H&BR Class A

The H&BR Class A (later LNER Class Q10) was an 0-8-0 heavy freight engine designed by Matthew Stirling and built by the Yorkshire Engine Company of Sheffield. They were the largest of the engines on the Hull and Barnsley Railway.

History

The Class A was developed to deal with the steeply graded eastern section of the H&BR between Springhead and Sandholme. Because of this the special link workings they dealt with were nicknamed the "Sandholme Bankers". An order for 15 locomotives was placed with the Yorkshire Engine Company in 1907 with 10 arriving in the spring and the remainder in the autumn of that year. No. 117 was the first to arrive, this engine being the one used to familiarise footplate staff with them. Due to their size they were affectionately nicknamed "Tinies" by the footplate men.

The locos were set to work being able to pull 50% more than the previous capabilities of the early Stirling Classes. Though they were cleared for running on the whole of the H&B mainline, they never strayed from Springhead Shed and were banned from the Denaby, Neptune Street, Cannon Street and Sculcoates lines. Despite being reasonable locomotives they were regarded with suspicion due to their high boiler pressures following the Wath explosion, so the H&B management increased payment for crews who manned the "Tinies".

Various modifications were made to the "Tinies" over their lives. Sanding arrangements were altered to improove the adhesion of the engines, and one engine, No. 129, received a small porthole window in the cabside. All engines received a cab roof ventilator. During the first world war, the boiler pressure was dropped from 200lb/sq.in to 175l/sq.in. No other modifications were made until the merger with the North Eastern Railway.

Under new management, some "Tinies" were sent to Darlington where they received domed boilers. All members of the class passed into LNER ownership, though by the grouping more powerful ex Great Central Railway types were available. Cudworth shed soon became swarmed with ROD 2-8-0s, and 12 of the "Tinies" were away from their home system by 1929. They never found favour with other depot footplate staff, and all were withdrawn by the end of 1931.

References

[An Illustrated History of Hull and Barnsley Railway Locomotives "M. A. Barker"] [Locomotives of the Hull and Barnsley Raiway "Ron Prattley"]