BR Standard Class 8

The BR Standard Class 8 was a class of 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive made by Robert Riddles for use by British Railways. Only an example was made. It was named Duke of Gloucester. It was made at Crewe Works in 1954. It is known as the Duke. It was a replacement for the destroyed Princess Royal Class vehicle number 46202 Princess Anne. It was involved in the Harrow and Wealdstone rail disaster of 1952.

BR Standard Class 8
No.71000 "Duke of Gloucester" hammering across the Somerset Levels on the Torbay Express
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Robert Riddles Builder BR Crewe Works Build date April 1954 Total produced 1
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-2 (Pacific)  • UIC 2′C1′h3 Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Leading dia. 3 ft 0 in (0.914 m) Driver dia. 6 ft 2 in (1.880 m) Trailing dia. 3 ft 3+1⁄2 in (1.003 m) Length 67 ft 8 in (20.62 m) Width 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m) Height 13 ft 0+1⁄2 in (3.98 m) Axle load 22.00 long tons (24.64 short tons; 22.35 t) Adhesive weight 66.00 long tons (73.92 short tons; 67.06 t) Loco weight 101.25 long tons (113.40 short tons; 102.87 t) Tender weight BR1E: 55.50 long tons (62.16 short tons; 56.39 t) BR1J: 53.70 long tons (60.14 short tons; 54.56 t) Tender type 1954–1958: BR1E 1958–1962: BR1J Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 10 long tons (11 short tons; 10 t) Water cap BR1E: 4,725 imp gal (21,480 L; 5,674 US gal) BR1J: 4,325 imp gal (19,660 L; 5,194 US gal) Firebox:  • Firegrate area 48.6 sq ft (4.52 m2) Boiler BR13 Boiler pressure 250 psi (1.72 MPa) Heating surface:  • Tubes and flues 2,264 sq ft (210.3 m2)  • Firebox 226 sq ft (21.0 m2) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 677 sq ft (62.9 m2) Cylinders Three Cylinder size 18 in × 28 in (457 mm × 711 mm)
Performance figures Tractive effort 39,080 lbf (173.84 kN) Factor of adh. 3.78
Career Operators British Railways Power class 8P Numbers 71000 Locale London Midland Region Withdrawn December 1962 Disposition Preserved

Gallery

• 
  Duke of Gloucester on an enthusiast railtour at Carmarthen railway station, 26 May 2007
• 
  71000 on the 9th of June 2007 approaching Shap at slow speed, taken just 5 minutes before the locomotive failed at Penrith. The locomotive was approaching the hill at slow speed and incapable of much traction.

Sound

• 71000 passing St Andrew's Junction

References

• 'British Railways standard 3 cylinder 4-6-2 express passenger steam locomotive No. 71000' (HMSO, British Transport Commission: London, 1957), p. [58] (Performance and efficiency tests, Bulletin No. 15)
• 'British Railways standard class "8" locomotives' (Engineer: 1954, 197, 81)
• 'B.R. class 8 4-6-2 locomotive No. 71000' (Locomotive, Railway Carriage and Wagon Review: 1954, 60)
• 'British Railways prototype class '8" express passenger locomotive' (Railway Magazine: 1954, 100)
• Clarke, David: Riddles Class 6/7 Standard Pacifics (Locomotives in Detail volume 5) (Ian Allan: Hinckley, 2006) ISBN 0711031770
• Herring, Peter: Classic British Steam Locomotives (Abbeydale Press: London, 2000) Section "BR Standard Class 8" ISBN 1861470576
• Hopkins, Danny and Streeter, Tony: 'The Duke's Bad Day' (Steam Railway Magazine: 2007, 338)
• Langston, Keith: Made in Crewe: 150 Years of Engineering Excellence (Mortons Media: Horncastle, 2006), ISBN 0955286808
• Nock, O.S.: 'Performance and efficiency tests on B.R. class 8 locomotive' (Engineer: 1957, 204)

Further reading

• Gilbert, Dr. P. T. (Ed.): A Detailed History Of BR Standard Steam Locomotives. Volume 1. Background to Standardisation and Pacific Classes (Railway Correspondence & Travel Society (RCTS): 1994) ISBN 0-901115-81-9

Other websites

• The 71000 Trust website - latest news and photos of the Duke of Gloucester Archived 2020-10-28 at the Wayback Machine
• The Duke of Gloucester website - more detail and pictures
• Steam Special along the West Cumbria Coast 24th Feb and 10 March 2007 Archived 19 May 2007 at the Wayback Machine