GCR Class 8A

The Great Central Railway (GCR) Class 8A was a class of 0-8-0 steam locomotive built between 1902 and 1911 for handling heavy coal trains over the Pennines. They all passed to the LNER in 1923, who redesignated them Class Q4. They were withdrawn from service between 1934 and 1951. 89 locomotives were built at three establishments between 1902 and 1911 as follows: The initial three were part of a combined order to be built by Neilson Reid for 18 locomotives that included six of Class 8; a number of components were common to the two classes. The last three were built in early 1911; later that year, the prototype Class 8K 2-8-0 appeared, which was an enlargement of the Class 8A design, and no more Class 8A locomotives were built. Many of the class were fitted with superheaters from 1914 onwards, but the process was not completed – the maximum number with superheated boilers was 70. In addition, boilers were frequently exchanged for maintenance purposes, and several locomotives that had carried a superheated boiler reverted to saturated steam following a repair, and some of these later became superheated again. Eight locomotives were never superheated. In 1916, no. 1134 was given larger cylinders of the same type as Class 8K – these had piston valves and a bore of 21 inches. Five more (LNER nos. 5136/7/53/60, 6076) were similarly equipped by the LNER between 1928 and 1933. Two sizes of tender were used: the 41 locomotives built during 1902–05 carried 3,250 gallons of water and six tons of coal; the 48 built during 1907–11 had the water capacity increased to 4,000 gallons. The class was designed to haul heavy coal trains from the South Yorkshire Coalfield westwards to Manchester and Liverpool, and eastwards to the ports at Grimsby and Immingham; until 1911 they also worked southwards to the marshalling yards at Woodford Halse. For this purpose, they were allocated to the locomotive depots at Annesley, Gorton, Grimsby, Keadby, Mexborough, Sheffield and Staveley.