BR Standard Class 9F

BR Standard Class 9F [1]: 80–87
A Standard 9F on the Erewash Valley Line in 1957
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Robert Riddles Builder BR Crewe Works (198) BR Swindon Works (53) Build date January 1954 – March 1960 Total produced 251
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-10-0  • UIC 1'E h2 Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge Leading dia. 3 ft 0 in (0.914 m) Driver dia. 5 ft 0 in (1.524 m) Wheelbase 30 ft 2 in (9.19 m) engine 14 ft 0 in (4.27 m) tender 55 ft 11 in (17.04 m) total Length 66 ft 2 in (20.17 m) Axle load 15.5 long tons (15.7 t; 17.4 short tons) Loco weight 86 long tons 14 cwt (194,200 lb or 88.1 t) to 90 long tons 4 cwt (202,000 lb or 91.6 t) Tender weight BR1B: 50 long tons 5 cwt (112,600 lb or 51.1 t) BR1C: 53 long tons 5 cwt (119,300 lb or 54.1 t) BR1F: 55 long tons 5 cwt (123,800 lb or 56.1 t) BR1G: 52 long tons 10 cwt (117,600 lb or 53.3 t) BR1K: 52 long tons 7 cwt (117,300 lb or 53.2 t) Total weight 139.2 long tons (141.4 t; 155.9 short tons) Tender type BR1B (20); BR1C (85); BR1F (85); BR1G (58); BR1K (3) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity BR1B/BR1F/BR1G: 7 long tons (7.1 t); BR1C: 9 long tons (9.1 t) Water cap. BR1B: 4,725 imp gal (21,480 L; 5,674 US gal); BR1C: 4,725 imp gal (21,480 L; 5,674 US gal); BR1F: 5,625 imp gal (25,570 L; 6,755 US gal) BR1G: 5,000 imp gal (23,000 L; 6,000 US gal) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 40.2 sq ft (3.73 m2) Boiler pressure 250 psi (1,700 kPa) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 210 sq ft (20 m2)  • Tubes and flues 2,284 sq ft (212.2 m2) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 677 sq ft (62.9 m2) Cylinders Two Cylinder size 20 in × 28 in (508 mm × 711 mm)
Performance figures Tractive effort 39,667 lbf (176.45 kN)
Career Operators British Railways Power class 9F Numbers 92000–92250 Axle load class Route availability: 9; BR (WR): blue Locale British Railways: Eastern Region, Midland Region, Scottish Region, Southern Region, Western Region, North Eastern Region Withdrawn May 1964 – June 1968 Disposition Nine preserved, remainder scrapped

The British Railways Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 is a class of steam locomotive designed for British Railways by Robert Riddles. The Class 9F was the last in a series of standardised locomotive classes designed for British Railways during the 1950s, and was intended for use on fast, heavy freight trains over long distances. It was one of the most powerful steam locomotive types ever built for British Railways, and successfully performed its intended duties. The 9F class was given the nickname of 'Spaceship', due to its size and shape.^[2]

At various times during the 1950s, the 9Fs worked passenger trains with great success, indicating the versatility of the design, sometimes considered to represent the ultimate in British steam development. Several experimental variants were constructed in an effort to reduce costs and maintenance, although these met with varying degrees of success. They were capable of reaching speeds of up to 90 miles per hour (145 km/h).^[3][4]

The total number built was 251, production being shared between Swindon (53) and Crewe Works (198). The last of the class, 92220 Evening Star, was the final steam locomotive to be built by British Railways, in 1960. Withdrawals of the class began in 1964, with the final locomotives being withdrawn from service in 1968, the final year of steam traction on British Railways. Nine examples have survived into the preservation era in varying states of repair, including Evening Star.

They were generally thought of as very successful locomotives, O. S. Nock stating "The '9F' was unquestionably the most distinctive and original of all the British standard steam locomotives, and with little doubt the most successful. They were remarkable in their astonishing capacity for speed as well as their work in heavy freight haulage."^[5]