The North Eastern Railway Class L, classified as Class J73 by the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), was a class of 0-6-0T steam locomotives.[4] They were a specialised design, intended for use on the steep inclines of the Redheugh and Quayside banks on either side of the River Tyne. They were replaced on the Quayside branch by NER Class ES1 electric locomotives in 1905 but were re-allocated to other duties, mostly around Tyne Dock and Ferryhill and several were used on Humberside.[3][5]
Overview
The Class L was Wilson Worsdell‘s first design for the NER. Unusually for a Wilson Worsdell design, they were fitted with Joy valve gear instead of the Stephenson valve gear fitted to his later locomotives.[3]
Numbering
The locomotives were originally numbered 554–553.[2] All 10 locomotives survived into British Railways ownership in 1948 and their BR numbers were 68355–68364.[citation needed]
Withdrawal
They were all withdrawn between 1955 and 1960.[1] None have been preserved.
References
- ^ a b c d e f Casserley, H.C.; Johnston, S.W. (1966). Locomotives at the Grouping: London & North-Eastern Railway. Ian Allan. p. 65. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
- ^ a b c d e Nock, O.S. (1974). Locomotives of the North Eastern Railway. Ian Allan. p. 89. ISBN 07110 04935. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
- ^ a b c Adams, Will (2015). Locomotives We Have Lost. Oxford Publishing Co. p. 226. ISBN 978 086093 667 1. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
- ^ Ian Allan ABC of British Railways Locomotives, part 4 (1948 ed.). p. 48.
- ^ Blakemore, Michael (2004). LNER in Transition. Pendragon. p. 89. ISBN 1 899816 11 9. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
External links
- The W.Worsdell J73 (NER Class L) 0-6-0 Tank Engines LNER Encyclopedia