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LNER Class B17

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LNER Class B17
B17/6 No. 61642 Kilverstone Hall.
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerNigel Gresley
BuilderNorth British Locomotive Co. (10)
Darlington Works (52)
R. Stephenson & Co. (11)
Serial numberNBL: 23803–23812
RS: 4124–4134
Build date1928–1937
Total produced73
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-6-0
 • UIC2′C h3
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Leading dia.3 ft 2 in (0.965 m)
Driver dia.6 ft 8 in (2.032 m)
Length62 ft 2 in (18.95 m)[1]
Width8 ft 11 in (2.72 m)[2]
Height12 ft 11 in (3.94 m)[2]
Axle load18 tons
Loco weight77.25–80.5 long tons (78.49–81.79 t; 86.52–90.16 short tons)
Fuel typeCoal
Boiler:
​
 • Diameter5 ft 4.75 in (1,644.6 mm) to 5 ft 6 in (1,680 mm) outside
Boiler pressureB17/1 to B17/5: 200 psi (1.38 MPa)
B17/6: 225 psi (1.55 MPa)
Heating surface:​
 • Firebox168 sq ft (15.6 m2)[1]
 • Total surface1,676 sq ft (155.7 m2)[1]
Superheater:
​
 • Heating area344 sq ft (32.0 m2)[1]
CylindersThree
Cylinder size17+1⁄2 in × 26 in (444 mm × 660 mm)
Valve gear
Valve type8-inch (203 mm) piston valves
Performance figures
Tractive effortB17/1 to B17/5: 25,380 lbf (112.9 kN)
B17/6: 28,553 lbf (127.0 kN)
Career
OperatorsLondon and North Eastern Railway » British Railways
Power classBR: B17/1 to B17/5: 4MT; B17/6: 5P4F
NicknamesFootballers, Sandringhams
Axle load classRoute Availability 5
Withdrawn1952–1960
DispositionAll original locomotives scrapped but tender of one is preserved; one new-build under construction

The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Class B17, also known as "Sandringham" or "Footballer" class was a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive designed by Nigel Gresley for hauling passenger services on the Great Eastern Main Line. In total 73 were built.

Background

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By 1926, the former GER B12 class locomotives were no longer able to cope with the heaviest express passenger trains on the Great Eastern Main Line between London and Cambridge, Ipswich and Norwich. Yet Gresley was unable to use his larger classes due to severe weight restrictions on the line. The requirement for a lightweight yet powerful 4-6-0 proved to be difficult to achieve.[3]

Design

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After several unsuccessful attempts by Doncaster Works to satisfy Gresley's specification, the contract for the detailed design and building of the class was given to the North British Locomotive Company in 1927. They used several features from a batch of A1 Pacifics they had built in 1924. The cab, cylinders, and motion had all been copied directly or slightly modified. Most of the boiler design was taken from the LNER Class K3 2-6-0 and LNER Class O2 2-8-0 designs. Darlington Works provided drawings for the bogies, and Stratford Works designs for the GE-type 3,700-imperial-gallon (17,000 L; 4,400 US gal), 4-long-ton (4.1 t) tender.[4] However, the two designs presented by the NB Loco Co. had an axle loading of 18 tons and 19 tons, respectively. The 18 ton design, being lighter, was chosen. Since it had an axle loading of 18 tons, 1 ton higher than the initial requirement of 17 tons, this meant that the B17’s route availability was “certain GER main lines” instead of the full range which was intended, although the LNER did accept the restriction.

Due to weight restrictions it proved to be impossible for all three cylinders to drive the middle coupled axle. Therefore, the design used divided drive with the middle cylinder driving the leading axle and was positioned forward above the front bogie.[5] The LNER also ordered some modifications, including an increase in cylinder size from 17 in (432 mm) to 17+1⁄2 in (444 mm), and a lengthening of the firebox by 5 in (127.0 mm) with longer frames, and lighter springs. The design continued to prove problematic and the LNER eventually cancelled a penalty clause in the original contract. The first locomotive, No. 2802 Walsingham was delivered 30 November 1928, thirteen weeks late.[6]

Construction

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Ten locomotives were built by the North British Locomotive Company (works nos. 23803-12) during November and December, which were allocated the running numbers 2800-9. Five further orders were placed with Darlington Works between December 1928 and March 1935 for a further fifty-two locomotives to be delivered between August 1930 and June 1936. A final batch of eleven were ordered from Robert Stephenson and Company in February 1936 (works nos. 4124-34) for delivery between January and July 1937; resulting in a total of 73 B17s built.

Sub-classes

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B17/2 class 4-6-0 No. 2842 'Kilverstone Hall' leaving Cambridge 1939
B17/4 No. 61661 'Sheffield Wednesday' at Stratford 12 June 1948
Streamlined B17/5 No. 2870 entering Stowmarket in 1940
B17/6 No. 61623 'Lambton Castle' at Cambridge 28 February 1951

The first ten by the North British Locomotive Company were designated B17, later B17/1. The second and third batches had boilers supplied by Armstrong Whitworth and different springing and became B17/2. The next two batches had different springing and were designated B17/3. However, as the locomotives passed through the works the original springs were replaced by those of the later design and in 1937 the three sub-classes were merged into B17/1. The final Darlington batch introduced in 1936, and those built by Robert Stephenson and Company had 4,200-imperial-gallon (19,000 L; 5,000 US gal), 7.5-long-ton (7.6 t) tenders and were intended for use in the North Eastern area of the LNER: these were designated B17/4.[6]

In September 1937 two locomotives (Nos. 2859 Norwich City and 2870 Tottenham Hotspur) were streamlined in the manner of the LNER Class A4s, renamed East Anglian and City of London and intended for use on the East Anglian train. They were designated B17/5. However, the streamlining was cladding for publicity purposes only and had little effect on the overall speed of the locomotive. By 1951 both engines had been stripped of the streamlining altogether.[7]

Between 1943 and 1957 most of the surviving members of the class were rebuilt with a LNER 100A boiler with increased pressure and were designated B17/6.

Rebuilding

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Ten B17s were rebuilt by Edward Thompson as 2-cylinder locomotives with a LNER 100A boiler, between 1945 and 1949, becoming the Class B2. No more were rebuilt because of the success of the Thompson's B1 class.

Accidents and incidents

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  • On 4 October 1929, locomotive No. 2808 Gunton was hauling an express passenger train which was in collision with a freight train at Tottenham, London after the latter had departed against a danger signal and subsequently stopped foul of a junction.[8]
  • On 15 February 1937, locomotive No. 2829 Narworth Castle was hauling a passenger train that was derailed at Sleaford North Junction, Lincolnshire due to excessive speed on a curve. Four people were killed and sixteen were injured, one seriously.[9]
  • On 10 February 1941, locomotive No. 2828 Harewood House was hauling an express passenger train that came to a halt between Harold Wood and Brentwood, Essex as it was too heavy for the locomotive. A passenger train overran signals and was in a rear-end collision with the express. Seven people were killed and seventeen were seriously injured.[10]
  • On 16 January 1944, locomotive 2868 Bradford City was hauling a train from Great Yarmouth to Liverpool Street which was hit from behind by a train from Norwich in darkness and dense fog at Ilford station. Nine people were killed and 38 injured.[11]
  • On 2 January 1947, locomotive No. 1602 Walsingham was hauling an express passenger train that overran signals and was in a rear-end collision with a local passenger train at Gidea Park, Essex. Seven people were killed and 45 were hospitalised.[12]

Summary table

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LNER
No. 		BR
No. 		Original Name (Rename(s)) Date built Date rebuilt Rebuilt
as 		Date
withdrawn 		Notes
2800 61600 Sandringham December 1928 June 1950 B17/6 July 1958
2801 61601 Holkham December 1928 — — January 1958
2802 61602 Walsingham November 1928 October 1951 B17/6 January 1958
2803 61603 Framlingham December 1928 October 1946 B2 September 1958
2804 61604 Elveden December 1928 November 1951 B17/6 August 1953
2805 61605 Burnham Thorpe
(Lincolnshire Regiment from April 1938) 		December 1928 January 1948 B17/6 May 1958
2806 61606 Audley End December 1928 March 1950 B17/6 September 1958
2807 61607 Blickling December 1928 May 1947 B2 December 1959
2808 61608 Gunton December 1928 October 1950 B17/6 March 1960
2809 61609 Quidenham December 1928 January 1952 B17/6 June 1958
2810 61610 Honingham Hall August 1930 October 1953 B17/6 January 1960
2811 61611 Raynham Hall August 1930 February 1956 B17/6 October 1959
2812 61612 Houghton Hall October 1930 March 1950 B17/6 September 1959
2813 61613 Woodbastwick Hall October 1930 December 1951 B17/6 December 1959
2814 61614 Castle Hedingham October 1930 November 1946 B2 June 1959
2815 61615 Culford Hall October 1930 April 1946 B2 February 1959
2816 61616 Fallodon October 1930 November 1945 B2 September 1959
2817 61617 Ford Castle November 1930 December 1946 B2 August 1958
2818 61618 Wynyard Park November 1930 April 1958 B17/6 January 1960
2819 61619 Welbeck Abbey November 1930 January 1953 B17/6 September 1958
2820 61620 Clumber November 1930 December 1951 B17/6 January 1960
2821 61621 Hatfield House November 1930 January 1955 B17/6 November 1958
2822 61622 Alnwick Castle January 1931 October 1943 B17/6 September 1958
2823 61623 Lambton Castle February 1931 April 1948 B17/6 July 1959
2824 61624 Lumley Castle February 1931 — — March 1953
2825 61625 Raby Castle February 1931 — — December 1959
2826 61626 Brancepeth Castle March 1931 April 1955 B17/6 January 1960
2827 61627 Aske Hall March 1931 November 1948 B17/6 July 1959
2828 61628 Harewood House March 1931 December 1948 B17/6 September 1952 First to be withdrawn
2829 61629 Naworth Castle April 1931 — — September 1959
2830 61630 Thoresby Park
(Tottenham Hotspur from January 1938) 		April 1931 December 1948 B17/6 August 1958
2831 61631 Serlby Hall May 1931 October 1957 B17/6 April 1959
2832 Belvoir Castle
(Royal Sovereign from September 1958) 		May 1931 June 1947 B2 February 1959
2833 61633 Kimbolton Castle May 1931 August 1948 B17/6 September 1959
2834 61634 Hinchingbrooke June 1931 January 1957 B17/6 August 1958
2835 61635 Milton July 1931 January 1949 B17/6 January 1959
2836 61636 Harlaxton Manor July 1931 May 1950 B17/6 October 1959
2837 61637 Thorpe Hall March 1933 November 1957 B17/6 September 1959
2838 61638 Melton Hall March 1933 December 1948 B17/6 March 1958
2839 61639 Rendlesham Hall
(Norwich City from January 1938) 		May 1933 January 1946 B2 May 1959
2840 61640 Somerleyton Hall May 1933 May 1955 B17/6 November 1958
2841 61641 Gayton Hall May 1933 February 1949 B17/6 January 1960
2842 61642 Kilverstone Hall May 1933 January 1949 B17/6 September 1958
2843 61643 Champion Lodge May 1935 October 1954 B17/6 July 1958
2844 61644 Earlham Hall May 1935 March 1949 B2 February 1959
2845 61645 The Suffolk Regiment June 1935 December 1952 B17/6 February 1959
2846 61646 Gilwell Park August 1935 February 1951 B17/6 January 1959
2847 61647 Helmingham Hall September 1935 February 1958 B17/6 November 1959 Hauled the funeral train of King George V from Wolferton to King's Cross on 23 January 1936.[13]
2848 61648 Arsenal March 1936 October 1957 B17/6 December 1958
2849 61649 Sheffield United March 1936 March 1954 B17/6 February 1959
2850 61650 Grimsby Town March 1936 February 1955 B17/6 September 1958
2851 61651 Derby County March 1936 June 1953 B17/6 August 1959
2852 61652 Darlington April 1936 March 1948 B17/6 September 1959
2853 61653 Huddersfield Town April 1936 May 1954 B17/6 January 1960
2854 61654 Sunderland April 1936 April 1948 B17/6 November 1959
2855 61655 Middlesbrough April 1936 July 1950 B17/6 April 1959
2856 61656 Leeds United May 1936 November 1953 B17/6 January 1960
2857 61657 Doncaster Rovers May 1936 October 1950 B17/6 June 1960
2858 61658 Newcastle United
(The Essex Regiment from June 1936) 		May 1936 September 1950 B17/6 December 1959
2859 61659 Norwich City
(East Anglian from September 1937) 		June 1936 July 1949 B17/6 March 1960
2860 61660 Hull City June 1936 — — June 1960
2861 61661 Sheffield Wednesday June 1936 August 1955 B17/6 July 1959
2862 61662 Manchester United January 1937 March 1955 B17/6 December 1959
2863 61663 Everton February 1937 November 1951 B17/6 February 1960
2864 61664 Liverpool January 1937 October 1943 B17/6 June 1960
2865 61665 Leicester City January 1937 August 1949 B17/6 April 1959
2866 61666 Nottingham Forest February 1937 December 1947 B17/6 March 1960
2867 61667 Bradford April 1937 — — June 1958
2868 61668 Bradford City April 1937 June 1949 B17/6 August 1960 Last to be withdrawn
2869 61669 Barnsley May 1937 September 1949 B17/6 September 1958
2870 61670 Manchester City
(Tottenham Hotspur from May 1937)
(City of London from September 1937) 		May 1937 April 1951 B17/6 April 1960
2871 61671 Manchester City
(Royal Sovereign from April 1946) 		June 1937 August 1948 B2 September 1958
2872 61672 West Ham United July 1937 September 1950 B17/6 March 1960
*2873 61673 Spirit of Sandringham - - - - Newbuild member of the class.

Preservation and revival

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Among enthusiasts, the class was referred to as "footballers" as several members were named after football clubs. None of the class have survived into preservation but a few of the football clubs the locomotives were named after were presented with the nameplates after the locomotives themselves were cut up.

An operational locomotive being developed by the B17 Steam Locomotive Trust will become the newest member of the class, 61673 Spirit of Sandringham.[14] The frames of a Great Eastern Railway tender, fitted with an original axle from 61602 'Walsingham', and a LNER tender have been secured for the project. A static chassis for the locomotive has been constructed at Llangollen Railway Engineering Services.[15] Fundraising for the driving wheels is ongoing with three fully funded through the 'Put a Spoke in My Wheel' campaign. In October 2020 the project relocated to CTL Seal's premises in Sheffield, with the chassis moving from Llangollen and the tenders from the Mid-Norfolk Railway.[16]

The North British Locomotive Preservation Group were engaged in a project to build a non-operational LNER Class B17 4-6-0 replica, named after a football club, 61662 Manchester United.[17] By May 2019, many parts of the locomotive were being fixed together for display at the groups Mizens Railway base.[18] In time, they intended to develop the replica into an operational locomotive,[19] but in November 2020 they announced that the project was being terminated, with re-usable components, including the original tender, being donated to the B17 Steam Locomotive Trust.[20]

Modelling

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Having previously produced tender drive OO gauge models of the "Footballer"-spec B17s, Hornby Railways released an all-new locomotive drive model of the B17 in 2013, available in both B17/1 and B17/6 subclasses with either the small GER-region tender or the larger LNER group standard 4200 gallon tender.[21][22]

Dapol manufacture a model of a B17 in British N gauge, which was awarded Steam Model Railway Locomotive of the year for N gauge.[23]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Boddy et al. 1975, p. 96.
  2. ^ a b Haresnape 1981, p. 96.
  3. ^ Boddy et al. 1975, pp. 93–94
  4. ^ Boddy et al. 1975, p. 94
  5. ^ Boddy et al. 1975, pp. 95, 122
  6. ^ a b Boddy et al. 1975, pp. 94–95, 122
  7. ^ Boddy et al. 1975, pp. 95, 123
  8. ^ Earnshaw 1990, p. 16.
  9. ^ Earnshaw 1991, p. 26.
  10. ^ Earnshaw 1991, p. 28.
  11. ^ "Report on the Accident at Ilford on 16th January 1944" (PDF). Ministry of War Transport. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  12. ^ Earnshaw 1991, p. 30.
  13. ^ "Workings of Royal Special Trains in connection with the Funeral of the late King". The Locomotive Magazine and Railway Carriage and Wagon Review. 42 (522): 42–43. 15 February 1936. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
  14. ^ B17 Steam Locomotive Trust, accessed 13 December 2013
  15. ^ 61673 Design and Manufacturing Progress Report Autumn 2018
  16. ^ THE BIG MOVE – relocating 61673 ‘Spirit of Sandringham’ - 27th August 2020
  17. ^ "Engine 61662 Appeal - Home Page". www.engine61662appeal.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2 October 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  18. ^ http://www.engine61662appeal.co.uk/news_updates/2019/may_19.pdf Archived 22 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine May 2019 News, 61662
  19. ^ http://www.engine61662appeal.co.uk/mainline.html[permanent dead link] Main Line Steam Today, 61662
  20. ^ "End of the line for Manchester United steam locomotive". RailAdvent. 11 November 2020.
  21. ^ "Reviews: Hornby's Gresley 'B17' 4-6-0 arrives!". Hornby Magazine. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  22. ^ Jones, Ben (February 2013). "Hornby LNER 'B17' 4-6-0". Model Rail. No. 178. Peterborough: Bauer. pp. 18–21. ISSN 1369-5118. OCLC 173324502.
  23. ^ "B17 N gauge steam loco of the year". Dapol. Retrieved 16 March 2012.
Sources
  • Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Platt, E. N. T.; Proud, P.; Yeadon, W. B. (March 1975). Fry, E. V. (ed.). Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 2B: Tender Engines—Classes B1 to B19. Lincoln: RCTS. ISBN 0-901115-73-8.
  • Earnshaw, Alan (1990). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 6. Penryn: Atlantic Books. ISBN 0-906899-37-0.
  • Earnshaw, Alan (1991). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 7. Penryn: Atlantic Books. ISBN 0-906899-50-8.
  • Haresnape, Brian (October 1981). Gresley Locomotives: A Pictorial History. Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0892-2. DX/1081.
  • Yeadon, Willie (1993). Yeadon's Register of LNER Locomotives Vol.5: Gresley B17 and Thompson B2 Classes. Irwell Press.

Further reading

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  • Green-Hughes, Evan (January 2013). "The Gresley 'B17'". Hornby Magazine. No. 67. Hersham: Ian Allan Publishing. pp. 82–85. ISSN 1753-2469. OCLC 226087101.
[edit]
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