The LNER Encyclopedia

Did these locos always carry LNER lined black livery, or were they ever LNER green? And what was their power classification in BR days?
Cheers
Jim

The B16s carried black with red lining until the livery changes of 1928-9, after this they were plain black. During Wartime they had the shortened 'NE' on the tender. No B16 was painted green post-WW2.

According to the RCTS 'Green Bible' the B16s were all power class 6MT, until May 1953 when the originals became 5MT, rebuilds remaining 6MT.

John

Thankyou John. Most helpful.
Jim

I've always understood they were 5P6F, like the K3s.

The B16/1s were stronger than a B1 even though the boiler pressure was only 180psi against the B1s 225psi. But could be delicate to fire but there again a B1 could be tempremental. Our K3s were always on top of their work as so were the V2s except 60915 which came into York once on the Tees Thames running 19 minutes late!
I.B.

Pyewipe Junction wrote:I've always understood they were 5P6F, like the K3s.

The Ian Allan locomotive books for 1955/6, 1959 and 1962/3 show the power class for the B16s as 5MT, rebuilds or not. The K3s are as Pyewipe Junction says 5P6F.

Many classes had their original power class changed, some more than once. I wonder how much notice was taken of these figures by those at the sharp end, so to speak.

John

Ay up!

The BR power class was only rarely painted on to LNER engines anyway, so very little is the answer.

In Scotland, when the feeble LMS 2Ps appeared, they were regarded by the men as Compounds - they were the same shape - and were worked as such. Successfully. Likewise the Somerset and Dorset men could get more work out of a 2P than anyone else and who would have thought that an engine with 6'9" drivers would be of any use at all up a 1 in 49 incline?

I am sure they might have noticed the lack of outside cylinders. But BB is correct that the ex-GSWR section men did take to the 2Ps. If anyone is not familiar with the story it is told by David L. Smith in a series of articles, brought together in a book as 'Tales of the GSWR' and a further volume on the LMS period (which contains the 2P stories). Without doubt some of the best railway writing ever produced.

John