Information on Robinson rebuild by Thompson B3/3

[Jon Hilton]

I have always been intrigued by this rebuild after seeing it for the first time in about 1950 in my copy of "Locomotives of the LNER' by Wethersett & Asher. Being well out of the way in Australia I had no way of following it up. I note from the locomotive notes on the B3 it cryptically only mentions(!) frame breakages etc. I really would like to know- What link was it used in? Did it use the diagram 100A 225 psi boiler? Did it have standard B2 (& B1) 20x26 cyls (almost certainly)? If so I calculate its te as 24555 lbs because of its 81" wheels(cf 24863 for the B2) -academic I know, but I am a bit of a numbers freak! Any information on its frame breakages? The numbers gap in classes also eludes me, what were the B10 & B11 (if any?)

[jwealleans]

Geoffrey Hughes (LNER 4-6-0 at Work) says that there is little record of it at work, it moved about between depots for the 6 years it ran until withdrawn but it was involved in a collision at Woodhead when it stalled in the tunnel and the driver set it in reverse instead of forward gear, running into the train behind.

Yeadon simply comments that it was considered unsuccessful due to repeated frame fractures.

6 years for what was largely a brand new build isn't great, and suggests it was not very well thought of.

[Bill Bedford]

I have always been intrigued by this rebuild after seeing it for the first time in about 1950 in my copy of "Locomotives of the LNER' by Wethersett & Asher. Being well out of the way in Australia I had no way of following it up. I note from the locomotive notes on the B3 it cryptically only mentions(!) frame breakages etc. I really would like to know- What link was it used in? Did it use the diagram 100A 225 psi boiler? Did it have standard B2 (& B1) 20x26 cyls (almost certainly)? If so I calculate its te as 24555 lbs because of its 81" wheels(cf 24863 for the B2)

Basically they cut the original frame behind the cylinders and welded on a B1 front end. Since the frames on GC locos tended to be heavier than LNER one I suspect that this joint was the cause of most of the problems.

The numbers gap in classes also eludes me, what were the B10 & B11 (if any?)

They were left blank for new builds -as were some others eg A3, A4 etc