Great Northern locos in the West Riding

[GWRSwindon]

Hello all, does anyone know what loco types were common on the GNR's West Riding lines between about 1905 and 1914? The literature on them is fairly thin, and I haven't been able to find many photographs of the time period.

[Mickey]

I have a audio cd of the spoken memories of a old GNR/LNER/BR man who had started on the railway in 1914 and who retired around 1966 I believe and he described on his first day as a young cleaner of seeing a GNR Ivatt LARGE boiler Atlantic (4-4-2) on Leeds Neville Hill shed and the lasting impression that it made on his memory of a gleamingly clean locomotive that had been prepared by the shed gang that was to work a Leeds to Kings Cross express.

[Pyewipe Junction]

I have a audio cd of the spoken memories of a old GNR/LNER/BR man who had started on the railway in 1914 and who retired around 1966 I believe and he described on his first day as a young cleaner of seeing a GNR Ivatt LARGE boiler Atlantic (4-4-2) on Leeds Neville Hill shed and the lasting impression that it made on his memory of a gleamingly clean locomotive that had been prepared by the shed gang that was to work a Leeds to Kings Cross express.

Are you sure he said Neville Hill? Neville Hill was a NE shed. If he started out on the GN, he would probably have been at Copley Hill, which was the GN shed used for London expresses.

[Mickey]

I have a audio cd of the spoken memories of a old GNR/LNER/BR man who had started on the railway in 1914 and who retired around 1966 I believe and he described on his first day as a young cleaner of seeing a GNR Ivatt LARGE boiler Atlantic (4-4-2) on Leeds Neville Hill shed and the lasting impression that it made on his memory of a gleamingly clean locomotive that had been prepared by the shed gang that was to work a Leeds to Kings Cross express.

Are you sure he said Neville Hill? Neville Hill was a NE shed. If he started out on the GN, he would probably have been at Copley Hill, which was the GN shed used for London expresses.

You are correct Pyewipe it was Copley Hill shed and not Neville Hill shed apologies I only heard the cd once about 18 months ago and couldn't remember which shed it was?.

The cd An Engineman's Life For Me- http://delticsounds.com/enginemanslife.html

[john coffin]

A lot depends on what you consider the West Riding in GNR times and during the period you mention.

For instance the first batch of what became C12's were built with square tanks, and were called West Riding type.
Some N1's were built for service there, whilst some of the 0-8-2t's were sent there too.

The roads are quite hilly in much of the area around Halifax and thus apart from 0-6-0 good engines like
J7, J4, there were few passenger tender engines.

There were also some Stirling locos still in use, for instance 0-4-4T's Also the Ivatt 0-8-0 goods.
Check the GNR green books for more details.

Paul

[GWRSwindon]

A lot depends on what you consider the West Riding in GNR times and during the period you mention.

For instance the first batch of what became C12's were built with square tanks, and were called West Riding type.
Some N1's were built for service there, whilst some of the 0-8-2t's were sent there too.

The roads are quite hilly in much of the area around Halifax and thus apart from 0-6-0 good engines like
J7, J4, there were few passenger tender engines.

There were also some Stirling locos still in use, for instance 0-4-4T's Also the Ivatt 0-8-0 goods.
Check the GNR green books for more details.

Paul

I would probably call the GNR lines north and west of Wakefield their "West Riding" lines - such as the Leeds-Bradford line, the Wakefield-Bradford line, and the Queensbury lines, among others.

I can't remember where I found it now, but I remember seeing a photograph of what I'm sure is a Stirling/Ivatt 2-2-2-2 at Batley.

[john coffin]

Leeds had some Baldwins still at that time,
also the area had Stirling 0-4-4T classes G1/3 0-4-2WT and 0-4-4WT.
J1/2 N1, L1, Stirling 0-6-0's also saddle tanks,
plus both 0-4-2 and 2-4-0's, and of course the C12.
Locos going into Leeds would have included, at the time you are interested in,
Large and Small Atlantics, plus Ivatt smaller 4-4-0's
Also the Ivatt 0-8-0.

Your timescale is a little early for too much in the way of Gresley locos to be seen,
except on the Leeds -Kings Cross trains.

By the time you want, Stirling 2-2-2's would be like hen's teeth, and no 8ft singles,
although for a while an Ivatt 4-2-2 would be seen.

Don't forget the area was a really big goods traffic area, particularly supplies for mills, and goods
leaving as finished items, which meant lots of mixed goods traffic.

Paul

[GWRSwindon]

Leeds had some Baldwins still at that time,
also the area had Stirling 0-4-4T classes G1/3 0-4-2WT and 0-4-4WT.
J1/2 N1, L1, Stirling 0-6-0's also saddle tanks,
plus both 0-4-2 and 2-4-0's, and of course the C12.
Locos going into Leeds would have included, at the time you are interested in,
Large and Small Atlantics, plus Ivatt smaller 4-4-0's
Also the Ivatt 0-8-0.

Your timescale is a little early for too much in the way of Gresley locos to be seen,
except on the Leeds -Kings Cross trains.

By the time you want, Stirling 2-2-2's would be like hen's teeth, and no 8ft singles,
although for a while an Ivatt 4-2-2 would be seen.

Don't forget the area was a really big goods traffic area, particularly supplies for mills, and goods
leaving as finished items, which meant lots of mixed goods traffic.

Paul

Thank you John, this goes some distance to helping me! Odd that there have been so few books on this area.

[Hatfield Shed]

...Odd that there have been so few books on this area.

The GNR Society would be able to advise. I suspect that a significant amount of information will be distributed within their 'GNR News'.
https://www.gnrsociety.com/home-page/the-society/