4-4-0 Steam Locomotives in Great Britain

Manchester, Lincolnshire & Sheffield


Class Details by Steve Llanso of Sweat House Media

Class 6DB/D8 (Locobase 7473)

Data from [], the 4-4-0 entries in Richard Marsden's online LNER Encyclopedia, last accessed on 1 March 2006.

Locobase is a little surprised that Thomas Parker's three "stopgap" locomotives held on to service life for so long. They evolved from the 6D 2-4-0s that had given rise to complaints about poor riding. Substituting a bogie for the single-axle leading truck smoothed the ride; as such, these were then 6DB[ogies]. Parker didn't like the double-frame construction for the driving axles and ended production of the 6DBs in favor of the Class 2 engines based on the Kitson exhibit at the 1887 Manchester Exhibition (see Locobase 7472).

After a short period as the Manchester-London (King's Cross) express engines, they moved to Liverpool for the cross-country Liverpool-Hull service. When the GCR was subsumed under the LNER, the latter disposed of two D8s almost immediately and scrapped the third by 1926.

Principal Dimensions by Steve Llanso of Middle Run Media
Class6DB/D8
Locobase ID7473
RailroadManchester, Lincolnshire & Sheffield
CountryGreat Britain
Whyte4-4-0
Number in Class3
Road Numbers
GaugeStd
Number Built3
BuilderGorton
Year1888
Valve GearStephenson
Locomotive Length and Weight
Driver Wheelbase (ft / m)
Engine Wheelbase (ft / m)
Ratio of driving wheelbase to overall engine wheelbase
Overall Wheelbase (engine & tender) (ft / m)44.46 / 13.55
Axle Loading (Maximum Weight per Axle) (lbs / kg)35,616 / 16,155
Weight on Drivers (lbs / kg)
Engine Weight (lbs / kg)
Tender Loaded Weight (lbs / kg)
Total Engine and Tender Weight (lbs / kg)
Tender Water Capacity (gals / ML)
Tender Fuel Capacity (oil/coal) (gals/tons / Liters/MT)
Minimum weight of rail (calculated) (lb/yd / kg/m)
Geometry Relating to Tractive Effort
Driver Diameter (in / mm)81.50 / 2070
Boiler Pressure (psi / kPa)160 / 1090
High Pressure Cylinders (dia x stroke) (in / mm)18" x 26" / 457x660
Tractive Effort (lbs / kg)14,057 / 6376.16
Factor of Adhesion (Weight on Drivers/Tractive Effort)
Heating Ability
Tubes (number - dia) (in / mm)190 - 1.75" / 44
Flues (number - dia) (in / mm)
Flue/Tube length (ft / m)11.08 / 3.38
Firebox Area (sq ft / m2)99 / 9.20
Grate Area (sq ft / m2)18.30 / 1.70
Evaporative Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1063 / 98.76
Superheating Surface (sq ft / m2)
Combined Heating Surface (sq ft / m2)1063 / 98.76
Evaporative Heating Surface/Cylinder Volume138.82
Computations Relating to Power Output (More Information)
Robert LeMassena's Power Computation2928
Same as above plus superheater percentage2928
Same as above but substitute firebox area for grate area15,840
Power L14422
Power MT

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