I've never seen anything like it!

[60022Mallard]

I have just obtained this postcard as part of a job lot, and, as the title says, I've never seen anything like it.

Can anyone throw light on just what it is all about and / or its history.

[Saint Johnstoun]

What you are looking at is Gresley's rebuild of a North Eastern Atlantic LNER Class C7.

Gresley rebuilt 727 with a diagram 104 boiler and the articulated bogie arrangement under the tender was to accomodate a booster. These were removed by 1938. The two engines 727 and 2171 were classified C9.

NER classes C7 and C9.doc

(409.5 KiB) Downloaded 128 times

[mr B]

a fore runner to the 142

mr B

[manna]

G'Day Gents

Now the question is, who is willing to chop up a Hornby B1 !!!!!!!!

manna

[2002EarlMarischal]

Not sure it's one of SNG's best lookers! - Everyone has a bad day now and then!

[jwealleans]

The late Malcolm Crawley had a scratchbuilt model of this loco which was on display at Nottingham this year.

[60129 GUY MANNERING]

My word there are some very knowledgeable people on this forum. I thought my knowledge was reasonable,but to be honest I had never even heard of this loco,despite researching tenders for the B2 / B17 classes which used P1 & C7 Tenders.
Regards in Appreciation.

[giner]

Not sure it's one of SNG's best lookers! - Everyone has a bad day now and then!

Yup, that rear end looks a tad hideous. Surely there must have been some raised eyebrows in NER circles, and by Mr. Raven in particular, when he saw what had been done to his C7 by Mr. Gresley. It doesn't seem to rank up there with the fallout from Thompson's visitations upon SNG's A1, though.

[52D]

The pair of them lasted till just after the war, being at Gateshead and Tweedmouth. It would be interesting to hear what footplate men made of them.

[richard]

The LNER Encyclopedia does have a page for them:

http://www.lner.info/locos/C/c9.shtml

(along with every other locomotive / railcar type)


Richard

[Saint Johnstoun]

Thanks for reminding us Richard - we tend to use the forum and forget what else is there.

[richard]

And I posted a couple of pictures of a preserved booster, here:

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4491

...although there isn't much to see.

As an aside, the loco in question is due for a move in the next month or so (it keeps getting pushed back). The planned route as far as I know will go within walking distance of where I live. Most of the museum's stock will be on the move, so I could be posting quite a few photos. As well as the 4-8-4, they have a Big Boy (motion cut) and a GG1.

[owd sweedy]

In Backtrack magazine some years ago there was an interesting article on Archibald Sturrock's steam tender/booster which he designed in the early 1860's and patented in 1863, IIRC, there were 50 (or so) in traffic.
As mentioned here...
http://www.lner.info/co/GNR/locomotives.shtml
In 1866 Patrick Sterling took over and that was the end of the steam tender. I must have a look thorough my back issues and see if I can find it.
Cheeers
Owd Sweedy.
Ottawa.

[richard]

Yes I keep seeing references to Sturrock's steam tenders, usually with a dismissive comment, but I've never really found any in-depth coverage. It might be worth tracking down the Backtrack article...


Richard

[manna]

G'day Gents

The Sturrock steam tenders died the death because the loco crews complained that they were being made to work two locos but were not receiving double pay, or even a bonus, so the coupling rods and pistons were removed.

manna