LNER Class B17

B17/6 No. 61642 Kilverstone Hall.

Type and origin
Power type	Steam
Designer	Nigel Gresley
Builder	North British Locomotive Co. (10) Darlington Works (52) R. Stephenson & Co. (11)
Serial number	NBL: 23803–23812 RS: 4124–4134
Build date	1928–1937
Total produced	73

Specifications
Configuration	4-6-0
UIC class	2′C h3
Gauge	4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Leading dia.	3 ft 2 in (0.965 m)
Driver dia.	6 ft 8 in (2.032 m)
Loco weight	77.25–80.5 long tons (78.49–81.79 t; 86.52–90.16 short tons)
Fuel type	Coal
Boiler pressure	B17/1 to B17/5: 180 psi (1.24 MPa) B17/6: 225 psi (1.55 MPa)
Cylinders	Three
Cylinder size	17 ¹⁄₂ in × 26 in (444 mm × 660 mm)
Valve gear	Outside: Walschaerts Inside: Gresley conjugated
Valve type	8-inch (203 mm) piston valves

Performance figures
Tractive effort	B17/1 to B17/5: 22,485 lbf (100.0 kN) B17/6: 28,555 lbf (127.0 kN)

Career
Operators	LNER » BR
Power class	BR: B17/1 to B17/5: 4MT; B17/6 and B2: 5P4F
Axle load class	Route Availability 5
Withdrawn	1952–1960
Disposition	All scrapped

The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Class B17, also known as "Sandringham" or "Footballer" class was a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive designed by Sir Nigel Gresley for hauling passenger services on the Great Eastern Main Line. In total 73 were built.

Background

By 1926, the former GE B12 class locomotives were no longer able to cope with the heaviest express passenger trains on the Great Eastern Main Line between London and Cambridge, Ipswich and Norwich. Yet Gresley was unable to use his larger classes due to severe weight restrictions on the line. The requirement for a lightweight yet powerful 4-6-0 proved to be difficult to achieve.^[1]

Design

After several unsuccessful attempts by Doncaster Works to satisfy Gresley's specification, the contract for the detailed design and building of the class was given to the North British Locomotive Company in 1927. They used several features from a batch of A1 Pacifics they had built in 1924. The cab, cylinders, and motion had all been copied directly or slightly modified. Most of the boiler design was taken from the LNER Class K3 2-6-0 and LNER Class O2 2-8-0 designs. Darlington Works provided drawings for the bogies, and Stratford Works designs for the GE-type 3,700-imperial-gallon (17,000 l; 4,400 US gal), 4-long-ton (4.1 t) tender.^[2]

Due to weight restrictions it proved to be impossible for all three cylinders to drive the middle coupled axle, the design used divided drive with the middle cylinder driving the leading axle and was positioned forward above the front bogie.^[3] The LNER also ordered some modifications, including an increase in cylinder size from 17 in (432 mm) to 17 ¹⁄₂ in (444 mm), and a lengthening of the firebox by 5 in (127.0 mm) with longer frames, and lighter springs. The design continued to prove problematic and the LNER eventually cancelled a penalty clause in the original contract. The first locomotive, No. 2802 Walsingham was delivered 30 November 1928, thirteen weeks late.^[4]

Construction

Ten locomotives were built by the North British Locomotive Company (works nos. 23803-12) during November and December, which were allocated the running numbers 2800-9. Five further orders were placed with Darlington Works between December 1928 and March 1935 for a further fifty-two locomotives to be delivered between August 1930 and June 1936. A final batch of eleven were ordered from Robert Stephenson and Company in February 1936 (works nos. 4124-34) for delivery between January and July 1937; resulting in a total of 73 B17s built.

Sub-classes

B17/4 No. 61661 'Sheffield Wednesday' at Stratford 12 June 1948.

B17/6 No. 61623 'Lambton Castle' at Cambridge 28 February 1951.

The first ten by the North British Locomotive Company were designated B17, later B17/1. The second and third batches had boilers supplied by Armstrong Whitworth and different springing and became B17/2. The next two batches had different springing and were designated B17/3. However, as the locomotives passed through the works the original springs were replaced by those of the later design and in 1937 the three sub-classes were merged into B17/1. The final Darlington batch introduced in 1936, and those built by Robert Stephenson and Company had 4,200-imperial-gallon (19,000 l; 5,000 US gal), 7.5-long-ton (7.6 t) tenders and were intended for use in the North Eastern area of the LNER: these were designated B17/4.^[4]

In September 1937 two locomotives (Nos. 2859 Norwich City and 2870 Tottenham Hotspur were streamlined in the manner of the LNER Class A4s, renamed East Anglian and City of London for use on the East Anglian train and designated B17/5. However, the streamlining was cladding for publicity purposes only and had little effect on the overall speed of the locomotive. By 1951 both engines had been stripped of the streamlining altogether.^[5]

Between 1943 and 1957 most of the surviving members of the class were rebuilt with a LNER 100A boiler with increased pressure and were designated B17/6.

Rebuilding

Ten B17s were rebuilt by Edward Thompson as 2-cylinder locomotives with a LNER 100A boiler, between 1945 and 1949, becoming the Class B2. No more were rebuilt because of the success of the Thompson's B1 class.

Accidents and incidents

On 4 October 1929, locomotive No. 2808 Gunton was hauling an express passenger train which was in collision with a freight train at Tottenham, London after the latter had departed against a danger signal and subsequently stopped foul of a junction.^[6]
On 15 February 1937, locomotive No. 2829 Narworth Castle was hauling a passenger train that was derailed at Sleaford North Junction, Lincolnshire due to excessive speed on a curve. Four people were killed and sixteen were injured, one seriously.^[7]
On 10 February 1941, locomotive No. 2828 Harewood House was hauling an express passenger train that came to a halt between Harold Wood and Brentwood, Essex as it was too heavy for the locomotive. A passenger train overran signals and was in a rear-end collision with the express. Seven people were killed and seventeen were seriously injured.^[8]
On 2 January 1947, locomotive No. 1602 Walsingham was hauling an express passenger train that overran signals and was in a rear-end collision with a local passenger train at Gidea Park, Essex. Seven people were killed and 45 were hospitalised.^[9]

Summary table

LNER No.	BR No.	Original Name (Rename(s))	Date built	Date rebuilt	Rebuilt as	Date withdrawn
2800	61600	Sandringham	000000001928-12-01-0000December 1928	000000001950-06-01-0000June 1950	B17/6	000000001958-07-01-0000July 1958
2801	61601	Holkham	000000001928-12-01-0000December 1928	—	—	000000001958-01-01-0000January 1958
2802	61602	Walsingham	000000001928-11-01-0000November 1928	000000001951-10-01-0000October 1951	B17/6	000000001958-01-01-0000January 1958
2803	61603	Framlingham	000000001928-12-01-0000December 1928	000000001946-10-01-0000October 1946	B2	000000001958-09-01-0000September 1958
2804	61604	Elveden	000000001928-12-01-0000December 1928	000000001951-11-01-0000November 1951	B17/6	000000001953-08-01-0000August 1953
2805	61605	Burnham Thorpe (Lincolnshire Regiment from April 1938)	000000001928-12-01-0000December 1928	000000001948-01-01-0000January 1948	B17/6	000000001958-05-01-0000May 1958
2806	61606	Audley End	000000001928-12-01-0000December 1928	000000001950-03-01-0000March 1950	B17/6	000000001958-09-01-0000September 1958
2807	61607	Blickling	000000001928-12-01-0000December 1928	000000001947-05-01-0000May 1947	B2	000000001959-12-01-0000December 1959
2808	61608	Gunton	000000001928-12-01-0000December 1928	000000001950-10-01-0000October 1950	B17/6	000000001960-03-01-0000March 1960
2809	61609	Quidenham	000000001928-12-01-0000December 1928	000000001952-01-01-0000January 1952	B17/6	000000001958-06-01-0000June 1958
2810	61610	Honingham Hall	000000001930-08-01-0000August 1930	000000001953-10-01-0000October 1953	B17/6	000000001960-01-01-0000January 1960
2811	61611	Raynham Hall	000000001930-08-01-0000August 1930	000000001956-02-01-0000February 1956	B17/6	000000001959-10-01-0000October 1959
2812	61612	Houghton Hall	000000001930-10-01-0000October 1930	000000001950-03-01-0000March 1950	B17/6	000000001959-09-01-0000September 1959
2813	61613	Woodbastwick Hall	000000001930-10-01-0000October 1930	000000001951-12-01-0000December 1951	B17/6	000000001959-12-01-0000December 1959
2814	61614	Castle Hedingham	000000001930-10-01-0000October 1930	000000001946-11-01-0000November 1946	B2	000000001959-06-01-0000June 1959
2815	61615	Culford Hall	000000001930-10-01-0000October 1930	000000001946-04-01-0000April 1946	B2	000000001959-02-01-0000February 1959
2816	61616	Fallodon	000000001930-10-01-0000October 1930	000000001945-11-01-0000November 1945	B2	000000001959-09-01-0000September 1959
2817	21617	Ford Castle	000000001930-11-01-0000November 1930	000000001946-12-01-0000December 1946	B2	000000001958-08-01-0000August 1958
2818	61618	Wynyard Park	000000001930-11-01-0000November 1930	000000001958-04-01-0000April 1958	B17/6	000000001960-01-01-0000January 1960
2819	61619	Welbeck Abbey	000000001930-11-01-0000November 1930	000000001953-01-01-0000January 1953	B17/6	000000001958-09-01-0000September 1958
2820	61620	Clumber	000000001930-11-01-0000November 1930	000000001951-12-01-0000December 1951	B17/6	000000001960-01-01-0000January 1960
2821	61621	Hatfield House	000000001930-11-01-0000November 1930	000000001955-01-01-0000January 1955	B17/6	000000001958-11-01-0000November 1958
2822	61622	Alnwick Castle	000000001931-01-01-0000January 1931	000000001943-10-01-0000October 1943	B17/6	000000001958-09-01-0000September 1958
2823	61623	Lambton Castle	000000001931-02-01-0000February 1931	000000001948-04-01-0000April 1948	B17/6	000000001959-07-01-0000July 1959
2824	61624	Lumley Castle	000000001931-02-01-0000February 1931	—	—	000000001953-03-01-0000March 1953
2825	61625	Raby Castle	000000001931-02-01-0000February 1931	—	—	000000001959-12-01-0000December 1959
2826	61626	Brancepeth Castle	000000001931-03-01-0000March 1931	000000001955-04-01-0000April 1955	B17/6	000000001960-01-01-0000January 1960
2827	61627	Aske Hall	000000001931-03-01-0000March 1931	000000001948-11-01-0000November 1948	B17/6	000000001959-07-01-0000July 1959
2828	61628	Harewood House	000000001931-03-01-0000March 1931	000000001948-12-01-0000December 1948	B17/6	000000001952-09-01-0000September 1952
2829	61629	Naworth Castle	000000001931-04-01-0000April 1931	—	—	000000001959-09-01-0000September 1959
2830	61630	Thoresby Park (Tottenham Hotspur from January 1938)	000000001931-04-01-0000April 1931	000000001948-12-01-0000December 1948	B17/6	000000001958-08-01-0000August 1958
2831	61631	Serlby Hall	000000001931-05-01-0000May 1931	000000001957-10-01-0000October 1957	B17/6	000000001959-04-01-0000April 1959
2832		Belvoir Castle (Royal Sovereign from September 1958)	000000001931-05-01-0000May 1931	000000001947-06-01-0000June 1947	B2	000000001959-02-01-0000February 1959
2833	61633	Kimbolton Castle	000000001931-05-01-0000May 1931	000000001948-08-01-0000August 1948	B17/6	000000001959-09-01-0000September 1959
2834	61634	Hinchingbrooke	000000001931-06-01-0000June 1931	000000001957-01-01-0000January 1957	B17/6	000000001958-08-01-0000August 1958
2835	61635	Milton	000000001931-07-01-0000July 1931	000000001949-01-01-0000January 1949	B17/6	000000001959-01-01-0000January 1959
2836	61636	Harlaxton Manor	000000001931-07-01-0000July 1931	000000001950-05-01-0000May 1950	B17/6	000000001959-10-01-0000October 1959
2837	61637	Thorpe Hall	000000001933-03-01-0000March 1933	000000001957-11-01-0000November 1957	B17/6	000000001959-09-01-0000September 1959
2838	61638	Melton Hall	000000001933-03-01-0000March 1933	000000001948-12-01-0000December 1948	B17/6	000000001958-03-01-0000March 1958
2839	61639	Rendlesham Hall (Norwich City from January 1938)	000000001933-05-01-0000May 1933	000000001946-01-01-0000January 1946	B2	000000001959-05-01-0000May 1959
2840	61640	Somerleyton Hall	000000001933-05-01-0000May 1933	000000001955-05-01-0000May 1955	B17/6	000000001958-11-01-0000November 1958
2841	61641	Gayton Hall	000000001933-05-01-0000May 1933	000000001949-02-01-0000February 1949	B17/6	000000001960-01-01-0000January 1960
2842	61642	Kilverstone Hall	000000001933-05-01-0000May 1933	000000001949-01-01-0000January 1949	B17/6	000000001958-09-01-0000September 1958
2843	61643	Champion Lodge	000000001935-05-01-0000May 1935	000000001954-10-01-0000October 1954	B17/6	000000001958-07-01-0000July 1958
2844	61644	Earlham Hall	000000001935-05-01-0000May 1935	000000001949-03-01-0000March 1949	B2	000000001959-02-01-0000February 1959
2845	61645	The Suffolk Regiment	000000001935-06-01-0000June 1935	000000001952-12-01-0000December 1952	B17/6	000000001959-02-01-0000February 1959
2846	61646	Gilwell Park	000000001935-08-01-0000August 1935	000000001951-02-01-0000February 1951	B17/6	000000001959-01-01-0000January 1959
2847	61647	Helmingham Hall	000000001935-09-01-0000September 1935	000000001958-02-01-0000February 1958	B17/6	000000001959-11-01-0000November 1959
2848	61648	Arsenal	000000001936-03-01-0000March 1936	000000001957-10-01-0000October 1957	B17/6	000000001958-12-01-0000December 1958
2849	61649	Sheffield United	000000001936-03-01-0000March 1936	000000001954-03-01-0000March 1954	B17/6	000000001959-02-01-0000February 1959
2850	61650	Grimsby Town	000000001936-03-01-0000March 1936	000000001955-02-01-0000February 1955	B17/6	000000001958-09-01-0000September 1958
2851	61651	Derby County	000000001936-03-01-0000March 1936	000000001953-06-01-0000June 1953	B17/6	000000001959-08-01-0000August 1959
2852	61652	Darlington	000000001936-04-01-0000April 1936	000000001948-03-01-0000March 1948	B17/6	000000001959-09-01-0000September 1959
2853	61653	Huddersfield Town	000000001936-04-01-0000April 1936	000000001954-05-01-0000May 1954	B17/6	000000001960-01-01-0000January 1960
2854	61654	Sunderland	000000001936-04-01-0000April 1936	000000001948-04-01-0000April 1948	B17/6	000000001959-11-01-0000November 1959
2855	61655	Middlesbrough	000000001936-04-01-0000April 1936	000000001950-07-01-0000July 1950	B17/6	000000001959-04-01-0000April 1959
2856	61656	Leeds United	000000001936-05-01-0000May 1936	000000001953-11-01-0000November 1953	B17/6	000000001960-01-01-0000January 1960
2857	61657	Doncaster Rovers	000000001936-05-01-0000May 1936	000000001950-10-01-0000October 1950	B17/6	000000001960-06-01-0000June 1960
2858	61658	Newcastle United (The Essex Regiment from June 1936)	000000001936-05-01-0000May 1936	000000001950-09-01-0000September 1950	B17/6	000000001959-12-01-0000December 1959
2859	61659	Norwich City (East Anglian from September 1937)	000000001936-06-01-0000June 1936	000000001949-07-01-0000July 1949	B17/6	000000001960-03-01-0000March 1960
2860	61660	Hull City	000000001936-06-01-0000June 1936	—	—	000000001960-06-01-0000June 1960
2861	61661	Sheffield Wednesday	000000001936-06-01-0000June 1936	000000001955-08-01-0000August 1955	B17/6	000000001959-07-01-0000July 1959
2862	61662	Manchester United	000000001937-01-01-0000January 1937	000000001955-03-01-0000March 1955	B17/6	000000001959-12-01-0000December 1959
2863	61663	Everton	000000001937-02-01-0000February 1937	000000001951-11-01-0000November 1951	B17/6	000000001960-02-01-0000February 1960
2864	61664	Liverpool	000000001937-01-01-0000January 1937	000000001943-10-01-0000October 1943	B17/6	000000001960-06-01-0000June 1960
2865	61665	Leicester City	000000001937-01-01-0000January 1937	000000001949-08-01-0000August 1949	B17/6	000000001959-04-01-0000April 1959
2866	61666	Nottingham Forest	000000001937-02-01-0000February 1937	000000001947-12-01-0000December 1947	B17/6	000000001960-03-01-0000March 1960
2867	61667	Bradford	000000001937-04-01-0000April 1937	—	—	000000001958-06-01-0000June 1958
2868	61668	Bradford City	000000001937-04-01-0000April 1937	000000001949-06-01-0000June 1949	B17/6	000000001960-08-01-0000August 1960
2869	61669	Barnsley	000000001937-05-01-0000May 1937	000000001949-09-01-0000September 1949	B17/6	000000001958-09-01-0000September 1958
2870	61670	Manchester City (Tottenham Hotspur from May 1937) (City of London from September 1937)	000000001937-05-01-0000May 1937	000000001951-04-01-0000April 1951	B17/6	000000001960-04-01-0000April 1960
2871	61671	Manchester City (Royal Sovereign from April 1946)	000000001937-06-01-0000June 1937	000000001948-08-01-0000August 1948	B2	000000001958-09-01-0000September 1958
2872	61672	West Ham United	000000001937-07-01-0000July 1937	000000001950-09-01-0000September 1950	B17/6	000000001960-03-01-0000March 1960

Preservation

Several were named after football clubs. None of the class have survived into preservation but a few of the football clubs were presented with the name plates after the locomotives were scrapped.

In Steam Railway magazine issue 349, on 1 May 2008 the North British Locomotive Preservation Group launched a unique project to build two LNER Class B17 4-6-0s, one to be named after a football club and the other 61600 Sandringham. This was subsequently revised to a more realistic target of building a single replica of 61600 Sandringham.^[10]

The frames of a Great Eastern Railway tender, fitted with an original axle from 2802 'Walsingham', and a LNER tender have been secured for the project and are now based on the Mid-Norfolk Railway, where the LNER tender is to be cosmetically restored for display.^[11]

Modelling

Having previously produced tender drive OO gauge models of the "Footballer"-spec B17s, Hornby released an all-new locomotive drive model of the B17 in 2013, available in both B17/1 and B17/6 subclasses with either the small GER-region tender or the larger LNER group standard 4200 gallon tender.^[12]

Dapol manufacture a model of a B17 in N scale, which was awarded Steam Model Railway Locomotive of the year for N gauge.^[13]

References

↑ Boddy et al. 1975, pp. 93–94
↑ Boddy et al. 1975, p. 94
↑ Boddy et al. 1975, pp. 95, 122
1 2 Boddy et al. 1975, pp. 94–95, 122
↑ Boddy et al. 1975, pp. 95, 123
↑ Earnshaw 1990, p. 16.
↑ Earnshaw 1991, p. 26.
↑ Earnshaw 1991, p. 28.
↑ Earnshaw 1991, p. 30.
↑ B17 Steam Locomotive Trust, accessed 13 December 2013
↑ "Moving the B17 Tenders". Blastpipe (113): 22. Winter 2012. |access-date= requires |url= (help)
↑ "Reviews: Hornby’s Gresley ‘B17’ 4-6-0 arrives!". Hornby Magazine. Retrieved 2013-02-15.
↑ "B17 N gauge steam loco of the year". Dapol. Retrieved 2012-03-16.

Sources

Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Platt, E. N. T.; Proud, P.; Yeadon, W. B. (March 1975). Fry, E. V., ed. Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 2B: Tender Engines—Classes B1 to B19. Lincoln: RCTS. ISBN 0-901115-73-8.
Earnshaw, Alan (1990). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 6. Penryn: Atlantic Books. ISBN 0-906899-37-0.
Earnshaw, Alan (1991). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 7. Penryn: Atlantic Books. ISBN 0-906899-50-8.
Yeadon, Willie (1993). Yeadon's Register of LNER Locomotives Vol.5: Gresley B17 and Thompson B2 Classes. Irwell Press.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to LNER Class B17.

London and North Eastern Railway locomotives

Pre-grouping railway designs:

Great Central:	A5 B1/B18 B2/B19 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8 B9 C4 C5 C13 C14 D5 D6 D7 D8 D9 D10 D11 D12 E2 E3 E8 F1 F2 G3 J8 J9 J10 J11 J12 J13 J58 J59 J60 J61 J62 J63 L1/L3 M1 N4 N5 N6 O4 O5 Q4 S1 X4 Y2

Great Eastern:	B12 D13 D14 D15 D16 E4 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 G4 J14 J15 J16 J17 J18 J19 J20 J65 J66 J67 J68 J69 J70 N7 Y4 Y5 Y6 Z4/J92

Great North of Scotland:	D38 D39 D40 D41 D42 D43 D44 D45 D46 D47 D48 G10 J90 J91 Z4 Z5

Great Northern:	A1 C1 C2 C12 D1 D2 D3 D4 E1 G1 G2 J1 J2 J3 J4 J5 J6 J7 J50 J51 J52 J53 J54 J55 J56 J57 K1 K2 K3 N1 N2 O1 O2 Q1 Q2 Q3 R1

North British:	C10 C11 C15 C16 D25 D26 D27 D28 D29 D30 D31 D32 D33 D34 D35 D36 D50 D51 E7 G7 G8 G9 J31 J32 J33 J34 J35 J36 J37 J81 J82 J83 J84 J85 J86 J88 N14 N15 Y9 Y10

North Eastern:	A2 A6 A7 B13 B14 B15 B16 C6 C7 C8 D17/1 D17/2 D18 D19 D20 D21 D22 D23 E5 E6 F8 G5 G6 H1 J21 J22 J24 J25 J26 J27 J71 J72 J73 J74 J76 J77 J78 J79 N8 N9 N10 Q5 Q6 Q7 T1 X1 X2 X3 Y7 Y8 EB1 EE1 EF1 ES1

North Eastern (ex Hull & Barnsley)	D24 J23 J28 J75 J80 N11 N12 N13 Q10

LNER designs:

Gresley (1923–1941):	A1 A3 A4 A8 B17 D49 J38 J39 J50 K4 P1 P2 U1 V1 V2 V3 V4 W1 EM1

Thompson (1941–1946):	A1 A2/1 A2/2 A2/3 B1 B2 K1 K5 L1 O1 Q1

Peppercorn (1946–1947):	A1 A2 K1

Other designs:

Proposed designs:

P10 2-8-2T (Nov 1929)
B 4-6-0 (Nov 1936)
? 4-8-2 (1939)
Q 0-8-0 (June 1930)
D 4-4-0 (1943)
? 4-8-4 (Feb 1946)
? 4-8-2 (Feb 1946)
K 2-6-0 (Aug 1947)

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