British Railways 2-6-0 Locomotives in Great_Britain


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class Class 2 (Locobase 2369)

Data from [link], last accessed 8 October 2022.

Developed as part of the range of twelve Standard engine designs that entered British Railway service in the 1950s. These duplicated the 20 Class 2MT engines (6400-6419) designed by HG Ivatt and delivered to the London, Midland & Scottish in 1946-47. All had a Belpaire firebox.

RA Riddles intended this locomotive for light branch-line duties where it served very well. According to the [link] website (viewed April 2002), these engines "incorporated several recent improvements in locomotive design that reduced maintenance and gave the footplate crew a degree of comfort lacking on earlier engines." The site adds that the class was also known for its "quite snappy acceleration" and "good turn of speed."

Four were preserved when the rest were discarded. One of those began a rebuild as a tank engine on the Bluebell Railway.


Class Class 3 (Locobase 2371)

Data from David Faulkner (compiler), British Railways Standard Locomotive Diagrams, self-published 2018.

Developed as part of the range of twelve Standard engine designs that entered British Railway service in the 1950s. Directed by Chief Mechanical Engineer RA Riddles, development of this class drew on an earlier Great Western 2-6-2 design.


Class Class 4 (Locobase 2370)

See also [link] (26 Sept 2004), which was restoring of these locomotives

Developed as part of the range of 12 Standard engine designs that entered British Railway service in the 1950s. RA Riddles oversaw development, in this case of an engine that was based on the earlier LMS Class 4. It showed outside valve gear and pistons as well as a Belpaire boiler. From the side, the angular firebox seems outsized compared to the coned second course and straight first course of the boiler.

OS Nock (RWC VI, pl 58) pronounces the design "a truly excellent medium-power unit, having a fine turn of speed, and useful on passenger as well as goods trains."

Nock adds that 76114 was the last engine to come out of the former Great Northern's Doncaster works. 25 other were produced were produced at that plant, 45 at ex-Lancashire & Yorkshire's Horwich Works, and 45 at the ex-Midland Works at Derby.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
ClassClass 2Class 3Class 4
Locobase ID2369 2371 2370
RailroadBritish RailwaysBritish RailwaysBritish Railways
CountryGreat BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain
Whyte2-6-02-6-02-6-0
Number in Class10820115
Road Numbers78000-7806477000-7701976000-76114
GaugeStdStdStd
Number Built10820115
BuilderDarlingtonDarlingtonDarlington
Year195319541952
Valve GearWalschaertWalschaertWalschaert
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)13.75 / 4.1915.33 / 4.6715.33 / 4.67
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)22.25 / 6.7824.08 / 7.3424.08 / 7.34
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase 0.62 0.64 0.64
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)44.25 / 13.49469.8046.94 / 14.31
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)30,800 / 13,97136,400 / 16,51137,520 / 17,019
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)90,720 / 41,150108,640 / 49,278113,120 / 51,310
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)110,208 / 49,990128,800 / 58,423132,384 / 60,048
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)82,544 / 37,44194,416 / 42,82694,116 / 42,690
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)192,752 / 87,431223,216 / 101,249226,500 / 102,738
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)3600 / 13.644200 / 15.914200 / 15.91
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT) 4.40 / 4 6.60 / 6 6.70 / 6
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)50 / 2560 / 3063 / 31.50
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)60 / 152463 / 160063 / 1600
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)200 / 1380200 / 1380225 / 1550
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)16.5" x 24" / 419x61017.5" x 26" / 445x66017.5" x 26" / 445x660
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)18,513 / 8397.3721,486 / 9745.9024,172 / 10964.25
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort) 4.90 5.06 4.68
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)162 - 1.625" / 41145 - 1.625" / 41160 - 1.625" / 41
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)12 - 5.125" / 13018 - 5.125" / 13024 - 5.125" / 130
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)10.85 / 3.3110.85 / 3.3110.85 / 3.31
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)101 / 9.38118.40 / 11131 / 12.17
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)17.50 / 1.6320.30 / 1.8923 / 2.14
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1025 / 95.231051 / 97.641090 / 101.30
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)134 / 12.45190 / 17.65231 / 21.47
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1159 / 107.681241 / 115.291321 / 122.77
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume172.57145.20150.59
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation350040605175
Same as above plus superheater percentage392046696055
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area22,62427,23234,486
Power L19213972812,481
Power MT671.67592.23729.73

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