BR standard class 7
Encyclopedia
The BR Standard Class 7, otherwise known as the Britannia Class, is a class of 4-6-2 Pacific
steam locomotive
designed by Robert Riddles
for use by British Railways for mixed traffic duties. Fifty-five were constructed between 1951 and 1954. The design was a result of the 1948 locomotive exchanges undertaken in advance of further locomotive classes being constructed. Three batches were constructed at Crewe Works, before the publication of the 1955 Modernisation Plan.
The Britannia Class was based on several previous locomotive designs, incorporating the best practices in locomotive technology as regards labour-saving and lowering maintenance costs; various weight-saving measures also increased the route availability
of a Pacific-type locomotive on the British Railways network. The Britannias received a positive reception from their crews, with those regularly operating the locomotives giving them favourable reports as regards performance. However, trials in some areas of the British Railway network returned negative feedback, primarily due to indifferent operation of the locomotive, with its effects on adhering to timetables.
The Britannias took their names from great Britons, former Star Class
locomotives, and Scottish firths. The class remained in service until the last was withdrawn in 1968. Two survived into preservation, the first-of-class, number 70000 Britannia
, and 70013 Oliver Cromwell
. Number 70000 has hauled mainline excursions and 70013, after a period of display following limited steaming, returned to mainline steam in 2008 for the first time since leaving British Railways ownership.
, LMS
, LNER
and Southern
railways on different areas of the British Railways network paved the way for several new classes of standardised locomotives to be constructed. These new locomotive designs were intended to replace some of the ageing designs inherited by British Railways.
The new classes were designed by Robert Riddles, who had previously designed the WD Austerity 2-8-0
and WD Austerity 2-10-0
locomotives for wartime use. The first design requested by the Railway Executive was for a new express passenger "Pacific
" locomotive, designed specifically to reduce maintenance and using the latest available innovations in steam technology from home and abroad. Various labour-saving devices were utilised to produce a simple, standard and effective design, able to produce equivalent power to some of the "Pacifics" that were still available as legacies of the Big Four.
and trailing wheel of the Merchant Navy Class
, while weight was kept within the margins laid down by the Light Pacifics, all of which were designed by Oliver Bulleid
. The firebox was also similar in having a rocking grate, which allowed the fire to be rebuilt without stopping the locomotive, removing both ash and clinker on the move. A self-cleaning smokebox
was used, which enabled ash to flow into the atmosphere, reducing the workload of the engine cleaner at the end of a working day. A single chimney was placed on top of the smokebox, which was unusual for a "Pacific" type of locomotive. This was because the blastpipe
was designed by S.O. Ell at Swindon Works
, who claimed that "better results could be obtained from a well-designed single chimney than some of the previous double chimney arrangements". The "Britannias" had 6 in 2 in (1.88 m) driving wheels, a compromise that took into account the intended mixed-traffic role they were designed for. This meant that they were large enough for sustained fast running with heavy passenger trains, yet small enough to allow them to undertake more mundane tasks such as freight haulage.
The design also featured raised running plates above the wheels, which allowed easy access to the inside of the frames for purposes of lubrication. The lack of wheel splashers on this running plate also reduced the risk of the bearings overheating, by allowing more air to flow around the axles when at speed. Wheel splashers were used on older locomotive designs to box-in the top portion of the driving wheels for aesthetic reasons, and to prevent water and dirt from being thrown at the cab windows. The "Britannnias'" footplate
was designed around the requirements of the operating crews, with a mock-up being constructed at Crewe to test ergonomics and usability. For ease of maintenance, availability of spare parts and increased reliability, two sets of Walschaerts valve gear were used, along with the largest cylinders capable of staying within the British loading gauge
. The "inside" cylinders located between the frames of a three- or four-cylindered locomotive are difficult to access for maintenance; the two-cylinder design of the Class 7 – with all the valve gear on the outside – avoided these maintenance problems. Boiler 'plumbing' was also generally exposed to maintain ease of access.
Following experience of occasional cracks appearing near the spring brackets had one or more further batches of Class 7 Standard Pacifics been built to complete the intended 91 engines the chassis' would have been rearranged to be similar to that used on the solitary Class 8 Standard Pacific and that drawn up by Derby Drawing Office for the 2nd batch of Class 6 Standard Pacifics. This would have resulted in the locomotive riding on cast steel "sub-frames" carrying the spring brackets.
Unlike the smaller BR Standards the exhaust steam manifold within the smokebox saddle (along with the BR Standard Class 6 engines) was a steel casting.
, the new class was constructed at British Railways' Crewe Works
between 1951 and 1954. The initial order was for 25 locomotives, but such was the demand for the Britannias on the Eastern Region that more were rushed through construction before the teething problems had been ironed out on the prototypes. In total, 55 members of the class were constructed over three batches at Crewe Works, where each was given improvements to improve reliability and efficiency, and to overcome flaws with the original design.
Problems with the class were experienced immediately, with the first 25 locomotives being withdrawn in October 1951 after several complaints were received from crews regarding the driving wheels shifting on their axles. They were subsequently modified, and released back into revenue-earning service. Initially the return cranks on the main driving wheels were of LNER block type, as seen on Arthur Peppercorn
's A1s
and A2s
, but this was changed to the simpler LMS
four-stud fitting. This was the result of a problem of overheating bearings within the cranks, and difficulty in removing the LNER-type casings. 70035–70039 were built with roller bearings on the leading and trailing coupled axles only and plain bearings on the remaining axles, whilst 70040–70049 were built with plain bearings throughout. However throughout their service the roller bearings used in remaining cases showed no advantage in reliability or cost.
Locomotive tenders
were also changed as new, improved designs became available. Some examples of the second batch (70025–70029) were equipped with the BR1A tender, which had a higher water capacity of 5,000 gallons. Members of the third batch (70045–70054) were equipped with another tender design, the BR1D, which had 9 tons of coal and 4,750 gallons of water, due to the fact that they were intended for use on longer runs in the north of the railway network. This tender design also featured a steam-powered coal pusher, which eliminated the need for crew members to mount the tender to pull forward coal when the locomotive was at a stop.
No. 70045 was fitted with LMS-style oval buffers in the course of repairs after collision damage (see photograph).
On 21 January 1960, the Settle rail crash
, which cost the lives of five passengers, was caused when the piston rod, cross-head and connecting rod of No. 70052 came loose and damaged the opposite line as a freight train was approaching. The locomotive of the freight train was derailed towards 70052's train and tore out the sides of three passenger coaches. Part of the slide assembly was redesigned, and was fitted as the locomotives were routinely "shopped".
with Derek Barrie as chairman.
The Committee set itself several rules and over the years developed many practices. The names had to be euphonious - they had to have a pleasant sound. Also, their meaning had to be readily apparent to anyone interested, whether railwayman or member of the public. There had to be good publicity value in the names as well as providing good morale for the staff, and the collection of names for a class had to provide some form of class identity. Another rule was not to use names of people who were still alive at the time, and some on the Committee had a strong dislike of names or associations with the military (largely because they were fed-up with the recently ended war). There was a preference for names of heros and other well-known people. However, slavishly following a single theme to an absurd extent was discouraged.
The name that was to be bestowed on the first class member caused great debate on the Committee and the wider executive of British Railways. However noted enthusiast Bishop
Eric Treacy
suggested the name "Britannia". This set the general theme of the naming process, which featured great Britons, although several deviations from the theme were allowed. These exceptions were allocated to those that operated on the Western Region, which were given names of former Star Class
locomotives, and those of the Scottish Region, which were granted the names of the various Scottish firths. The locomotive naming ceremonies were carried out at various railway stations around the British Railways network. No. 70047 was never named.
of 1955.
For this reason, the Western Region locomotive depots at Old Oak Common
and Plymouth Laira
declared that the class was surplus to requirements. However Cardiff Canton depot
displayed its liking for the class (despite being part of the former GWR empire) and managed to obtain good results on South Wales
passenger traffic.
The Midland Region also had favourable reports, but a marked consistency in losing time on the longer runs between Holyhead
and Euston
was recorded, although all complaints were down to the individual techniques of the operating crews. This was compounded by the irregular allocation of the class to depots all over the network, meaning that few crews ever had a great deal of experience in driving them. The Southern Region also had an allocation of seven in May 1953, when all Merchant Navy Class locomotives were temporarily withdrawn for inspection after 35020 "Bibby Line" sheared a crank axle on the central driving wheel.
Repairs to the class were undertaken at Crewe, Swindon and Doncaster Works
until the financial constraints of the British Railways Modernisation Plan in terms of expenditure on steam began to preclude the regular overhaul of locomotives. During the mid-1960s overhauls were carried out exclusively at Crewe Works. The first locomotive to be withdrawn from service was number 70007 "Coeur-de-Lion" in 1965, and the entire class was gradually transferred to Carlisle Kingmoor and Glasgow
Polmadie depots as steam was displaced by the dieselisation of British Railways. A succession of bulk withdrawals began in 1967, and the last, of number 70013 "Oliver Cromwell", took place in 1968, at the very end of steam operation in Britain. Subsequently that locomotive was selected to represent the class in the National Collection
. Only 70000 "Britannia", which was privately preserved, saw main line service during the preservation era – until 2008, when 70013 "Oliver Cromwell"'s restoration was completed, and she worked part of the "15 Guinea Special" – a special train run to commemorate the final BR steam working in 1968. 70013 is now to be found operating main line railtours over the Network Rail system.
nameplates with an initial black background, followed by red, located on the smoke deflectors
. Towards the end of steam plain green livery was substituted, with the touching-up of existing paintwork being preferred to full aesthetic overhaul.
, and 70013 Oliver Cromwell
. Number 70000 was originally selected to represent the class in the embryonic form of the future National Railway Museum, but she was ultimately rejected due to the poor mechanical condition the locomotive was in. As a result 70013 was eventually selected to represent the class for the benefit of future generations. However, 70000 had been purchased privately from British Railways by the Britannia Locomotive Group, therefore ensuring that the doyen of the class was to survive into the preservation era. Subsequently utilised on mainline railtours, the locomotive was out of use in the late 1990s, requiring work to bring it back to steam; it was eventually sold to Pete Waterman
and stored at Crewe. After a spell in storage on the Bressingham Steam Museum in Diss
, Norfolk
, 70013 was moved to the Great Central Railway (preserved)
, following an ownership dispute between Bressingham and the National Railway Museum. The locomotive returned to steam in May 2008 on the Great Central Railway
after the readers of Steam Railway magazine contributed towards its overhaul. In July 2008 it appeared in WCRC's Open Weekend at Steamtown, Carnforth
. August saw the locomotive return to the main line. Its first turn was the 1T57 'Fifteen Guinea Special
' re-run from Manchester to Carlisle, 40 years after it performed the same duty in 1968.
4-6-2
4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
designed by Robert Riddles
Robert Riddles
Robert Arthur "Robin" Riddles, CBE, MIMechE, MinstLE was a British locomotive engineer.-LNWR and LMS:Riddles was born in 1892 and entered the Crewe Works of the London and North Western Railway as a premium apprentice in 1909, completing his apprenticeship in 1913...
for use by British Railways for mixed traffic duties. Fifty-five were constructed between 1951 and 1954. The design was a result of the 1948 locomotive exchanges undertaken in advance of further locomotive classes being constructed. Three batches were constructed at Crewe Works, before the publication of the 1955 Modernisation Plan.
The Britannia Class was based on several previous locomotive designs, incorporating the best practices in locomotive technology as regards labour-saving and lowering maintenance costs; various weight-saving measures also increased the route availability
Route availability
Route Availability is the system by which the permanent way and supporting works of the National Rail network of Great Britain are graded. All routes are allocated an RA number between 1 and 10....
of a Pacific-type locomotive on the British Railways network. The Britannias received a positive reception from their crews, with those regularly operating the locomotives giving them favourable reports as regards performance. However, trials in some areas of the British Railway network returned negative feedback, primarily due to indifferent operation of the locomotive, with its effects on adhering to timetables.
The Britannias took their names from great Britons, former Star Class
GWR 4000 Class
A Star class locomotive was a particular type of steam locomotive of the Great Western Railway. The prototype was an experimental locomotive, North Star , constructed with the 'Atlantic' 4-4-2 wheel arrangement for comparative trials with 4-cylinder compound locomotives of the de Glehn type that...
locomotives, and Scottish firths. The class remained in service until the last was withdrawn in 1968. Two survived into preservation, the first-of-class, number 70000 Britannia
BR standard class 7 70000 Britannia
British Railways standard class 7 , number 70000 Britannia is a preserved steam locomotive.-British Railways:...
, and 70013 Oliver Cromwell
BR standard class 7 70013 Oliver Cromwell
70013 Oliver Cromwell is a British Railways standard class 7 preserved steam locomotive. The locomotive is notable as one of the four steam locomotives which worked the last steam railtour on British Railways in 1968 before the introduction of a steam ban.-Career:One of 55 of the "Britannia"...
. Number 70000 has hauled mainline excursions and 70013, after a period of display following limited steaming, returned to mainline steam in 2008 for the first time since leaving British Railways ownership.
Background
Locomotive exchanges were commissioned by the fledgling British Railways (BR) during 1948, to test the best and worst aspects of locomotive design within the Big Four railway companies that had existed before nationalisation. The research gained from operating the best designs of the GWRGreat Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
, LMS
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
, LNER
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
and Southern
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
railways on different areas of the British Railways network paved the way for several new classes of standardised locomotives to be constructed. These new locomotive designs were intended to replace some of the ageing designs inherited by British Railways.
The new classes were designed by Robert Riddles, who had previously designed the WD Austerity 2-8-0
WD Austerity 2-8-0
The War Department "Austerity" 2-8-0 is a type of heavy freight steam locomotive that was introduced in 1943 for war service. A total of 935 were built.- Overview :...
and WD Austerity 2-10-0
WD Austerity 2-10-0
The War Department "Austerity" 2-10-0 is a type of heavy freight steam locomotive that was introduced during the Second World War in 1943.-Background:...
locomotives for wartime use. The first design requested by the Railway Executive was for a new express passenger "Pacific
4-6-2
4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
" locomotive, designed specifically to reduce maintenance and using the latest available innovations in steam technology from home and abroad. Various labour-saving devices were utilised to produce a simple, standard and effective design, able to produce equivalent power to some of the "Pacifics" that were still available as legacies of the Big Four.
Design features
The basic design of the "Britannias" owed much to LMS building practices, especially when considering Riddles' previous career with the said railway. However, in keeping with the necessity to follow best practice in creating standardised steam locomotives, they utilised a variation of both boilerBoiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
and trailing wheel of the Merchant Navy Class
SR Merchant Navy class
The SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
, while weight was kept within the margins laid down by the Light Pacifics, all of which were designed by Oliver Bulleid
Oliver Bulleid
Oliver Vaughan Snell Bulleid was a British railway and mechanical engineer best known as the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern Railway between 1937 and the 1948 nationalisation, developing many well-known locomotives.- Early life and Great Northern Railway :He was born in Invercargill,...
. The firebox was also similar in having a rocking grate, which allowed the fire to be rebuilt without stopping the locomotive, removing both ash and clinker on the move. A self-cleaning smokebox
Smokebox
A smokebox is one of the major basic parts of a Steam locomotive exhaust system. Smoke and hot gases pass from the firebox through tubes where they pass heat to the surrounding water in the boiler. The smoke then enters the smokebox, and is exhausted to the atmosphere through the chimney .To assist...
was used, which enabled ash to flow into the atmosphere, reducing the workload of the engine cleaner at the end of a working day. A single chimney was placed on top of the smokebox, which was unusual for a "Pacific" type of locomotive. This was because the blastpipe
Blastpipe
The blastpipe is part of the exhaust system of a steam locomotive that discharges exhaust steam from the cylinders into the smokebox beneath the chimney in order to increase the draught through the fire.- History :...
was designed by S.O. Ell at Swindon Works
Swindon Works
Swindon railway works were built by the Great Western Railway in 1841 in Swindon in the English county of Wiltshire.-History:In 1835 Parliament approved the construction of a railway between London and Bristol. Its Chief Engineer was Isambard Kingdom Brunel.From 1836, Brunel had been buying...
, who claimed that "better results could be obtained from a well-designed single chimney than some of the previous double chimney arrangements". The "Britannias" had 6 in 2 in (1.88 m) driving wheels, a compromise that took into account the intended mixed-traffic role they were designed for. This meant that they were large enough for sustained fast running with heavy passenger trains, yet small enough to allow them to undertake more mundane tasks such as freight haulage.
The design also featured raised running plates above the wheels, which allowed easy access to the inside of the frames for purposes of lubrication. The lack of wheel splashers on this running plate also reduced the risk of the bearings overheating, by allowing more air to flow around the axles when at speed. Wheel splashers were used on older locomotive designs to box-in the top portion of the driving wheels for aesthetic reasons, and to prevent water and dirt from being thrown at the cab windows. The "Britannnias'" footplate
Footplate
The footplate of a steam locomotive is a large metal plate that rests on top of the frames and is normally covered with wooden floorboards. It is usually the full width of the locomotive and extends from the front of the cab to the rear of cab or coal bunker just above the buffer beam. The...
was designed around the requirements of the operating crews, with a mock-up being constructed at Crewe to test ergonomics and usability. For ease of maintenance, availability of spare parts and increased reliability, two sets of Walschaerts valve gear were used, along with the largest cylinders capable of staying within the British loading gauge
Loading gauge
A loading gauge defines the maximum height and width for railway vehicles and their loads to ensure safe passage through bridges, tunnels and other structures...
. The "inside" cylinders located between the frames of a three- or four-cylindered locomotive are difficult to access for maintenance; the two-cylinder design of the Class 7 – with all the valve gear on the outside – avoided these maintenance problems. Boiler 'plumbing' was also generally exposed to maintain ease of access.
Following experience of occasional cracks appearing near the spring brackets had one or more further batches of Class 7 Standard Pacifics been built to complete the intended 91 engines the chassis' would have been rearranged to be similar to that used on the solitary Class 8 Standard Pacific and that drawn up by Derby Drawing Office for the 2nd batch of Class 6 Standard Pacifics. This would have resulted in the locomotive riding on cast steel "sub-frames" carrying the spring brackets.
Unlike the smaller BR Standards the exhaust steam manifold within the smokebox saddle (along with the BR Standard Class 6 engines) was a steel casting.
Construction history
Designed at British Railways' Derby WorksDerby Works
The Midland Railway Locomotive Works, known locally as "the loco" comprised a number of British manufacturing facilities in Derby building locomotives and, initially, rolling stock in Derby, UK.-Early days:...
, the new class was constructed at British Railways' Crewe Works
Crewe Works
Crewe railway works is a British railway engineering facility built in 1840 by the Grand Junction Railway. It is located in the town of Crewe, in the county of Cheshire....
between 1951 and 1954. The initial order was for 25 locomotives, but such was the demand for the Britannias on the Eastern Region that more were rushed through construction before the teething problems had been ironed out on the prototypes. In total, 55 members of the class were constructed over three batches at Crewe Works, where each was given improvements to improve reliability and efficiency, and to overcome flaws with the original design.
- First batch: 70000–70024, constructed between January and October, 1951
- Second batch: 70025–70044, constructed between September 1952 and October 1953
- Third batch: 70045–70054, constructed in 1954.
Variations and modifications
Arthur Peppercorn
Arthur Henry Peppercorn, OBE was the last Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway.- Career :...
's A1s
LNER Peppercorn Class A1
The London and North Eastern Railway Peppercorn Class A1 is a type of express passenger steam locomotive. Forty-nine original Peppercorn Class A1s were built to the design of Arthur Peppercorn during the early British Railways era, but all were scrapped with the discontinuation of steam,...
and A2s
LNER Peppercorn Class A2
The London and North Eastern Railway Peppercorn Class A2 is a class of steam locomotive designed for express passenger work by Arthur Peppercorn, the chief designer of the LNER after Edward Thompson...
, but this was changed to the simpler LMS
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
four-stud fitting. This was the result of a problem of overheating bearings within the cranks, and difficulty in removing the LNER-type casings. 70035–70039 were built with roller bearings on the leading and trailing coupled axles only and plain bearings on the remaining axles, whilst 70040–70049 were built with plain bearings throughout. However throughout their service the roller bearings used in remaining cases showed no advantage in reliability or cost.
Locomotive tenders
Tender locomotive
A tender or coal-car is a special rail vehicle hauled by a steam locomotive containing the locomotive's fuel and water. Steam locomotives consume large quantities of water compared to the quantity of fuel, so tenders are necessary to keep the locomotive running over long distances. A locomotive...
were also changed as new, improved designs became available. Some examples of the second batch (70025–70029) were equipped with the BR1A tender, which had a higher water capacity of 5,000 gallons. Members of the third batch (70045–70054) were equipped with another tender design, the BR1D, which had 9 tons of coal and 4,750 gallons of water, due to the fact that they were intended for use on longer runs in the north of the railway network. This tender design also featured a steam-powered coal pusher, which eliminated the need for crew members to mount the tender to pull forward coal when the locomotive was at a stop.
No. 70045 was fitted with LMS-style oval buffers in the course of repairs after collision damage (see photograph).
On 21 January 1960, the Settle rail crash
Settle rail crash
The Settle rail crash was a railway accident that occurred at Langcliffe near Settle on the night of 21 January 1960 in which two trains collided, killing five people and injuring eight more....
, which cost the lives of five passengers, was caused when the piston rod, cross-head and connecting rod of No. 70052 came loose and damaged the opposite line as a freight train was approaching. The locomotive of the freight train was derailed towards 70052's train and tore out the sides of three passenger coaches. Part of the slide assembly was redesigned, and was fitted as the locomotives were routinely "shopped".
Naming
From 1948 until the mid-50s, the responsibility for recommending names for locomotives on British Railways rested with a Locomotive Naming Committee of three senior railway officers, E.S. Cox, George DowGeorge Dow
George Dow joined London and North Eastern Railway as a grade five clerk at Kings Cross railway station in London, England...
with Derek Barrie as chairman.
The Committee set itself several rules and over the years developed many practices. The names had to be euphonious - they had to have a pleasant sound. Also, their meaning had to be readily apparent to anyone interested, whether railwayman or member of the public. There had to be good publicity value in the names as well as providing good morale for the staff, and the collection of names for a class had to provide some form of class identity. Another rule was not to use names of people who were still alive at the time, and some on the Committee had a strong dislike of names or associations with the military (largely because they were fed-up with the recently ended war). There was a preference for names of heros and other well-known people. However, slavishly following a single theme to an absurd extent was discouraged.
The name that was to be bestowed on the first class member caused great debate on the Committee and the wider executive of British Railways. However noted enthusiast Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Eric Treacy
Eric Treacy
The Rt Revd Eric Treacy MBE was an English railway photographer and Anglican Bishop.Born in London, Treacy was educated at Haberdashers' Aske's School and at King's College London, though he left without taking a degree...
suggested the name "Britannia". This set the general theme of the naming process, which featured great Britons, although several deviations from the theme were allowed. These exceptions were allocated to those that operated on the Western Region, which were given names of former Star Class
GWR 4000 Class
A Star class locomotive was a particular type of steam locomotive of the Great Western Railway. The prototype was an experimental locomotive, North Star , constructed with the 'Atlantic' 4-4-2 wheel arrangement for comparative trials with 4-cylinder compound locomotives of the de Glehn type that...
locomotives, and those of the Scottish Region, which were granted the names of the various Scottish firths. The locomotive naming ceremonies were carried out at various railway stations around the British Railways network. No. 70047 was never named.
Operational details
The class was well liked by crews in most regions of British Railways, with especially glowing reports from those operating them from Stratford depot on the Eastern Region, where its lower weight and high power transformed motive power over the restricted East Anglian lines. However, negative feedback was received from various operating departments, most notably on the Western Region. The criticism was primarily out of partisan preference for GWR-designed locomotive stock among Western Region staff; in particular, the class was 'left-hand drive' in contrast to 'right-hand drive' GWR locomotive and signalling practice, a factor in the Milton rail crashMilton rail crash
In the Milton rail crash a passenger train took a crossover too fast and derailed. 11 were killed, and 157 were injured.- Overview :The crash occurred at about 13:15 on Sunday 20 November 1955, at Milton, between and on the line from on the Western Region of British Railways...
of 1955.
For this reason, the Western Region locomotive depots at Old Oak Common
Old Oak Common
Old Oak Common is an area of London between Harlesden and Acton known for its railway depots, particularly Old Oak Common TMD. Further south lies an open area, Wormwood Scrubs Park, and Wormwood Scrubs prison...
and Plymouth Laira
Laira TMD
Laira TMD is a railway Traction Maintenance Depot situated in Plymouth, Devon, England. The depot is operated by First Great Western and is mainly concerned with the overhaul and daily servicing of their fleet of High Speed Trains and also the DMUs used on local services...
declared that the class was surplus to requirements. However Cardiff Canton depot
Cardiff Canton TMD
Cardiff Canton TMD is a diesel locomotive Traction Maintenance Depot which is situated in Cardiff, Wales. The depot code is CF. In steam days the depot was known as Cardiff Canton and its shed code was 86C. Originally built as the main maintenance base for the South Wales Railway, it became the...
displayed its liking for the class (despite being part of the former GWR empire) and managed to obtain good results on South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
passenger traffic.
The Midland Region also had favourable reports, but a marked consistency in losing time on the longer runs between Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
and Euston
Euston railway station
Euston railway station, also known as London Euston, is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden. It is the sixth busiest rail terminal in London . It is one of 18 railway stations managed by Network Rail, and is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line...
was recorded, although all complaints were down to the individual techniques of the operating crews. This was compounded by the irregular allocation of the class to depots all over the network, meaning that few crews ever had a great deal of experience in driving them. The Southern Region also had an allocation of seven in May 1953, when all Merchant Navy Class locomotives were temporarily withdrawn for inspection after 35020 "Bibby Line" sheared a crank axle on the central driving wheel.
Repairs to the class were undertaken at Crewe, Swindon and Doncaster Works
Doncaster Works
Doncaster railway works is in the town of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England.Always referred to as "the Plant", it was established by the Great Northern Railway in 1853, replacing the previous works in Boston and Peterborough...
until the financial constraints of the British Railways Modernisation Plan in terms of expenditure on steam began to preclude the regular overhaul of locomotives. During the mid-1960s overhauls were carried out exclusively at Crewe Works. The first locomotive to be withdrawn from service was number 70007 "Coeur-de-Lion" in 1965, and the entire class was gradually transferred to Carlisle Kingmoor and Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
Polmadie depots as steam was displaced by the dieselisation of British Railways. A succession of bulk withdrawals began in 1967, and the last, of number 70013 "Oliver Cromwell", took place in 1968, at the very end of steam operation in Britain. Subsequently that locomotive was selected to represent the class in the National Collection
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
. Only 70000 "Britannia", which was privately preserved, saw main line service during the preservation era – until 2008, when 70013 "Oliver Cromwell"'s restoration was completed, and she worked part of the "15 Guinea Special" – a special train run to commemorate the final BR steam working in 1968. 70013 is now to be found operating main line railtours over the Network Rail system.
Livery and numbering
The first member of the class was given a livery of plain black without lining; this was changed to the new standard British Railways Brunswick green that was applied to express passenger locomotives after nationalisation, despite the locomotive being classed as mixed traffic. This was lined in orange and black, and the class was given the power classification 7MT. The "Britannias" were numbered under the new British Railways standard numbering system in the 70xxx series. The locomotives were numbered between 70000 and 70054, and featured brassBrass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
nameplates with an initial black background, followed by red, located on the smoke deflectors
Smoke deflectors
Smoke deflectors are vertical plates attached to the front of a steam locomotive on each side of the smokebox. They are designed to lift smoke away from the locomotive at speed so that the driver has better visibility unimpaired by drifting smoke....
. Towards the end of steam plain green livery was substituted, with the touching-up of existing paintwork being preferred to full aesthetic overhaul.
Preservation
Two Britannias have survived, the original, number 70000 BritanniaBR standard class 7 70000 Britannia
British Railways standard class 7 , number 70000 Britannia is a preserved steam locomotive.-British Railways:...
, and 70013 Oliver Cromwell
BR standard class 7 70013 Oliver Cromwell
70013 Oliver Cromwell is a British Railways standard class 7 preserved steam locomotive. The locomotive is notable as one of the four steam locomotives which worked the last steam railtour on British Railways in 1968 before the introduction of a steam ban.-Career:One of 55 of the "Britannia"...
. Number 70000 was originally selected to represent the class in the embryonic form of the future National Railway Museum, but she was ultimately rejected due to the poor mechanical condition the locomotive was in. As a result 70013 was eventually selected to represent the class for the benefit of future generations. However, 70000 had been purchased privately from British Railways by the Britannia Locomotive Group, therefore ensuring that the doyen of the class was to survive into the preservation era. Subsequently utilised on mainline railtours, the locomotive was out of use in the late 1990s, requiring work to bring it back to steam; it was eventually sold to Pete Waterman
Pete Waterman
Peter Alan Waterman OBE is an English record producer, occasional songwriter, radio and club DJ, television presenter, president of Coventry Bears rugby league club and a keen railway enthusiast. As a member of the Stock Aitken Waterman songwriting team he wrote and produced many hit singles...
and stored at Crewe. After a spell in storage on the Bressingham Steam Museum in Diss
Diss
Diss is a town in Norfolk, England close to the border with the neighbouring East Anglian county of Suffolk.The town lies in the valley of the River Waveney, around a mere that covers . The mere is up to deep, although there is another of mud, making it one of the deepest natural inland lakes...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, 70013 was moved to the Great Central Railway (preserved)
Great Central Railway (preserved)
The Great Central Railway is a heritage railway split into two adjacent sections, one in Leicestershire and the other Nottinghamshire.The Leicestershire section is currently Britain's only double track mainline heritage railway, with of working double track, period signalling, locomotives and...
, following an ownership dispute between Bressingham and the National Railway Museum. The locomotive returned to steam in May 2008 on the Great Central Railway
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
after the readers of Steam Railway magazine contributed towards its overhaul. In July 2008 it appeared in WCRC's Open Weekend at Steamtown, Carnforth
Carnforth
- References :...
. August saw the locomotive return to the main line. Its first turn was the 1T57 'Fifteen Guinea Special
Fifteen Guinea Special
The IT57 'Fifteen Guinea Special was the last main-line passenger train to be hauled by steam locomotive power on British Railways on 11 August 1968 before the introduction of a steam ban that started the following day...
' re-run from Manchester to Carlisle, 40 years after it performed the same duty in 1968.
- For location details of the preserved locomotives, see: List of BR 'Britannia' Class locomotives
See also
- BR standard class 7 70000 BritanniaBR standard class 7 70000 BritanniaBritish Railways standard class 7 , number 70000 Britannia is a preserved steam locomotive.-British Railways:...
- BR standard class 7 70013 Oliver CromwellBR standard class 7 70013 Oliver Cromwell70013 Oliver Cromwell is a British Railways standard class 7 preserved steam locomotive. The locomotive is notable as one of the four steam locomotives which worked the last steam railtour on British Railways in 1968 before the introduction of a steam ban.-Career:One of 55 of the "Britannia"...