LNER dock shunter, steam railcars, Sentinel, Met-Camm

[Eightpot]

The interesting thing is that although there were a lot of different Sentinels on the LNER, no drawings
appear to have survived, except a couple of magazine ones which of course we now question the accuracy of.

Paul

As Drawings Officer of the Sentinel Drivers Club I can advise that we do have General Arrangement drawings for the Y1, Y3, and (without checking) probably for the Y10 as well. Drawings cost £5 each to SDC members and £15 each to non-members. They are normally sent via email against payment.

[Danby Wiske]

Many thanks! I wasn't aware of this organisation, but I've just enjoyed exploring your website. A great resource!

[Eightpot]

Further to my original posting I can confirm that the SDC does have General Arrangement drawings for the LNER Sentinel locos. Starting with the drawing number.......

L927 (a London Office drawing) Y1 8400/BR 68130/Departmental 37, the first LNER Sentinel with the early type cab and bunker with 2' - 8-1/2" diameter boiler.

8382 Y1/1 with later cab and bunker arrangement, but still with 2' - 8-1/2" diameter boiler and single funnel/chimney as had L927 too.

11070 Generally for the remainder of the Y1 class, now fitted with the 3' - 1" diameter 25%LTS (Larger Than Standard) boiler and a double funnel/chimney.

12450 Generally covering the Y3, built with the 25%LTS boiler and double funnel/chimney.

12015 Y10 double cab-ended 200 hp locos 8147 & 8148, BR 68186 & 68187.

While writing, as far as the Railcars are concerned Sentinel only supplied the boilers, engines and other mechanical parts including the power bogies. All the bodywork, frames etc. were done by Metropolitan-Cammell.

[john coffin]

Thanks Eightpot,
It is interesting that all the previously published stuff refers to them as Sentinel railcars, and makes little mention
of Metro Cammell's involvement.

I guess it is therefore possible that some data may be available at the Metro Cam archive?

Paul

[Hatfield Shed]

I have altered the title to better represent the interesting steam railcar content

[Danby Wiske]

Not sure that the Sentinel shunters were single-manned...

Sorry to drag this up again, but I've stumbled across evidence of a regular single-manned turn. In some reminiscences published in NERA Express No 179 (August 2005), former Starbeck fireman Gerry M Pierson stated that

The Ripon Pilot was normally provided by Sentinel shunter No 192. When this was so, no fireman was required, and he worked the early and late Harrogate pilot turns.

(The italics are mine.)

This is confirmed in a later article in Express No 184 (November 2006) by Stephen Askew, based on an original "Drivers' and Firemen's Timebook" from Starbeck shed, dating from Spring 1937. (Mr Pierson assisted with the preparation of this article, but sadly passed away before it was published.)

Mr Askew writes:

The Starbeck No 3 Pilot worked in Harrogate goods yard and had two regular drivers working early and late on alternate weeks. The drivers did not have regular firemen but were paired with firemen from the Heavy Goods Link who were spare due to their own drivers working the single-manned Class Y3 on the Ripon Pilot.

(The Harrogate Pilot was usually J25 No 1743.)

Rather interestingly, this article is illustrated with a picture of No 192 at Ripon in 1934, showing two men on the footplate! Maybe it was taken at the changeover between early and late turns, or perhaps one of them is a shunter keeping warm between duties. (Conjecture, I know, but at least the Timebook provides hard evidence that the Sentinels were single-manned, at least at Ripon.)

[65447]

Not sure that the Sentinel shunters were single-manned...

Sorry to drag this up again, but I've stumbled across evidence of a regular single-manned turn. In some reminiscences published in NERA Express No 179 (August 2005), former Starbeck fireman Gerry M Pierson stated that

The Ripon Pilot was normally provided by Sentinel shunter No 192. When this was so, no fireman was required, and he worked the early and late Harrogate pilot turns.

(The italics are mine.)

This is confirmed in a later article in Express No 184 (November 2006) by Stephen Askew, based on an original "Drivers' and Firemen's Timebook" from Starbeck shed, dating from Spring 1937. (Mr Pierson assisted with the preparation of this article, but sadly passed away before it was published.)

Mr Askew writes:

The Starbeck No 3 Pilot worked in Harrogate goods yard and had two regular drivers working early and late on alternate weeks. The drivers did not have regular firemen but were paired with firemen from the Heavy Goods Link who were spare due to their own drivers working the single-manned Class Y3 on the Ripon Pilot.

(The Harrogate Pilot was usually J25 No 1743.)

Rather interestingly, this article is illustrated with a picture of No 192 at Ripon in 1934, showing two men on the footplate! Maybe it was taken at the changeover between early and late turns, or perhaps one of them is a shunter keeping warm between duties. (Conjecture, I know, but at least the Timebook provides hard evidence that the Sentinels were single-manned, at least at Ripon.)

All that does is confirm that one or more specific turns were single manned, while confirming that others (e.g. Harrogate Goods Yard) were not.

[Danby Wiske]

All that does is confirm that one or more specific turns were single manned,

My point exactly.

while confirming that others (e.g. Harrogate Goods Yard) were not.

How could it be? It was a J25, as stated above.