Robinson O4 (ROD) and O5 (GCR 8K and 8M) 2-8-0s

[neildimmer]

Initially designed in 1911 to haul coal traffic on the Great Central Railway (GCR) to the new docks at Immingham, the GCR 8K would become one of the most successful British steam locomotive designs of the 20th Century. Robinson is also on record with the opinion that the 8K was his best design. The 8K would be adopted by the Government for military purposes during World War One, and used overseas during World War Two. As the 04, it would become the most numerous of LNER heavy goods locomotives. The LNER examples would experience many rebuildings and reboilerings, but many survived in their original form until British Rail (BR) withdrew them in the 1960s. The new locomotives quickly proved a great success, and by 1914 six batches totalling 126 locomotives had been built. Three more were purchased by the GCR from the Ministry of Munitions in 1919, and all 129 would enter LNER ownership at Grouping (1923). With World War 1, the Royal Engineers formed its Railway Operating Division ('ROD') which commenced operations in Continental Europe in February 1916. The ROD originally intended to use French and Belgian locomotives, but both of these countries deliberately kept their locomotives away from the Front. British locomotives were quickly conscripted, and early loans included a variety of engines from Britain's railways. It was quickly decided that standardisation was needed, and the ROD chose the GCR's 8K design. Orders for 325 locomotives were placed in February 1917. These orders were followed by orders for 196 more in 1918 in order to keep British industry going during the post-war run-down in military manufacturing. Post-war, the redundant 8Ks were loaned to many of Britain's railways
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Robinson O4 (ROD) and O5 (GCR 8K and 8M) 2-8-0s - Railway-Photography
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Neil