GNR Stirling 4-2-2
Stirling No. 1 on the turntable at National Railway Museum
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| Type and origin | |
|---|---|
| Power type | Steam |
| Designer | Patrick Stirling |
| Builder | Doncaster Works |
| Build date | 1870-1895 |
| Total produced | 53 |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Configuration | 4-2-2 |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Leading dia. | 3 ft 11.5 in (1.207 m) |
| Driver dia. | 8 ft 1 in (2.464 m) |
| Trailing dia. | 4 ft 1 in (1.245 m) (1870 series); 4 ft 7.5 in (1.410 m) (1884 and 1894 series) |
| Length | 50 ft 7 in (15.42 m) |
| Loco weight | 39.45 long tons (40.08 t; 44.18 short tons) (1870 series); 45.15 long tons (45.87 t; 50.57 short tons) (1884 series); 48.75 long tons (49.53 t; 54.60 short tons) (1894 series) |
| Fuel type | Coal |
| Fuel capacity | watercap = 2,500 imp gal (11,000 l; 3,000 US gal) |
| Boiler pressure | 140 psi (970 kPa) (1870 series); 160 psi (1,100 kPa) (1884 series); 170 psi (1,200 kPa) (1894 series); |
| Cylinders | two, outside |
| Cylinder size | 18 in × 28 in (457 mm × 711 mm) (1870 and 1884 series); 19.5 in × 28 in (495 mm × 711 mm) (1894 series) |
| Performance figures | |
|---|---|
| Tractive effort | 11,129 lbf (49.50 kN) (1870 series) 12,719 lbf (56.58 kN) (1884 series) 15,680 lbf (69.75 kN) (1870 series) |
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Withdrawn | 1899-1916 |
| Disposition | 1 preserved, remainder scrapped |
The Great Northern Railway (GNR) No. 1 class Stirling Single is a class of steam locomotive designed for express passenger work. Designed by Patrick Stirling, they are characterised by a single pair of large driving wheels which led to the nickname "eight-footer". Originally the locomotive was designed to haul up to 26 passenger carriages at an average speed of 47 miles per hour (76 km/h)."
On his arrival at GNR, Stirling set out to standardise the railway's rolling stock. He also borrowed a 'single-wheeler' from the Great Eastern Railway and, in 1868, designed two versions of 2-2-2 with 7 ft 1 in (2.159 m) driving wheels.
The outcome, in 1870 was a locomotive with 8 ft 1 in (2.464 m) driver wheels, designed specifically for high speed expresses between York and London. The norm in those days was inside cylinders. Not only were there frequent failures of the cranked axle shafts, with such large drivers, they would have set the boiler too high. He therefore used outside cylinders with a four-wheeled bogie for lateral stability at the front end. According to Hamilton Ellis's description entitled 'Pat Stirling's masterpiece,' the design was a version of a 2-2-2 designed by Stirling for the Glasgow and South Western Railway, 'considerably enlarged, and provided with a leading bogie.'
A total of 53 were built at Doncaster between 1870 and 1895, in three series introduced in 1870, 1884, and 1894;. (George Frederick Bird, referred to the three series as 'G, G2 and G3 classes' in 1910, and this classification has been used in other sources but it does not appear to have been used officially by the GNR.)
The GNR did not number its locomotives sequentially, instead using numbers freed up by withdrawing older locomotives. Thus the 1870 series was numbered between GNR No. 1 and 671, the 1884 series 771-8 and 1001-2, and 1894 series 1003-8.
They were able to haul 275 long tons (279 t; 308 short tons) trains at an average of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h), with a top speed, on lighter trains, of 85 miles per hour (137 km/h), taking part in the 1895 Race to the North. GNR Stirling No 775 made the 82 miles (132 km) from Grantham to York in 1 hour 16 minutes. This means an average speed of 64.7 mph (104.1 km/h).
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Wikipedia