NER Class Y explained

NER Class Y
LNER Class A7
Powertype:Steam
Designer:Wilson Worsdell
Builder:Darlington Works
Builddate:October 1910 – June 1911
Totalproduction:20
Whytetype:4-6-2T
Uicclass:2′C1′ n3t, later 2′C1′ h3t
Leadingdiameter:3feet
Coupleddiameter:4feet
Trailingdiameter:3feet
Wheelbase:34feet
Length:43feet
Axleload:19.5LT
Weightondrivers:55.5LT
Locoweight:87.5LT
Fueltype:Coal
Fuelcap:5LT
Watercap:2300impgal
Boilerpressure:160to
Cylindercount:Three
Cylindersize:NaNx
Valvegear:Stephenson
Valvetype:NaN0NaN0 piston valves
Tractiveeffort:26140to
Powerclass:BR: 5F, 3F from May 1953
Axleloadclass:LNER/BR: Route availability: 7
Withdrawndate:1951 - 1957
Disposition:All scrapped

The North Eastern Railway (NER) Class Y (LNER Class A7) 4-6-2T tank locomotives were designed whilst Wilson Worsdell was Chief Mechanical Engineer, but none were built until 1910 by which time Vincent Raven had taken over.

Overview

The Class Y locomotives were intended for hauling coal trains and were developed from the NER Class X (LNER Class T1) 4-8-0T heavy shunters. However, they had larger boilers and smaller cylinders for higher working speeds. Twenty were built in one batch and numbered between 1113 and 1195. Originally built with saturated boilers pressed to 175lbf/in2, seven locomotives were later fitted with boilers equipped with superheaters and pressed to 1602NaN2.

All twenty locomotives passed to the London and North Eastern Railway at the 1923 Grouping. The LNER left the NER's locomotive numbers unchanged, but raised the boiler pressure of the saturated locomotives to 180lbf/in2. They also fitted ten more locomotives with the 160 lbf/in2 superheated boilers that the LNER classified as diagram 55.

By the time the A7s entered LNER ownership in 1923, the A7s had been relegated to shunting in the larger marshalling yards. Their power was invaluable when shunting heavy trains over the shunting hump. In the 1930s, Nos. 1136 and 1175 were allocated to hauling chalk quarry trains from Hessle Quarry to Stoneferry Cement Works, in the Hull area.

Heavy mineral traffic declined after the end of World War II, and the A7s moved to the Hull area, except for Nos. 1181 and 1192 which stayed at Stockton. At Hull, the A7s replaced the old Hull and Barnsley Railway (H&BR) types which were being withdrawn at that time.

During LNER ownership in the 1940s, two locomotives were rebuilt with diagram 63B superheated boilers pressed to 175 lbf/in2; the locomotives were then assigned to Class A7/1.

In the LNER 1946 renumbering scheme, the class received the 9770 to 9789 block; at nationalisation in 1948 all 20 locomotives passed to British Railways they were assigned the numbers 69770–69789, although the last locomotive was withdrawn before it was renumbered.

BR continued the rebuilding scheme, dealing with another 13 locomotives, although one received a diagram 63B saturated boiler and one a diagram 63C superheated one. Both were pressed to 175 lbf/in2.

Withdrawal

The A7s were withdrawn between 1951 and 1957 and none have survived into preservation.

Fleet list

Table of locomotives! NER No. !! LNER 1942 No. !! Date built !! Date superheated !! Date rebuilt !! Date Withdrawn !! Notes
1113 9770 align=left
1114 9771 align=left
1126 9772 align=left
1129 9773 align=left
1136 9774 align=left
1170 9775 align=left
1174 9776 align=left
1175 9777 align=left
1176 9778 align=left
1179 9779 align=left
1180 9780 align=left
1181 9781 align=left
1182 9782 align=left
1183 9783 align=left
1185 9784 align=left
1190 9785 align=left
1191 9786 align=left Rebuilt with superheated dia 63C boiler
1192 9787 align=left Rebuilt with saturated dia 63B boiler
1193 9788 align=left
1195 9789 align=left Withdrawn before BR number applied

References

External links