9F 92000 – 92250 2-10-0 BR Standard Class 9 – Preserved British Steam Locomotives

	BR1B tender
	BR1C tender
	BR1F tender
	Fitted with double chimney and BR1G tender
	Fitted with Franco-Crosti boiler and BR1B tender
	Fitted with Franco-Crosti boiler converted for conventional use
	Fitted with double chimney, mechanical stoker and BR1K tender
	92250 fitted with Giesl oblong ejector

Power Classification	9F
Introduced	1954 – 1960
Designer	Riddles, designed at Brighton
Company	BR
Weight – Loco	86t 14cwt (Franco- Crosti boiler locomotives – 90t 4cwt)
Tender	BR1B 4,725 gallon – 50t 5cwt BR1C 4,725 gallon – 53t 5cwt BR1F 5,625 gallon – 55t 5cwt BR1G 5,000 gallon – 52t 10cwt BR1K 4,325 Gallon – 52t 7cwt
Driving Wheels	5ft 0ins
Boiler Pressure	25opsi superheated
Cylinders	Outside – 20in x 28in
Tractive Effort	39,701lbf
Valve Gear	Walschaert (piston valves)

This was the BR standard design for heavy mineral trains which developed from the WD Austerity 2-10-0 class. The design objective was that the locomotive should be capable of hauling a freight train of 900 tons at 35mph with maximum fuel efficiency.

The original proposal was to use a boiler from the BR Standard class 7 Britannia 4-6-2, adapting it to a 2-8-2 wheel arrangement but Riddles eventually settled upon a 2-10-0 type because it had been used successfully on some of his previous Austerity locomotives. Distributing the adhesive weight over five axles gave a maximum axle load of only 15 tons, 10 cwt. The driving wheels were 5 feet 0 inches but in order to clear the rear coupled wheels the grate had to be set higher, thus reducing firebox volume. There were many problems associated with locomotives of such a long wheelbase, but these were solved by the design team through a series of compromises. The centre driving wheels had no flanges, and those on the second and fourth coupled wheels were reduced in depth. This enabled the locomotive to go round curves of only 400 feet radius. As on all other BR standard steam locomotives the leading wheels were 3ft 0in in diameter.

A total of 251 engines were built at Crewe and Swindon at an individual cost of approximately £33,500 each.

	Austerity 2-10-0 introduced by Riddles in 1943
	Standard class 9 2-10-0 introduced by Riddles in 1954

They were the last of the twelve BR standard types to appear and were probably the most successful. Ironically they were destined to have the shortest lives of any of the BR standard types, being the victims of BR’s wholesale dieselisation programme. Some were scrapped when they were only five years old.

Although designed as freight locomotives they worked well on the occasional passenger train.

92220 was the last steam locomotive to be built for BR and it was turned out from Swindon in March 1960 in GWR green with a copper capped chimney and named Evening Star.

There were several alterations to members of the class as follows:

92060-66 and 92097-99 were fitted with Westinghouse air pumps to work the power operated doors to the waggons used on the iron ore trains between Tyne Dock and Consett. They were fitted with BR1b tenders.
92020-29 were built at Crewe in 1955 and had Franco-Crosti boilers. These unusual boilers in which the chimney was only used for lighting up the locomotive, the normal exhaust coming from a separate outlet on the side of the boiler. This was designed to reduce coal consumption. The expected reduction in coal consumption did not, however match predictions, and in addition the engines experienced problems with excessive corrosion. They were rebuilt along more conventional lines in 1959-62 but still retained the preheat boiler (underneath the main boiler) although this was sealed off. In this form they were classified 8F as the boiler was smaller than those on the standard members of the class.
In 1959 92250 was fitted with a Giesl oblong ejector in place of its double chimney. In the Giesl oblong ejector the exhaust steam was divided between seven nozzles arranged in a row on the locomotive’s longitudinal axis and directed into a narrow fan-shaped ejector that more intimately mixed it with the smokebox gases than is the case of an ordinary chimney. This offered the same level of draught for a reduced level of exhaust back-pressure or, alternatively, increased draught with no performance loss elsewhere. It was intended to reduce coal consumption but no really benefits were evident.
92165-67 were fitted with mechanical stokers which was a helical screw that conveyed coal from the tender to the firebox, where it would be directed to the required part of the grate by high-pressure air jets controlled by the fireman. They were not particularly successful.

In September 1982 92203 (since preserved) set the record for the heaviest train ever hauled by a steam locomotive in Britain, when it started a 2,178-ton train at a Foster Yeoman quarry in Somerset, UK.

The 9F also proved its worth as a passenger locomotive, adept at fast running despite its small driving wheels, and for a time was a frequent sight on the Somerset and Dorset Railway, where its power and high proportion of adhesive weight were well suited to coping with the 1 in 50 gradient on the Bath extension.

On one occasion, a 9F was set to haul an express passenger train (said to be the Flying Scotsman), in place of the normal LNER pacific, from Grantham to King’s Cross. An enthusiast aboard the train timed the run and noted that twice the speed exceeded 90 mph. The driver was afterwards told that he was only supposed to keep time, “not break the bloody sound barrier!” He replied that the engine had no speedometer, and that it ran so smoothly at high speeds that he just let it run as fast as felt safe. Nor was this the only instance of 9Fs reaching high speeds. However, concerns that the high rotational speeds involved in fast running could cause excessive wear and tear to the plain-bearing running gear prompted the British Railways management to stop the utilisation of 9Fs on express passenger trains.

Number in Service.

	Built		Withdrawals	No. in Service
	BR Numbers	Quantity

1954	92000-19 and 92030-41	32		32
1955	92020-29 and 92042-69	38		70
1956	92070-118	49		119
1957	92119-162, 92168-170 and 92178-183	53		172
1958	92163-167, 92171-177, 92184-202 and 92221-250	61		233
1959	92203-217	15		248
1960	92218-220	3		251
1961-63				251
1964			16	235
1965			65	170
1966			45	125
1967			107	18
1968			18	0

198 locomotives were built at Crewe – 92000-92086, 92097-92177 and 92221-92250
53 locomotives were built at Swindon – 92087-92096 and 92178-92220
The last member of the class to be withdrawn was 92077 whilst based at Carnforth in June 1968.

None of the class were allocated to Scottish although a small number had short spells at Carlisle Kingmoor but none were based any further north.

Only five engines (92205, 92206, 92211, 92231 and 92239) spent any time allocated to Southern Region depots. They were allocated to Eastleigh in July 1961 and then moved on to Felham in June 1963. In September 1963 the five locomotives moved north to York. Whilst they were based at Eastleigh they were used on the the Fawley – Bromford Bridge (West Midlands) oil trains until these were diesel hauled.

Allocation of locomotives in service as at 1st of January.

	1960	1964

Annesley	30	26
Banbury	10	9
Bidston	3
Birkenhead		10
Bristol Barrow Road		4
Bromsgrove	2	1
Cardiff Canton	11
Cardiff East Dock		10
Colwick		11
Doncaster	19	8
Ebbw Junction	11	5
Frodingham		3
Immingham	6	12
Kettering	5	6
Kirkby in Ashfield		6
Leicester Midland	9	14
Neath		3
New England	30	21
Newton Heath	5	8
Old Oak Common	11
Plymouth (Laira)	6
Rowsley	6	14
Saltley	13	16
Southall		7
St Phillips Marsh	6
Toton	10	7
Tyne Dock	10	10
Tyseley		8
Westhouses	5	6
Wellingborough	43	18
York		8

	251	251

The Wellingborough allocation of 43 includes 9 of the Franco-Crosti boiler locomotives which were in store.
92218 and 92219 were only delivered in January 1960 but are included above based on the first depot they were allocated to which were St Phillips Marsh and Cardiff Canton.
92220 was only completed in March 1960 but is included in the numbers shown for Cardiff Canton as at 1^st January 1960.
The last 18 in service in 1968 were based at Carnforth (10) and Speke Junction (8).

Accidents and Incidents

On 19 November 1958, locomotive 92187 was hauling a freight train from London to Peterborough which overran signals and was in a rear-end collision with another at Hitchin, Hertfordshire whilst travelling at about 15mph. Seventeen of the wagons of the first train were derailed across the up main line. Almost immediately a freight train from Leeds to London ran into the derailed waggons whilst travelling at about 35mph having been slowed down as a result of detonators placed on the line by the signalman.
On 7 April 1964, locomotive 92161 was hauling a freight train that was derailed at Howe & Co’s Signalbox, which is south of Carlisle, on the line to Appleby, due to a combination of defects on a wagon, excessive speed and minor track defects.

	92208 Carlisle-August 1965. It spent its working life until 1963 based on the Western Region – Laira, Southall & Cardiff Canton & East Dock. In October 1963 in moved to Newton Heath and then Carlisle Kingmoor in June 1964 from where it was withdrawn in October 1967.
	92233 at Carlisle-October 1965.Another Western Region locomotive until 1963. Withdrawn from service whilst allocated to Speke Junction in February 1968.
	92130 at Carlisle-October 1965. 92130 spent almost all of its working life at Toton. It was transferred to Carlisle Kingmoor in May 1964 and withdrawn from service there in May 1966.
	92009 on Carlisle Kingmoor shed-January 1966. This is one of the early batch of locomotives built in 1954. It started its working life at Wellingborough and had a number of homes before being based at Carlisle Kingmoor in June 1964. It was withdrawn from service at Carnforth in March 1968.
	92206 at York-February 1966. 92206 was originally based on the Western Region at St Philips Marsh. In May 1961 it was transerred to the Southern Region at Eastliegh. It moved to York in September 1963 and was withdrawn in May 1967 whilst allocated to Wakefield.
	92208 at Carnforth-March 1966. This is another locomotive that spent its earlier years on the Western Region before moving to Newton Heath in 1963. It was withdrawn from service at Carlisle Kingmoor in October 1967 at the age of just over eight years.
	92043 on Carlisle Kingmoor shed-July 1966. 92043 was initially based at March on the Eastern Region. It transferred to the Midland Region in 1958 when Annesley where it spent most of its life was brought under MR control.It was withdrawn in July 1966 whilst based at Carlisle Kingmoor.
	92045 heads through Milnthorpe towards Shap-July 1966.This locomotive was always based on the Midland Region. When i took this photograph it was based at Birkemhead from where it was withdrawn in September 1967.
	92249 at Carlisle-October 1966.This locomotive only entered service in December 1958. During most of its working life was it was based at Ebbw Junction. It was withdrawn from service whilst based at Speke Junction in May 1968 – less than ten years old.
	92110 at Carlisle-October 1966. This locomotive spent most of its life at Cricklewood, Leicester Midland & Wellingborough. It was withdrawn from service at Carlisle Kingmoor in December 1967.
	92137 on Carlisle Kingmoor shed-February 1967. 92137 was based at Saltley for most of its working life. It moved to Carlisle Kingmoor in December 1966 and was withdrawn from service there in September 1967.
	92056 passing Carlisle Kingmoor shed-April 1967. 92056 was based at Toton, Wellingborough, Rowsley, Kirkby in Ashfield and Newton Heath before arriving at Carlisle Kingmoor in August 1966. It was withdrawn from service in November 1967.
	92056 on Carlisle Kingmoor shed along with 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley-April 1967
	92106 at Guide Bridge-July 1967. The locomotive was withdrawn from service whilst based at Birkenhead in the same month as I took this photograph.
	92025 on Carlisle Kingmoor shed-August 1967. This was one of engines fitted with Franco-Crosti boiler. By the time I took this photograph it had been converted for conventional use. It was withdrawn from service at Birkenhead in November 1967.
	92012 on Carlisle Kingmoor shed-August 1967. Originally it was initially based at March on the Eastern Region. It transferred to the Midland Region in 1958 when Annesley where it spent most of its life was brought under MR control.It was withdrawn in November 1967 whilst based at Birkenhead.
	92058 at Carlisle-September 1967 It was based at Toton, Wellingborough, Westhouses, Leicester Midland, Warrington Dallam & Speke Junction before arriving at Carlisle Kingmoor in August 1967. It was withdrawn from service in November 1967.