.; Proud, P.; Yeadon, W. B. (March 1975). Fry, E. V. (ed.). Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 2B: Tender Engines—Classes B1 to B19. Lincoln: RCTS. ISBN 0-901115-73-8.
  • LNER Class B4/GCR Class 8F


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