"Black Pigs" / "Colliers' Friends"

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neildimmer
LNER A3 4-6-2
Posts: 1489
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 11:49 am

"Black Pigs" / "Colliers' Friends"

Post by neildimmer »

com


The GCR Class 9Q, classified B7 by the LNER, was a class of 4-6-0 mixed traffic locomotives designed by John G. Robinson for fast goods, relief passenger and excursion services on the Great Central Railway. They were a smaller wheeled version of Robinson’s earlier Class 9P "Lord Faringdon" express passenger class (LNER Class B3). The B7s had short-travel valve gear that resulted in heavy coal consumption. This quickly led to the nicknames of "Black Pigs" and "Colliers' Friends", although they were probably Robinson's most successful 4-6-0 design. Also, it should be noted that their coal consumption during LNER ownership was similar to other 4-6-0s performing similar work.
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Neil
Darryl Tooley
NBR J36 0-6-0
Posts: 106
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 9:21 pm
Location: Briston, UK

Re: "Black Pigs" / "Colliers' Friends"

Post by Darryl Tooley »

Neil

First photo is GCR 8N (LNER class B6) No 53.

D
Hatfield Shed
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
Posts: 1664
Joined: Fri Dec 23, 2011 3:34 pm

Re: "Black Pigs" / "Colliers' Friends"

Post by Hatfield Shed »

The B7 is something of a puzzle, the B6 of three years before having proved a successful design. Why the expense of two more cylinders and gear, resulting in an increased cylinder volume that would have needed full regulator opening and short cut off running most of the time for efficiency, which the gear could not deliver? That's the reason for the crew's observations on coal consumption, these had to be set at a relatively long cut off and then driven on the regulator; much as what bedevilled the Gresley A1 pacifics in their short valve travel form.

On the positive side they were by general report a class that rode significantly better than the average two cylinder freight machine of similar capability, so that benefit of four cylinders was delivered.
neildimmer
LNER A3 4-6-2
Posts: 1489
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 11:49 am

Re: "Black Pigs" / "Colliers' Friends"

Post by neildimmer »

Darryl Tooley wrote:Neil

First photo is GCR 8N (LNER class B6) No 53.

D


Thanks Darryl, moved to correct gallery
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Neil
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Atlantic 3279
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
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Re: "Black Pigs" / "Colliers' Friends"

Post by Atlantic 3279 »

Not everybody seems to accept the authenticity, amongst railwaymen in the "heyday" of these locos, of the two mentioned nicknames for this class. Those names may originate amongst later armchair critics. "Black four cylinder" seems a less contentious term. One tabulated set of coal consumption figures that I remember seeing showed little difference between B7s, K3s and B16s on similar duties.
Most subjects, models and techniques covered in this thread are now listed in various categories on page1

Dec. 2018: Almost all images that disappeared from my own thread following loss of free remote hosting are now restored.
Mickey

Re: "Black Pigs" / "Colliers' Friends"

Post by Mickey »

Funny those 'Black Pigs' grabbed my attention from looking through The Great Central Album book circa 1970.

Also from looking through said book arose my occasional interest in GCR Robinson locos that saw me going as far as buying a small enamel loco badge of a GCR 4-4-0 'Director' (Butler Henderson) that I use to wear in my jacket lapel back in the 1970/71 era.
Nova
GER D14 4-4-0 'Claud Hamilton'
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Re: "Black Pigs" / "Colliers' Friends"

Post by Nova »

what sort of kits are available for this class?
Coalby and Marblethorpe, my vision of an un-nationalised Great Britain in the 50s and 60s: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11905


36C Studeos, kits in 4MM scale: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11947
jwealleans
LNER A4 4-6-2 'Streak'
Posts: 4208
Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 8:46 am

Re: "Black Pigs" / "Colliers' Friends"

Post by jwealleans »

None in 4mm. There is one in 7mm from Gladiator if still available.
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