View source for GCR Classes 8D and 8E

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}} 
{{Use British English|date=April 2017}}
{{Infobox locomotive
| name             = GCR Classes 8D and 8E<br />LNER Class C5
| powertype        =Steam
| image            = 
| alt              = 
| caption          = 
| designer         = [[John G. Robinson]]
| builder          = GCR, at [[Gorton locomotive works|Gorton]]
| builddate        = 1905–06
| totalproduction  = 4
| whytetype        = [[4-4-2 (locomotive)|4-4-2]]
| uicclass         = 2′B1′ n3v, later 2′B1′ h3v 
| gauge            = {{track gauge|ussg}}
| leadingdiameter  = {{convert|3|ft|6|in|mm|abbr=on}}
| driverdiameter   = {{convert|6|ft|9|in|mm|abbr=on}}
| trailingdiameter = {{convert|4|ft|3|in|mm|abbr=on}}
| wheelbase        = {{convert|51|ft|10|in|mm|abbr=on}}
| length           = {{convert|61|ft|11+1/4|in|mm|abbr=on}}
| axleload         = {{convert|18.5|LT|abbr=on}}
| weightondrivers  = {{convert|37|LT|abbr=on}}
| locoweight       = {{convert|73.3|LT|abbr=on}}
| tenderweight     = {{convert|48.3|LT|abbr=on}}
| locotenderweight = {{convert|121.6|LT|abbr=on}}
| fueltype         = Coal
| fuelcap          = {{convert|6|LT|abbr=on}}
| watercap         = {{convert|4000|impgal|L|abbr=on}}
| boiler           = 
| boilerpressure   = {{convert|180|psi|MPa|abbr=on}}
| firearea         = {{convert|26.24|sqft|abbr=on}}
| tubearea         = {{convert|1778|sqft|abbr=on}}
| fireboxarea      = {{convert|153|sqft|abbr=on}}
| totalsurface     = {{convert|1931|sqft|abbr=on}}
| cylindercount    = Three, one inside high-pressure, two outside low-pressure
| hpcylindersize   = {{convert|19|x|26|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} 
| lpcylindersize   = {{convert|21|x|26|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} 
| valvegear        = [[Stephenson valve gear|Stephenson]]
| valvetype        = HP: piston valve,<br />LP: slide valves
| tractiveeffort   = {{convert|13321|lbf|kN|abbr=on}}
| trainheating     = Steam
| locobrakes       = Steam
| trainbrakes      = Vacuum
| safety           = 
| operator         = {{ubl|[[Great Central Railway]]|→ [[London and North Eastern Railway]]}}
| operatorclass    = {{ubl|GCR: 8D, 8E|LNER: C5}}
| powerclass       = 
| numinclass       = 4
| fleetnumbers     = {{ubl|GCR: 258/9, 364/5|LNER: 5258/9, 5364/5,|then 2895–8}}
| nicknames        = "Compounds"
| axleloadclass    = LNER: [[Route availability|RA]] 7
| withdrawndate    = 1946–47
| disposition      = All scrapped
| notes            =
}}
'''GCR Classes 8D and 8E''' were two pairs of three-cylinder [[compound steam locomotive]]s of the [[4-4-2 (locomotive)|4-4-2]] wheel arrangement built in 1905 and 1906 for the [[Great Central Railway]].

==History==
In 1903, the [[Great Central Railway]] (GCR) had given comparative trials to two pairs of two-cylinder express passenger steam locomotives designed by their [[Chief Mechanical Engineer]], [[John G. Robinson]]. These were similar in most respects, the main difference being that one pair ([[GCR Class 8B|class 8B]]) were of the [[4-4-2 (locomotive)|4-4-2]] wheel arrangement, whereas the other pair ([[GCR Class 8C|class 8C]]) were [[4-6-0]].{{sfn|Haresnape|Rowledge|1982|p=48}} These trials demonstrated that the 4-4-2 was best for the GCR conditions, and so five more of class 8B were ordered, soon followed by a batch of 12.{{sfn|Haresnape|Rowledge|1982|pp=48, 52}}

Whilst these were under construction, it was decided to compare the merits of these locomotives against a three-cylinder compound of similar size. Accordingly, two compounds of the 4-4-2 wheel arrangement were built: no. 258 in December 1905 followed by no. 259 in February 1906, and these formed ''Class 8D''.{{sfn|Jackson|1996|p=99}}{{sfn|Boddy|Brown|Fry|Hennigan|1979|p=83}}

The class 8D locomotives were designed by Robinson according to the principles of [[Walter Mackersie Smith|Walter M. Smith]], in which there were three cylinders: the boiler fed a single high-pressure cylinder placed between the frames, where the steam was partially used; it was then passed to two low-pressure cylinders mounted outside the frames, which extracted the remaining useful work from the steam. The same system had already been tried by Smith's employers, the [[North Eastern Railway (UK)|North Eastern Railway]] in their [[NER Class 3CC|class 3CC]] of 1898, and with great success by the [[Midland Railway]] (MR) in their [[Midland Railway 1000 Class|1000 class]] of 1902.{{sfn|Jackson|1996|p=99}}{{sfn|van Riemsdijk|1994|pp=26–27, 29}} The GCR engines used the same size cylinders as the MR engines, but were arranged differently. On the MR engines, all three cylinders drove the same axle, but the GCR engines were designed so that the high-pressure cylinder drove the front coupled axle as on the MR engines, whereas the low-pressure cylinders drove the rear coupled axle; the first use of this arrangement in Britain.{{sfn|Jackson|1996|p=99}}

Walter M. Smith's son, John W. Smith, joined the GCR at Gorton on 20 August 1906 as Works Manager & Chief Draughtsman.{{sfn|Dow|1965|p=135–6}} The GCR ordered ten more 4-4-2s for delivery in 1906: of these, eight were to the class 8B design, and two were compounds. These two, nos. 364/5, shared a number of components with the eight class 8B engines, and were sufficiently different from the two compounds of class 8D to warrant a separate classification, so became ''Class 8E''.{{sfn|Boddy|Brown|Fry|Hennigan|1979|pp=66, 83}} No more 4-4-2s were built for the GCR, of any of these classes, although in 1908, Robinson did consider ordering more compounds: but the introduction of superheating soon provided a simpler method of reducing coal consumption.{{sfn|Jackson|1996|pp=100–1}}

The four locomotives therefore remained the only compounds on the GCR. They were later given superheaters: the first was no. 365 in 1911, but it was not until 1927 before the last, no. 258, was superheated.{{sfn|Boddy|Brown|Fry|Hennigan|1979|pp=85, 88}}

Initially based at Gorton, they were used on the express passenger trains between {{stnlnk|Manchester London Road}} and {{stnlnk|London Marylebone}}. In 1920/21, the Manchester-London trains having become too heavy for them, they were transferred to Leicester, for use on the expresses between {{stnlnk|Leicester Central}} and London Marylebone. In 1932/33 they moved to Immingham, where they were mainly used on services between {{stnlnk|Cleethorpes}} and {{stnlnk|Doncaster}}, {{stnlnk|Sheffield Victoria}} or {{stnlnk|Retford}}. Withdrawal occurred between December 1946 and December 1947.{{sfn|Jackson|1996|pp=101, 103, 105}}{{sfn|Boddy|Brown|Fry|Hennigan|1979|pp=87–88}}

==Numbers and names==
{|class=wikitable
!Number !!Built !!Class !!Name !!Withdrawn
|-
|258 ||December 1905 ||8D ||''[[R. A. Cross, 1st Viscount Cross|The Rt. Hon. Viscount Cross G.C.B. G.C.S.I.]]'' ||December 1946
|-
|259 ||February 1906 ||8D ||''[[King Edward VII]]'' ||April 1947
|-
|364 ||December 1906 ||8E ||''[[Alexander Henderson, 1st Baron Faringdon|Lady Henderson]]'' ||December 1947
|-
|365 ||December 1906 ||8E ||''[[Sir William Pollitt]]'' ||August 1947
|}
The locomotives were originally nameless. No. 259 was the first to be named, this occurring by November 1906 and was in honour of the reigning monarch; no. 364 was named by March 1907 after the wife of the GCR Chairman, Sir Alexander Henderson; no. 365 was named by October 1907 after the former GCR General Manager; and no. 258 was last, in June 1909, being named after the senior Director on the GCR Board.{{sfn|Boddy|Brown|Fry|Hennigan|1979|p=87}} The nameplate of no. 258 had the name in three rows, the lettering of the middle row (the words "VISCOUNT CROSS") being of normal size, whereas the lettering of the other two rows was significantly smaller.{{sfn|Boddy|Fry|Hennigan|Proud|1963|loc=fig. 60}} No. 364 was renamed ''Lady Faringdon'' in 1917,{{sfn|Boddy|Brown|Fry|Hennigan|1979|p=88}} Lady Henderson's husband having been raised to the peerage as the first [[Alexander Henderson, 1st Baron Faringdon|Baron Faringdon]] the previous year.{{sfn|Dow|1965|p=287}}

After the Grouping, the LNER increased the GCR numbers by 5000, this occurring in 1924–5. Under the 1946 renumbering, they became 2895–8 in the same order.{{sfn|Boddy|Brown|Fry|Hennigan|1979|p=88}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|colwidth=20em}}

==References==
*{{cite book |last1=Boddy |first1=M.G. |last2=Fry |first2=E.V. |last3=Hennigan |first3=W. |last4=Proud |first4=P. |last5=Yeadon |first5=W.B. |authorlink5=Willie Yeadon |editor-last=Fry |editor-first=E.V. |title=Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., part 1: Preliminary Survey |date=July 1963 |publisher=[[Railway Correspondence and Travel Society|RCTS]] |location=Potters Bar }}
*{{RCTS-LocosLNER|3A}}
*{{cite book |last=Dow |first=George |authorlink=George Dow |title=Great Central, Volume Three: Fay Sets the Pace, 1900-1922 |year=1965 |publisher=[[Ian Allan Publishing|Ian Allan]] |location=Shepperton |isbn=0-7110-0263-0 }}
*{{cite book |last1=Haresnape |first1=Brian |last2=Rowledge |first2=Peter |title=Robinson Locomotives: A Pictorial History |date=May 1982 |publisher=[[Ian Allan Publishing|Ian Allan]] |location=Shepperton |isbn=0-7110-1151-6 |id=DX/0582 }}
*{{cite book |last=Jackson |first=David |title=J.G. Robinson: A Lifetime's Work |series=The Oakwood Library of Railway History |year=1996 |publisher=Oakwood Press |location=Headington |isbn=0-85361-497-0 |id=OL98 }}
*{{cite book |last=van Riemsdijk |first=John T. |title=Compound Locomotives: An International Survey |year=1994 |publisher=Atlantic Books |location=Penryn |isbn=0-906899-61-3 }}

{{LNER Locomotives |state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gcr Class 08d And 08e}}
[[Category:Great Central Railway locomotives|08D]]
[[Category:4-4-2 locomotives]]
[[Category:Railway locomotives introduced in 1905]]
[[Category:Compound locomotives]]
[[Category:Scrapped locomotives]]
[[Category:Standard gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain]]
[[Category:2′B1′ n3v locomotives]]
[[Category:2′B1′ h3v locomotives]]
[[Category:Three-cylinder compound steam locomotives]]
[[Category:Passenger locomotives]]