Gresley 01/03 2-8-0

[paulmblythe]

I have been scouring google for photos of the original gresley 01 (later 03). They where a 2 cylinder 2-8-0 similar to the more well known 3 cylinder 02. Other than the obvious place of yeadons register volume 9 does anyone know of any photos of these locos. I'm particularly interested to see if they ever received they're allocated br numbers and livery as they where withdrawn quite quickly by br. Many thanks paul

[kudu]

For photos I can recommend a very good website - lner.info! But it doesn't answer your query re BR nos. I've consulted Baxter (British Loco Catalogue), which reports that 16 of the 17 survivors did get BR numbers, the exception being GN no 471, allocated BR no 63489. The others received their numbers between March 1948 and June 1950.

Kudu

[paulmblythe]

Thank you

I have managed to find a couple of photos on transport library. One of 63478 with lner style bufferbeam numbers and british railways wording on the tender and another of 63484 with the early br totem on the tender. Searching for any combination of gresley 01 03 or 2-8-0 brought nonresults but typing in specific loco numbers produced the two I have found.

[strang steel]

For photos I can recommend a very good website - lner.info! But it doesn't answer your query re BR nos. I've consulted Baxter (British Loco Catalogue), which reports that 16 of the 17 survivors did get BR numbers, the exception being GN no 471, allocated BR no 63489. The others received their numbers between March 1948 and June 1950.

Kudu

I suppose the problem was (re: photos) that the class were all withdrawn in 1951 or 1952 (with the exception of 63475 which is said to have soldiered on until some time in January 1953). I suspect that being freight locos and allocated to either Doncaster or Retford, they were not the obvious subjects for photographs - especially with the ECML pacifics emerging in a variety of different colourful liveries.

Photography was an expensive hobby back in those days, and film must have been in short supply post war, and giving unreliable results; therefore suggesting that there may not have been too many photos of the class taken in the first place, during their BR days.

[paulmblythe]

I had similar thoughts. They are almost a.forgotton class of loco. I have managed to find about half a dozen photos. Two of which are from br days. The fact they where reclassified from 01 to 03 causes a few headaches on Internet searches too. Search for lner 01 2-8-0 and you get inundated with results for Thompson rebuilds of Robinson 04's.