NER Class S2 explained

Powertype:Steam
NER Class S2
LNER Class B15
Designer:Vincent Raven
Builddate:1911-1913
Withdrawndate:1937-1947
Totalproduction:20
Whytetype:4-6-0
Cylindercount:2, outside
Cylindersize:20inchesx26inchesin (xin)
Leadingdiameter:3inchesftNaNinchesin (ftin)
Driverdiameter:6inchesftNaNinchesin (ftin)
Wheelbase:26inchesftNaNinchesin (ftin) engine
12inchesft8inchesin (ftin) tender
50inchesftNaNinchesin (ftin) total
Locoweight:71.1LT
Tenderweight:44LT
Locotenderweight:115.1LT
Axleload:19.4LT
Boiler:5inchesft6inchesin (ftin)
Boilerpressure:175psi
Totalsurface:1730square feet
Firearea:23square feet
Fireboxarea:140square feet
Tubearea:723square feet
Fluearea:506square feet
Superheaterarea:361square feet
Tractiveeffort:21115lbf
Valvegear:Stephenson
Operator:North Eastern Railway, London and North Eastern Railway
Fleetnumbers:NER: 782, 786-788, 791, 795-799, 813, 815, 817, 819-825
LNER (1946): 1691-1698
Disposition:All scrapped

The North Eastern Railway Class S2 - London and North Eastern Railway Class B15 - was a mixed-traffic 4-6-0 steam locomotive designed by Vincent Raven. The design was based on NER Class S.

Superheaters

The first seven were built with saturated (non-superheated) boilers, however the remaining thirteen were fitted with Robinson 24-element superheaters. The saturated B15s were eventually fitted with superheaters. Some of these rebuilds used Schmidt superheaters, however they were eventually converted to use Robinson superheaters, as Robinson superheaters were the LNER’s standard type of superheaters.

Stumpf Uniflow variant

The last of the class, No.825 was fitted with Stumpf Uniflow cylinders. The inlet and exhaust ports were separate. Although the exhaust port was always the same size, the inlet port could vary in size according to the position of the cutoff. In 1918, the system was used on C7 No.2212, with a tidier result. Due to the special attention required for these experimental locomotives, in March 1924, the locomotive was rebuilt as a standard B15, matching the other members.

Performance

Although they were used on their suitable work, they steamed poorly if handled with crew who wasn’t used to the B15s (which also affected the B13s), and thus they were unpopular with crew who didn’t have enough experience on the B15s.

Accidents and incidents

Withdrawal

Withdrawal commenced with No.788 in September 1937, and all were gone by December 1947, with the last being No.1696 (NER No.820). None were preserved.[2]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Hoole, Ken . Ken Hoole

    . Ken Hoole . Trains in Trouble: Vol. 3 . 1982 . Atlantic Books . Redruth . 0-906899-05-2 . 24 .

  2. Web site: NER/LNER Raven "B16" Class 4-6-0 . BRDatabase .