North Eastern 4-6-0 Locomotives in Great_Britain

Class S/B13 (Locobase 3022)

Data from Charles Rous-Marten"Six-Coupled Express Engine, North Eastern Railway", Engineer, Volume 88 (21 July 1899 and 22 September 1899) pp. 56- 291;Ahrons (1927; and John S Maclean, Locomotives of the North Eastern, 1841-1922 (London: Locomotive Publishing Company, 1922), pp. 90-94

The first 4-6-0 produced in Great Britain for express service, this design showed that the 4-6-0 could increase the trailing load for passenger trains now that driver tire and rail metallurgy had improved. Charles Rous-Marten referred to his frequent Engineer columns in which he reported on express runs by Ten-wheelers in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (quite literally, he chose not to mention any such US locomotives) and summarized his experience riding the footplate of CF du Nord 4-6-0s in France in 1898.

Wilson Worsdell's specification called for a train that could pull 20 coaches of 350-375 trailing tons at 53 mph (85 kph) for a 124 1/2 mile (200 km) run from Newcastle to Edinburgh without stopping for fuel or water. The ruling grade was a 1% (1 in 96) that ran for about 5 miles *8 km). Rous-Marten reported on the several adjustments Worsdell made to accomplish this goal: reduction of driver diameter to 78 1/2", add a third coupled axle, use "the largest cylinders yet seen in British practice", boost boiler pressure to 200 psi, and provide a boiler "capable of supplying ample steam at that pressure for any work that the engine could be called upon to undertake." He pronounced the result a "giant".

(Rous-Marten commented further on Worsdell's choice of outside cylinders as "virtually inevitable" even though the recent preference was to place them inside. He found it "not a little curious" that such a location choice "should have been compulsorily and somewhat reluctantly revived in this country", citing Webb's Black Prince, Ivatt's 990, and Worsdell's choice.)

Turntable limitations limited the engine-tender wheelbase to 48 ft, which led to a crowded footplate. From 2004 on, NER lengthened the wheel base extending the footplate.

Despite claims of "any amount of speed in this type of express engines", the first ten soon were relegated to other duties because their drivers weren't really large enough for express running. After the first five, Gateshead and Darlington delivered engines with Smith Patent piston valves in place of slide valves and the earlier locomotives were updated within a year of their delivery.

Five 2111-class engines were delivered in 1900-1901 with 80" drivers; see S1 entry at Locobase 3253.

Noting the small number of engine procured, Glover (1967) invoked well-known engine driver Charles Rous-Marten's surprise "that the class, which gave him the best work he experienced over the North Eastern, was never multiplied." For dissent, see OS Nock's comments in the S1 entry.

The 20 S class built between 1906-1909 were aimed at mixed-traffic and high-speed freight (express goods) working. Lucas noted that these had smaller boilers with shorter tubes and 1,578 sq ft (146.6 sq m) total evaporative heating surface areapatent variable blast pipes in the smokebox, an ash ejector. They had smaller splashers over the drivers than those fitted to the original express engines.

Class S/B13 - superheated (Locobase 6304)

Richard Marsden's LNER Encyclopedia ([], visited 26 Sept 2004) has information about the superheated update.

These Worsdell Ten-wheelers received new boilers with Schmidt superheaters beginning in 1912. The four that had not been so converted by the grouping into the LNER were soon modified.

Although not a leading class, the B13s hauled a variety of freight and excursion traffic until withdrawals began in the early 30s. The last of the class was retired in 1938.

Class S1 / B14 (Locobase 3523)

Data from "Six-Coupled Bogie Express Engines, NER," The Locomotive Magazine, Vol VI (May 1901), p. 84.

The S1s entered production, says OS Nock (Locomotives of the North Eastern, 1954), because the S class "was not shaping as well as had been hoped." One change was the adoption of 8 3/4" piston valves. Nock acknowledges that "in favourable conditions, [this class] proved very free runners." Initially, they handled the expresses traveling between York and Edinburgh. They were meant to run a 124 1/2"-mile stage nonstop at an average of 53 mph whilst trailing 350-375 tons.

[] (visited November 2002) says they were superheated in 1913-1917; see Locobase 3531. Their retirement in 1929-1931 at a relatively early age may have been due to the small class size.

Class S1/B14 -- superheated (Locobase 3531)

Data from LNER B14 class ([]) and Richard Marsden's LNER Encyclopedia ([], visited 26 September 2004).

Superheated as part of the NER's wartime upgrade, these S1 express engines (Locobase 3523) seem to have been modified more than most of the other classes in the program. The boiler was shortened and the diameter of the tubes reduced, which suggests a snug fit for the 18-element Schmidt superheater.

Class S2/B15 (Locobase 6305)

Data from Richard Marsden's LNER Encyclopedia ([], visited 26 Sept 2004. See also "North Eastern Railway", Locomotive Magazine, Volume XVIII [18], No 240 (15 August 1912), p. 160; and "NER Class 'S2' Superheater Engines - 4-6-0 Type", LM, Volume XIX [19] (15 January 1913), p. 14.

One of the first Vincent Raven designs after he assumed command of the NER's locomotive construction, this was, in Richard Marsden's words, a transitional design. Although it pointed the way with a larger-diameter boiler, the design had two pistons, each with a relatively small 8 3/4" (222 mm) piston valve. The first seven were delivered as saturated engines, but were later superheated.

Because the S3s with their three-cylinder layout were soon adopted, only 20 of these S2s were built. Their 1913 duties included an express run with luncheon car as part of a 350 ton train from Newcastle to Liverpool, which averaged 51 mph (82 kph). The "Scotch Goods" train left York at 3:50 pm. Its consist could total 80 loaded wagons of 10 tons each from York to Darlington and 50 loaded wagons (500 tons) fromDarlington to Newcastle. Its arrival at the last city at 7:33 established a 30 mph (48 kph) average speed.

All those then fitted with Schmidt superheaters were modified with the Robinson layout implied in the specifications in the 1920s. At that time the class was employed in freight traffic and continued in that service until after World War II when all were retired by 1947.

Class S3 / B16 (Locobase 2343)

Data from Ahrons (1927) and John S Maclean, Locomotives of the North Eastern, 1841-1922 (London: Locomotive Publishing Company, 1922), p. 115. See also Richard Marsden's excellent LNER Encyclopedia ([], accessed 2 September 2005)

Designed by Vincent Raven, this main line goods locomotive's cast group of three cylinders drove on the front axle. The design was similar to the T3 0-8-0s designed in the same year and were, says OS Nock (Locos. of the NER, 1954), "another thoroughly successful design".)

Marsden gives a smaller area for the superheater of 392 sq ft (36.42 sq m). The value given in the specs comes from Ahrons' table and is that of the T3s mentioned above.

[] (visited November 2002) says the North Eastern built 38 beginning in 1919 and the LNER added 32 more.

In the LNER, the engines were classed B16. When rebuilt as B16/2, the engines had outside Walschaerts and inside Gresley gear, a new cab and running plate.rebuilt in 1939-40 (no.s 846, 926, 1372, 2366 and 2367). Still later Edward Thompson (1944-1949) rebuilt 17 locomotives that drove all three cylinders withWalschaert valve gear (see Locobase 5201) . All B16s were retired in 1962-1964.

Class W/Whitby Willies (Locobase 2318)

Data from "Six-Coupled Bogie Tank Locomotives, NER", The Locomotive Magazine, Vol XV (15 May 1908), p. 80.

Wilson Worsdell design of an inside-cylinder tank engine. It was fitted with piston valves, variable blast pipe and ash ejector

Richard Marsden's LNER Encyclopedia ([] (23 Oct 2004)) says they were immediately successful and were known for their pulling power. See also Railway Engineer, December 1908, 388.

They worked the Leeds District first while the railway strengthened bridges and other structures on the challenging Whitby-Scarborough section for which they were designed. As the LM report noted, "The employment of bogie engines on that section, which is built with a constant succession of sharp curves, is practically imperative."

They were converted to 4-6-2Ts in 1914-1917 (see Locobase 6323).