The NER Class L was a class of 0-6-0T 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...

s of the North Eastern Railway

North Eastern Railway (UK)

The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...

. They were a specialised design, intended for use on the Redheugh and Quayside banks on either side of the River Tyne

River Tyne

The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...

. They were replaced on the Quayside branch by NER Class ES1 electric locomotive

Electric locomotive

An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...

s in 1905 but were re-allocated to other duties.

Overview

The Class L was Wilson Worsdell

Wilson Worsdell

Wilson Worsdell was a British locomotive engineer who was locomotive superintendent of the North Eastern Railway from 1890 to 1910. He was the younger brother of T.W. Worsdell.-Family:...

's first design for the NER. Unusually for a Wilson Worsdell design, they were fitted with Joy valve gear

Joy Valve Gear

Joy valve gear is a type of locomotive valve gear, patented in 1870, where the movement is derived from a vertical link connected to the connecting rod. The vertical movement is translated into the horizontal movement required by the valve spindle by a die block moving in a slide which can be...

 instead of the Stephenson valve gear

Stephenson valve gear

The Stephenson valve gear or Stephenson link or shifting link is a simple design of valve gear that was widely used throughout the world for all kinds of steam engine. It is named after Robert Stephenson but was actually invented by his employees....

 fitted to his later locomotives.

British Railways

All 10 locomotives survived into British Railways ownership in 1948 and their BR numbers were 68355-68364. They were all withdrawn between 1955 and 1960 and none is preserved.