The Kitson J60 (GCR Class B) 0-6-0T Locomotives
These four locomotives were built by Kitson of Leeds for the Lancashire Derbyshire & East Coast Railway (LDECR) in 1897. They were of a typical Kitson design, and closely resembled the locomotives that they built for the Great North of Scotland Railway (LNER Classes J90 & J91).
Kitson also built an 0-4-4T version for the LDECR. Fitted with the same sized boiler, these locomotives became LNER Class G3.
Between 1900 and 1901, three of the locomotives were overhauled by the Great Eastern Railway (GER) at their Stratford Works. At the time, the LDECR was suffering hard water problems and it would appear that the overhauls were related. The LDECR would later solve these problems by installing water softening plants along its rail system.
The LDECR became a part of the Great Central Railway (GCR) on 1st January 1907, and Nos. 9-12 were renumbered 1175-8. The GCR fitted Robinson-style chimneys. In the interests of standardisation, these were eventually replaced by the LNER with "flowerpot" chimneys.
Originally fitted with uncased Ramsbottom safety valves, the LNER replaced these in the 1930s with Ross pop valves mounted on a U-shaped mounting.
Pre-Grouping, the J60s were usually based at Langwith shed and used for shunting the Warsop sidings. One would often be based at Tuxford for use as the works pilot. By Grouping (1923), the Tuxford locomotive had been transferred to Wrexham. When the J58s were withdrawn, all four J60s were allocated to Wrexham. At Wrexham, the J60s were mainly used on the Brymbo branch. With their small cabs, the J60s proved unpopular on this duty, but no suitable locomotives were available. J52s were tried but proved to be too heavy and they had a wheelbase that was too long. J69s were also tried, but these lacked sufficient adhesion. From 1937, No. 6410 was usually allocated to Gorton for yard shunting duties.
Withdrawals started in 1947 and were completed by 1948.
Technical Details
| Cylinders (x2): | (inside) | 17x24in. |
| Motion: | Stephenson | |
| Valves: | Slide | |
| Boiler: | Diameter (max): | 4ft 2in |
| Length: | 10ft 5.87in | |
| Boiler Pressure: | 160psi | |
| Diagram No: | 23 | |
| Heating Surface: | Total: | 961.1 sq.ft. |
| Firebox: | 94.3 sq.ft. | |
| Tubes: | 866.8 sq.ft. (174x 1.75in dia.) | |
| Grate Area: | 16.3 sq.ft. | |
| Wheels: | 4ft 6in | |
| Total Wheelbase: | 14ft | |
| Tractive Effort: | (at 85%) | 17,468 lb |
| Length: | 30ft 6.75in | |
| Weight: | 46t 16cwt | |
| Max. Axle Load: | 17t 6cwt | |
| Water Capacity: | 1100 gallons | |
| Coal Capacity: | 2t |
Preservation
None of the J60s survived into preservation.
Models
I am not aware of any models of the J60s in any scale.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to the Mike Morant Collection for the photograph of J60 No. 6409.