NER Class Y
Encyclopedia
The North Eastern Railway (NER) Class Y (LNER Class A7) 4-6-2T tank locomotive
s were designed whilst Wilson Worsdell
was Chief Mechanical Engineer
, but none were built until 1910 by which time Vincent Raven
had taken over.
(LNER Class T1) 4-8-0T heavy shunters. However, they had larger boilers and smaller cylinders for higher working speeds. Some locomotives had superheater
s and 160 psi boiler pressure while others were not superheated and had 180 psi boiler pressure. The reason for this curious disparity is not known. A total of 20 locomotives were built.
By the time the A7s entered LNER ownership with Grouping
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(H&BR) types which were being withdrawn at that time.
Tank locomotive
A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon...
s were designed whilst 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:...
was Chief Mechanical Engineer
Chief Mechanical Engineer
Chief Mechanical Engineer and Locomotive Superintendent are titles applied by British, Australian, and New Zealand railway companies to the person ultimately responsible to the board of the company for the building and maintaining of the locomotives and rolling stock...
, but none were built until 1910 by which time Vincent Raven
Vincent Raven
Sir Vincent Litchfield Raven KBE was chief mechanical engineer of the North Eastern Railway from 1910 to 1922.- Biography :...
had taken over.
Overview
The Class Y locomotives were intended for hauling coal trains and were developed from the NER Class XNER Class X
The NER Class X was a class of 4-8-0T tank locomotive designed by Wilson Worsdell for the North Eastern Railway. They were intended for use as powerful shunting engines to arrange and move coal wagons for loading into ships. In total 15 were built, 10 by the NER between 1909 and 1910, and a...
(LNER Class T1) 4-8-0T heavy shunters. However, they had larger boilers and smaller cylinders for higher working speeds. Some locomotives had superheater
Superheater
A superheater is a device used to convert saturated steam or wet steam into dry steam used for power generation or processes. There are three types of superheaters namely: radiant, convection, and separately fired...
s and 160 psi boiler pressure while others were not superheated and had 180 psi boiler pressure. The reason for this curious disparity is not known. A total of 20 locomotives were built.
By the time the A7s entered LNER ownership with Grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
in 1923, the A7s had been relegated to shunting
Switcher
A switcher or shunter is a small railroad locomotive intended not for moving trains over long distances but rather for assembling trains ready for a road locomotive to take over, disassembling a train that has been...
in the larger marshalling yards
Classification yard
A classification yard or marshalling yard is a railroad yard found at some freight train stations, used to separate railroad cars on to one of several tracks. First the cars are taken to a track, sometimes called a lead or a drill...
. 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
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
area.
Heavy mineral traffic declined after the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and the A7s moved to the Hull area, except for Nos. 1181 and 1192 which stayed at Stockton
Stockton-on-Tees
Stockton-on-Tees is a market town in north east England. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Stockton-on-Tees. For ceremonial purposes, the borough is split between County Durham and North Yorkshire as it also incorporates a number of smaller towns including...
. At Hull, the A7s replaced the old Hull and Barnsley Railway
Hull and Barnsley Railway
The Hull Barnsley & West Riding Junction Railway and Dock Company was opened on 20 July 1885. It had a total projected length of 66 miles but never reached Barnsley, stopping a few miles short at Stairfoot. The name was changed to The Hull and Barnsley Railway in 1905...
(H&BR) types which were being withdrawn at that time.