71000 Duke of Gloucester, BR era, withdrawn and cut apart + ressurection

The BR Standard Class 8 was a class of 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive designed by Robert Riddles for use by British Railways. Only the prototype was constructed, which was named Duke of Gloucester. Constructed at Crewe Works in 1954, the Duke, as it is popularly known, was a replacement for the destroyed LMS Princess Royal Class locomotive number 46202 Princess Anne, which was involved in the Harrow and Wealdstone rail disaster of 1952.
The Duke was based on the BR Standard Class 7 Britannia design. It incorporated three sets of modified Caprotti valve gear, relatively new to British locomotive engineering and more efficient than Walschaerts or Stephenson valve gear. The Duke was regarded as a failure by locomotive crews due to its poor steaming characteristics and its heavy fuel consumption. Trials undertaken by British Railways also returned negative feedback, reporting problems with the poor draughting of the locomotive which resulted in difficulty adhering to the timetables.
The result was an operational period of only eight years. This unique locomotive was saved from being scrapped at Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales when it was purchased by a group of railway enthusiasts who restored it from scrapyard to as-built condition in 13 years
Riddles had frequently argued the case for the inclusion of a Standard Class 8 Pacific into the standard range of locomotives being introduced by British Railways. However, these proposals were rejected by the Railway Executive on the grounds of cost in attempting to develop a form of steam motive power that was not necessarily required for use on Britain's railways, as there were enough class 8 locomotives already available for use. However, opportunity came out of adversity when the short-lived rebuild of The Turbomotive, 46202 Princess Anne, was destroyed in the Harrow and Wealdstone rail disaster of 1952. A gap now existed in the roster for locomotives with 8P power classification, of which the demand was high for the efficient operation of heavy expresses on the West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Scotland. This presented Riddles with the perfect opportunity to press the case for his new design, a prototype of which was duly authorised for construction.



71000 in B.R service





https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/BRStandardSteam/Duke-of-Gloucester-Clans/71000-Duke-of-Gloucester-pre-6/i-ZszpBdJ

71000 Duke of Gloucester pre '68 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years

https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/BRStandardSteam/Duke-of-Gloucester-Clans/71000-Duke-of-Gloucester-pre-6/i-KKD4GNC

71000 Duke of Gloucester pre '68 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years

https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/BRStandardSteam/Duke-of-Gloucester-Clans/71000-Duke-of-Gloucester-pre-6/i-pBKgzdD

71000 Duke of Gloucester pre '68 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years

https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/BRStandardSteam/Duke-of-Gloucester-Clans/71000-Duke-of-Gloucester-pre-6/i-7nN5SRc

71000 Duke of Gloucester pre '68 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years


https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/BRStandardSteam/Duke-of-Gloucester-Clans/71000-Duke-of-Gloucester-pre-6/i-McZjmzb

71000 Duke of Gloucester pre '68 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years

https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/BRStandardSteam/Duke-of-Gloucester-Clans/71000-Duke-of-Gloucester-pre-6/i-Tjs5FSb

71000 Duke of Gloucester pre '68 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years


https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/BRStandardSteam/Duke-of-Gloucester-Clans/71000-Duke-of-Gloucester-pre-6/i-DhWnJqh

71000 Duke of Gloucester pre '68 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years


at Crewe Works

https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/BRStandardSteam/Duke-of-Gloucester-Clans/71000-Duke-of-Gloucester-pre-6/i-8csZfQ2

71000 Duke of Gloucester pre '68 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years


https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/BRStandardSteam/Duke-of-Gloucester-Clans/71000-Duke-of-Gloucester-pre-6/i-wF2F3QS

71000 Duke of Gloucester pre '68 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years

https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/BRStandardSteam/Duke-of-Gloucester-Clans/71000-Duke-of-Gloucester-pre-6/i-wqdsL3L

71000 Duke of Gloucester pre '68 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years


https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/BRStandardSteam/Duke-of-Gloucester-Clans/71000-Duke-of-Gloucester-pre-6/i-3W6Rw5m

71000 Duke of Gloucester pre '68 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years


beginning of the end at Crewe Works?



https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/BRStandardSteam/Duke-of-Gloucester-Clans/71000-Duke-of-Gloucester-pre-6/i-9pMscdQ

71000 Duke of Gloucester pre '68 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years

https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/BRStandardSteam/Duke-of-Gloucester-Clans/71000-Duke-of-Gloucester-pre-6/i-tRxXs5T

71000 Duke of Gloucester pre '68 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years

Then Crewe South shed



https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/BRStandardSteam/Duke-of-Gloucester-Clans/71000-Duke-of-Gloucester-pre-6/i-DxT8wKd

71000 Duke of Gloucester minus front cylinder and Tony Gillett Crewe South 1/8/1967
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years


https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/BRStandardSteam/Duke-of-Gloucester-Clans/71000-Duke-of-Gloucester-pre-6/i-bhN6PQL

71000 Duke of Gloucester pre '68 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years


and finally Barry Scrapyard


https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/BRStandardSteam/Duke-of-Gloucester-Clans/71000-Duke-of-Gloucester-pre-6/i-jm2B5jQ

71000 Duke of Gloucester pre '68 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years


and finally resurrection



https://railway-photography.smugmug.com/BRStandardSteam/Duke-of-Gloucester-Clans/71000-Duke-of-Gloucester/i-VRVd2Bv/A

71000 Duke of Gloucester - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years

Neil

 

Amazing and very emotive photographic record. Thank you. Let's hope Tyseley soon get her working again.

 

Agree, thanks a lot for sharing this photos with us! It`s an really impressive engine!

I`ve received my newsletter from the BR class 8 steam locomotive Trust today

I always get gooseflesh while looking (and hearing) to this fantastic clip form YouTube!



Knut

 

I read in Steam Railway many years ago that when the preservationists started their work on the Duke, they found a component, (ash pan?) had been installed wrongly and that contributed hugely to the poor steaming.

 

I still have a problem with that. The engine was extensively tested at Swindon Plant, and if the air through the grate was restricted, there must have been some problem with the instruments if this didn't show up. I'd doubt that the same ashpan lasted the entirety of the engine's BR service; it did enough miles to wear out its tyres anyway.

 

from what I have read , the Duke's sojourn at Swindon ended in acrimony with Derby .


S Ells wanted to fit larger blastpipes to replace the 4" orifices it was built with . he wanted to fit something nearer 5". Derby threw their toys out and nowt much was done . I don't believe the story about it being fitted with a pair of Dean Goods blastpipes , but that just may have been Swindons equivalent of 2 fingers to Derby


I have a strong feeling that little of use was accomplished during it's stay , and Swindon washed their hands of it . in these circumstances I doubt they had any intention spending time fabricating a new ashpan that Derby would likely chuck in the bin. I believe it was redesigned during the restoration

its construction was shared between 3 different works , and it seems to have been nobody's baby . if the job had been given to Doncaster it would at least have started life with a double Kylchap , but I doubt that would have suited Riddles

I used to see it running thro Harrow . it never appeared to receive the attention the LMS Pacifics received - at least , if cleaning is anything to go by

I saw one log by Nocky , where he mentioned it running at 5% cut off . he didn't say that was to give the fireman a breather but...…………...

 

As you say it always seemed to be filthy to us spotters, we used to hate it as it seemed to follow us around, we used to say are you sure there isn't more than one of them! Fantastic machine now though.

 

Sorry to be a bit late on this thread. There is only one video that speak volumes for this loco. Turn the sound up!

 

Further history in this video.

 

An interesting video shows this fantastic model of no. 71000 with a fully functional Caprotti valve gear!

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=279670096194605

Knut