GNR Class N2

GNR Class N2
LNER Class N2

300px Preserved 1744 in Loughborough Down Loop at the Great Central Railway 2012

Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Nigel Gresley Builder N2/1: Doncaster Works (10), North British Locomotive Company (50) N2/2: Beyer, Peacock and Company (12) N2/3: Doncaster Works (6), Yorkshire Engine Company (6) N2/4: Hawthorn Leslie and Company (20), Yorkshire Engine Company (3) Build date 1920–1929 Total produced 107 (N2/1: 60, N2/2: 12, N2/3: 12, N2/4: 23)

Specifications Configuration 0-6-2T UIC class C1 h2t Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Driver diameter 5 ft 8 in (1.727 m) Trailing dia 3 ft 8 in (1.118 m) Wheelbase 23 ft 9 in (7.24 m) Length N2/1, /2, /3: N2/4: Axle load 19.00–20.00 long tons (19.30–20.32 t; 21.28–22.40 short tons) Adhesive weight 55.75–56.90 long tons (56.64–57.81 t; 62.44–63.73 short tons) Loco weight 70.25–71.45 long tons (71.38–72.60 t; 78.68–80.02 short tons) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 4.00 long tons (4.06 t; 4.48 short tons) Water cap 2,000 imp gal (9,100 L; 2,400 US gal) Boiler LNER diagram 7 Boiler pressure 170 psi (1.2 MPa) Firegrate area 19.00 sq ft (1.765 m2) Cylinders Two, inside Cylinder size 19 in × 26 in (483 mm × 660 mm) Valve gear Stephenson Valve type 8-inch (203 mm) piston valves

Performance figures Tractive effort 19,945 lbf (88.72 kN)

Career Operators Great Northern Railway London and North Eastern Railway British Railways Class GNR/LNER: N2 Power class LNER: 2 BR: 3MT Axle load class LNER/BR: Route availability 6 Disposition One preserved, remainder scrapped

The Great Northern Railway (GNR) Class N2 is an 0-6-2T side tank steam locomotive designed by Nigel Gresley and introduced in 1920. Further batches were built by the London and North Eastern Railway from 1925. They had superheaters and piston valves driven by Stephenson valve gear.

Some locomotives were fitted with condensing apparatus for working on the Metropolitan Railway Widened Lines between King's Cross and Moorgate.

In service

The N2s were designed for suburban passenger operations, and worked most of the duties out of King's Cross and Moorgate, often hauling one or two quad-art sets of articulated suburban coaches. These ran to places such as New Barnet and Gordon Hill on the Hertford loop. They also hauled some empty coaching stock trains between King's Cross and Ferme Park carriage sidings.

They were also a common sight in and around Glasgow and Edinburgh operating suburban services, mainly on what is today known as the North Clyde Line.

Sub-classes

• Class N2/1 built 1920-21, GNR locos with condensing apparatus
• Class N2/2 built 1925, LNER locos without condensing apparatus; vacuum brake, for Scotland
• Class N2/3 built 1925 & 1928-29, LNER locos without condensing apparatus; air brake
• Class N2/4 built 1928-29, LNER locos with condensing apparatus

British Railways numbers were: 69490-69596.

Accidents and incidents

Main article: Potters Bar rail accidents

• On 10 February 1946, locomotive No. 2679 was derailed at Potters Bar, Hertfordshire due to a signalman's error. The wreckage fouled signal cables, giving a false clear signal to an express passenger train, which ran into the wreckage. A third passenger train travelling in the opposite direction then ran into the wreckage. Two people were killed.

Preservation

One, No. 4744 (BR No. 69523) survives to preservation on the Great Central Railway. It is owned by the Gresley Society, and has appeared in both LNER Black and GNR Apple Green while in preservation. Restored in 2009, the engine is painted as GNR No. 1744, and is usually based at the GCR when not visiting other railways. The engine re-visited Kings Cross on Tuesday 5 April 2016 for the unveiling of a statue of Sir Nigel Gresley, the engine in question was moved to and from Bounds Green behind a diesel.

Models

The N2 was the basis of the Hornby Dublo 0-6-2T tank engine, which ironically was offered in the liveries of all the 'Big Four' companies - despite being clearly one of the LNER N2s fitted with condensing gear for use on the London Underground. Mainline also produced models of the N2 in the 1980s, theirs depicting engines No. 4744 in LNER Black and No. 9522 in LNER Apple Green (9522 was the only N2 to wear this livery, which was applied in 1946).

Hornby currently owns the toolings for the N2, and released a model of engine 69563 as part of the R2981 London Olympics 1948 set including two British Railways (ex-LNER) 60-foot (18 m) teak coaches, 3rd class composite 1435 and 3rd Brake 24387. The set, while receiving a generally good review, was criticised for Hornby's use of a 'rather tired tooling', and that the real 69563 had been a Scottish engine which had not been fitted with the condensing gear - which the model had. The choice of rolling stock was also criticised as an N2 would not be used to haul mainline stock on suburban duties - most likely this was only seen if an N2 was on station pilot duties, and was removing such stock from King's Cross.

Hornby also produced models of the N2 up until 2005 using the original Mainline tooling in GNR Apple Green as locomotive No. 1763, among others. These models were painted in a slightly darker shade of green than that used on the Mainline model of 9522 in 1983.

In fiction

The Thomas & Friends character, Ryan, is based on a GNR N2.

References

• Ian Allan ABC of British Railways Locomotives, 1948 edition, part 4, page 54.

External links

• LNER Encyclopedia