L&YR Class 8

Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Class 8 (first batch)
Type and origin
Power type Steam
Designer George Hughes
Build date 1908–1909
Total produced 20
Specifications
Configuration 4-6-0
UIC classification 2'C
Gauge 4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm)
Driver diameter 6 ft 3 in (1.905 m)
Locomotive weight 77.05 long tons (78.29 t)
Boiler pressure 180 psi (1.24 MPa)
Cylinders Four
Cylinder size 16 in × 26 in (406 mm × 660 mm)
Valve gear Joy
Performance figures
Tractive effort 23,165 lbf (103.0 kN)
Train brakes Vacuum
Career
Operator(s) L&YR, LMS
Class L&YR: 8
Power class LMS: 3P
Number(s) L&YR: 1506–1525
LMS:10400–10419
Withdrawn 1925–1926
Disposition 15 rebuilt 1919–1920, remainder scrapped
Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Class 8 (second batch)
Type and origin
Only items that differ are shown below
Power type Steam
Builder Horwich Works
Order number LMS Lot No. 1
Build date 1919–1925
Total produced 15 rebuilt from first batch,
55 new
Specifications
Driver diameter 6 ft 3 in (1.905 m)
Locomotive weight 79.05 long tons (80.32 t)
Cylinders Four
Cylinder size 16.5 in × 26 in (419 mm × 660 mm) or 15.75 in × 26 in (400 mm × 660 mm)
Valve gear Walschaers
Performance figures
Tractive effort 28,880 lbf (128.5 kN) or 26,315 lbf (117.1 kN)
Train brakes Vacuum
Career
Operator(s) L&YR, LMS
Power class LMS: 5P
Number(s) L&YR: 1506-1525 (excl 1507/8, 1512/3, 1515), 1649–1683
LMS:10405–10474
Withdrawn 1934–1951
Disposition All scrapped

The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway class 8 was a four-cylinder 4-6-0 express passenger locomotive designed by George Hughes in 1908. These original locomotives were described as “poor performers” . They suffered coal consumption as high as 100 pounds per mile plus mechanical problems causing very poor reliability. Around the time of their construction, they were nicknamed "Dreadnoughts" on account of their large size, after the then-new Royal Navy battleship HMS Dreadnought.

Rebuilding

As designed, they were fitted with Joy valve gear. In 1919–20, fifteen were rebuilt with Walschaerts valve gear and slightly larger cylinders, with piston valves instead of slide valves, and with superheating. The nominal tractive effort of the rebuilds was 28,879 lbs which made these engines for a time the most powerful in Great Britain until 1922 when the Gresley pacifics appeared. The rebuilt locomotives were reported to be "a good workmanlike engine"[1] and "an engine thoroughly master of its work",[2] although still with a coal consumption on the heavy side.

New locomotives

Fourteen more of these Walschaerts valve gear locomotives were built before grouping, and a further 41 after the creation of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. The last 20 of these were originally part of the 30-locomotive order for the related L&YR Hughes 4-6-4T.

Compound conversion

No 10456 was converted to a 4-cylinder compound in July 1926

Withdrawal

The relatively early withdrawal of most units must be considered in the context that the LMS inherited 393 different locomotive classes at Grouping, and LMS chairman Sir Josiah Stamp thought it desirable to reduce this to just 10 classes.[3]

Notes

  1. Nock 1969, p. 149.
  2. Mason 1975, p. 80.
  3. Hunt et al. 2006, p. 80.

References