Steam Locomotives of a Leisurely Era – 1954 – Class 9 2-10-0 – British Railways

No.92220

This was the last of the twelve BR standard designs to appear, the first example of which came out in 1954. A large 2-10-0 engine intended in the main for heavy freight traffic, these locomotives have on occasions been used with considerable success on passenger trains, although not as a regular thing. A speed of 90 mph has been recorded on at least one occasion, an extraordinary figure for a ten-coupled engine with wheels of only 5’ 0” diameter.
In all 251 engines of this class have been turned out, Nos.92000 – 92250. The final one actually built was No.92220, which appeared from Swindon in March 1960, and was appropriately named ‘Evening Star’. This was the last new steam locomotive constructed for British Railways.
Nos.92020-9 were built experimentally with Franco-Crosti type double boilers, a peculiarity of these engines being that the chimney is only used when the locomotive is being lighted up from cold, the normal exhaust coming from a separate outlet midway along the left hand side of the boiler. No.92250 was fitted with an experimental type of chimney embodying a device known as the Giesel ejector. This has been used extensively in Austria, and is said to give remarkable results in economy of coal consumption.

No.92028, one of the Crosti boiler engines

Unfortunately this invention appeared too late on the scene to result in any appreciable prolongation of the life of the steam locomotive in this country. That it is by no means due for an early extinction, however, is shown by the fact that even when the present modernisation plan is complete there will still be at work a total of about 7000 steam engines on British Railways (1959).
Driving wheels – 5’ 0”, Cylinders (2) – 20”x 28”, Pressure – 250 lb., Tractive effort – 39760 lb., Weight – 86 tons 14 cwt (The Crosti boiler engines weigh 90 tons 4 cwt), Classification – 9F

No.92212 at Bridgnorth.  Photo by David Jackson

Steam Locomotives of a Leisurely Era – 1951 –Pacifics – British Railways

No.70024 Vulcan when new in 1951

No.70000, ‘Britannia’ which appeared early in 1951, was the first of the twelve new standard designs which British Railways planned to produce on a large scale to replace the older types inherited from the four constituent lines at Nationalisation.

No.70000 ‘Britannia’ at Purley Oaks
No.70000 ‘Britannia’; seen approaching Purley Oaks station, with ‘The Cathedrals Express’. This locomotive has just returned to mainline duties, after an absence of 14 years. Routing: Lewes-Haywards Heath-Kensington Olympia Broxbourne-Ely and return. © Copyright Peter Trimming and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

It was a 2-cylinder ‘Pacific’ and intended for all but the heaviest main line duties. In all, 55 of them were built between 1951 and 1954, Nos.70000-54.

No. 72005 ‘Clan Macgregor’ at Chester General, 29 August 1964
Chester General, unusual locomotive by Chester 3A Box, near to Hoole, Cheshire, Great Britain. View NE, with a Down freight headed by BR Clan class 6 4-6-2s, No. 72005 ‘Clan Macgregor’, one of a small class which normally worked in Scotland. License details: Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike license
In 1952 a somewhat lighter version, the ‘Clans’, consisting of ten locomotives, Nos.72000-9, were built for use in Scotland, whilst in 1954 a much more powerful 3-cylinder engine with Caprotti valve gear appeared, No.71000 ‘Duke of Gloucester’.

71000 Duke of Gloucester at Severn Valley Railway 2009 CWS

This was intended as a prototype for top link express duties, but before any more could be built the decision had been taken to concentrate on diesel and electric propulsion for the future, and it was destined to remain the only one of its class. It worked from Crewe on the LM main line, and the ‘Britannias’ were scattered over most of the six regions. These engines have done particularly well on the former Great Eastern main lines, and have enabled considerable accelerations to be made to the faster expresses, but they are gradually in 1959 being replaced by diesels.
70000 class – Driving wheels – 6’ 2”, Cylinders (2) 20”x 28”, Pressure – 250 lb., Tractive effort – 32150 lb., Weight – 94 tons, Classification – 7P6F
71000 class – Driving wheels – 6’ 2”, Cylinders (3) 18”x 28”, Pressure – 250 lb., Tractive effort – 39080 lb., Weight – 101¼ tons, Classification – 8P

72000 class – Driving wheels – 6’ 2”, Cylinders (2) 19½”x 28”, Pressure – 225 lb., Tractive effort – 27520 lb., Weight – 87 tons, Classification – 6P5F

70013 Oliver Cromwell at the Severn Valley Railway, 2009 CWS

My personal favourite – I wonder why??!!

Pic by oakparkrunner