The LNER Encyclopedia

Have a look at this NRM photo of the royal train at Derby. Looks as though the engine was oil fired. There was a national coal strike in 1921 so perhaps this had something to do with it.
http://www.nrm.org.uk/ourcollection/pho ... y&item=519

The Midland equipped some locos for oil firing in 1912 and 1921, mainly as a result of miners strikes. In February to April 1912 there was a strike, the Midland undertook experiments with 3 of their Belpaire 4-4-0s, using oil gas tar. This was also used with some success by the Great Eastern who had a large surplus of oil tar as a by product of the gas made for carriage lighting, Holden converted a number of the Great Eastern locos to use this oil.
The Midland found that using oil cost twice as much as coal in 1912.

In 1921 the coal strike lasted longer and 41 engines were converted. Additionally 20 tenders were converted to carry oil to loco sheds, and 20 more for storing oil. They were situated at Derby, Bedford, Kentish Town, Bristol, Gloucester, Leeds and Leicester. The locos were quickly converted back to coal after the strike.

In 1926 the LMS converted a number of locos to oil firing, probably around 75 locos of Midland origin.

Information from;
Midland Railway Locomotives, Vol 1 General Survey, S Summerson Irwell Press ISBN 1-903266-02-5

It is also discussed in the Books on Midland Locoomotives Essery and Jenkinson published by OPC

A number of books contain photos of Midland oil burning locos.

For those interested in the LNER and it's constituents, and to make this post relevant to this forum:

As mentioned above the Great Eastern used oil fired locos over an extended period of time, using equipment designed by Holden. The first was a 0-4-4T No 193 in 1887. His T19 2-4-0 also had some members equipped for oil burning, Nos. 712 and 759 to 767. 760 was named Petrolea. All of Holdens 4-2-2s of the P43 class were also equipped as oil burners, they were built from 1898. The Claud Hamiltons, from the pioneer 1900 up to the 1850-9 series were also equipped.

The oil used had originally run to waste into the Channelsea River from Srtaford works until the sanitary authorities decided this was a "nuisance" which they could compel the railway to "abate". The oil was heated in storage tanks to make it liquid enough to flow. The loco's fire was lit with a wood and coal fire, when boiler pressure reached about 30lb the fire was covered with small pieces of firebrick , a few pieces of wood were added to make a flame and oil was then injected into the firebox using steam which atomised the oil into a fine spray from each burner.
One oil burning loco, T19 No 761, ran a special outing train for Bass and Company from St Pancras to Scarborough and back in a day via Tottenham, Cambridge, March, Lincoln, Doncaster and York. Extra oil was carried in varnish cans carried in the brake van.

In all about 60 locos were converted, the GER even bought in oil to supplement it's own production. Eventually it was found to be too expensive, and production of gas at Stratford ceased so there was no more "free" oil. By 1911 many of the locos had been converted back to coal, but some had oil burners reinstated in 1921 and 1926.

The characteristic round tops to some GER tenders were as a result of the oil carrying requirements.

Information from "The Great Eastern Railway" by C J Allen, pub Ian Allan.

David

Thank you, David for a most succinct reply.