Hoylake & Birkenhead / Hull & Barnsley 2-4-0 Locomotives in Great_Britain


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 33 (Locobase 10573)

Data from "Rebuilt Locomotives, Hull & Barnsley Railway" The Locomotive Magazine, Vol XII (15 August 1906), p.137. Works numbers were 2479-2488

Built according to the design of William Kirtley, then the H & B's consulting locomotive superintendent, these were medium-sized, medium-power passenger engines. They had domes on the boilers. They were the only passenger locomotives on the H & B as of the August 1906 publication date.

They were rebuilt twice; see Locobase 10574.


Class 33 - rebuilt (Locobase 10574)

Data from "Rebuilt Locomotives, Hull & Barnsley Railway" The Locomotive Magazine, Vol XII (15 August 1906), p.137. Works numbers were 2479-2488

Matthew Stirling twice rebuilt the 10 passenger engines of the H & B (Locobase 10573). The first time he increased cylinder volume slightly (by adding 1/2" to the cylinder diameter) and introduced a deeper firebox., but total evaporative heating surface actually shrank. Boiler pressure increased by 10 psi.

After the turn of the century, Stirling took the class in hand again and leaving the power section and firebox alone, fitted a much bigger boiler. Even so the gain in heating surface was less than 10%, but the steam generated could now achieve pressures of 170 psi.


Class West Kirby (Locobase 20607)

Data from "2-4-0 Tank Engines, Hoylake Ry," The Locomotive Magazine, Volume XXIV [24} (15 January 1918), p. 3. Works numbers were 356-357 in 1877.

Originally incorporated as the Hoylake Railway in 1863, this line was located on the Wirral Peninsula in the suburbs of Liverpool. formed to build a line from Birkenhead and Liscard west across the head of the peninsula to Hoylake, the Hoylake was absorbed in 1872 by the Hoylake and Birkenhead Railway and Tramway company. They extended the line southwest to West Kirby.

It was in this period that the H&B bought two small six-wheel tanks from Yorkshire (not long before it was reorganized as the Avondale Engine Company. The pair shared many details of a Yorkshire company stock design sold to other saall railways such as the Felixstowe Railway and Dock trio described in Locobase 16075. But the Hoylake engines had taller drivers and a slightly larger firebox.

When the Wirral Railway merged with the Hoylake (by then the Secombe, Hoylake & West Kirby), they took the two small tanks onto their roster. Some time later, both were sold to Staffordshire firms, Birkenhead going to the Talk o' th' Hill Colliery and West Krrby to Messrs Josiah Hardman, Ltd of MIlton.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class3333 - rebuiltWest Kirby
Locobase ID10573 10574 20607
RailroadHull & BarnsleyHull & BarnsleyHoylake & Birkenhead
CountryGreat BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain
Whyte2-4-02-4-02-4-0T
Number in Class10102
Road Numbers33-4233-42
GaugeStdStdStd
Number Built102
BuilderBeyer, PeacockH & BYorkshire Engine
Year188519021877
Valve GearStephensonStephensonStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m) 8.25 / 2.51 8.25 / 2.51 7.51 / 2.29
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)16 / 4.8816 / 4.8812.76 / 3.89
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.52 0.52 0.59
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)40.33 / 12.2940.33 / 12.2912.76 / 3.89
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)30,744 / 13,94522,315 / 10,122
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)57,960 / 26,29039,740 / 18,026
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)82,124 / 37,25187,360 / 39,62654,207 / 24,588
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)54,207 / 24,588
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)2400 / 9.09750 / 2.84
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) 3.30 / 3 1.10 / 1
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)48 / 2433 / 16.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)72 / 182972 / 182960 / 1524
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)140 / 9.70170 / 11.70145 / 10
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)17" x 24" / 432x61017.5" x 24" / 445x61014.02" x 20" / 356x508
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)11,464 / 5199.9914,751 / 6690.958075 / 3662.76
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 5.06 4.92
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)113 - 1.732" / 44
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)10.73 / 3.27
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)93.60 / 8.70100 / 9.2955.54 / 5.16
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)16.31 / 1.5216.25 / 1.51 8.29 / 0.77
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1075 / 99.911118 / 103.90611 / 56.76
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1075 / 99.911118 / 103.90611 / 56.76
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume170.50167.33170.98
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation228327631202
Same as above plus superheater percentage228327631202
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area13,10417,0008053
Power L1411149403606
Power MT312.74400.09

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