GNR Class O2
Encyclopedia
The Great Northern Railway
(GNR) Class O2 was a class of three-cylinder 2-8-0
steam locomotive
designed by Nigel Gresley
for freight work and built by the GNR from 1921. Further examples were built by the London and North Eastern Railway
(LNER) from 1924.
16 more were delivered in 1932/33. Wartime requirements led to the construction of 25 in 1942/43 in three batches.
From personal recollection, between these times, in Retford they were shedded mostly in the former GCR shed on the Sheffield-Gainsborough line just east of the crossover with the LNER main line, rather than in the LNER shed to the west of the station. In this time, they would be seen hauling coal aggregate and slurry trains.
By the end of 1963 they were all gone, and none were preserved.
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
(GNR) Class O2 was a class of three-cylinder 2-8-0
2-8-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels...
steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
designed by Nigel Gresley
Nigel Gresley
Sir Herbert Nigel Gresley was one of Britain's most famous steam locomotive engineers, who rose to become Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway . He was the designer of some of the most famous steam locomotives in Britain, including the LNER Class A1 and LNER Class A4...
for freight work and built by the GNR from 1921. Further examples were built by the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
(LNER) from 1924.
Sub-classes
The LNER created four sub-classes:- O2/1, Introduced 1921. Development of experimental Gresley GNR 3-cylinder locomotive (LNER 3921). Subsequently rebuilt with side-window cab and reduced boiler mountings.
- O2/2, Introduced 1924. Development of O2/1 with detail differences.
- O2/3, Introduced 1932. Development of O2/2 with side-window cab and reduced boiler mountings.
- O2/4, Introduced 1943. Rebuilt with 100A (B1LNER Thompson Class B1The London and North Eastern Railway Thompson Class B1 is a class of steam locomotive designed for medium mixed traffic work. It was designed by Edward Thompson.- Overview :...
type) boiler and smokeboxSmokeboxA smokebox is one of the major basic parts of a Steam locomotive exhaust system. Smoke and hot gases pass from the firebox through tubes where they pass heat to the surrounding water in the boiler. The smoke then enters the smokebox, and is exhausted to the atmosphere through the chimney .To assist...
extended backwards.
GNR
The first models of this class were designed and built under GNR ownership, the first loco, 461, built in May 1918. A batch of ten further O2s were built by the North British Locomotive Co. in 1921.LNER
Immediately after Grouping (1923), fifteen more O2s were built.16 more were delivered in 1932/33. Wartime requirements led to the construction of 25 in 1942/43 in three batches.
British Railways
All 67 locomotives passed to British Railways (BR) in 1948 and were given BR Numbers 63921-63987, but 63921 (which was the prototype 461, LNER 3921) was quickly scrapped. The locos served all across the former LNER from Stratford through East Anglia into the East Midlands, primarily hauling coal and iron ore trains. By Winter 1955/56, they had all gravitated to Doncaster (36A - 35 locos), Grantham (35B - 14 locos) and Retford (36E - 17 locos). By Winter 1962 they were down to 52 locos still in much the same locations, the following having been scrapped: 63929/34/44/47/50-55/57-59/70.From personal recollection, between these times, in Retford they were shedded mostly in the former GCR shed on the Sheffield-Gainsborough line just east of the crossover with the LNER main line, rather than in the LNER shed to the west of the station. In this time, they would be seen hauling coal aggregate and slurry trains.
By the end of 1963 they were all gone, and none were preserved.