BR Standard Class 2 2-6-0

The BR Standard Class 2 2-6-0 is a class of steam locomotive, one of the British Railways Standard classes of the 1950s. They were physically the smallest of the Standard classes; 65 were built.

BR Standard Class 2 2-6-0
A Standard Class 2 at Crewe in 1963
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer R. A. Riddles Builder British Railways Darlington Works Build date December 1952 – November 1956 Total produced 65
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-6-0  • UIC 1′C h2 Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Leading dia. 3 ft 0 in (914 mm) Driver dia. 5 ft 0 in (1,524 mm) Tender wheels 3 ft 3 1⁄2 in (1,003 mm) Minimum curve 4 chains (260 ft; 80 m) Wheelbase: ​  • Engine  8 ft 6 in (2,591 mm)  6 ft 9 in (2,057 mm)  7 ft 0 in (2,134 mm) = 22 ft 3 in (6,782 mm)  • Tender  6 ft 6 in (1,981 mm)  6 ft 6 in (1,981 mm) = 13 ft 0 in (3,962 mm)  • incl. tender 44 ft 1 in (13,437 mm) Length: ​  • Over buffers 53 ft 2 1⁄2 in (16,218 mm) Width 8 ft 6 in (2,591 mm) Height 12 ft 9 1⁄2 in (3,899 mm) Axle load 13.75 long tons (13.97 t; 15.40 short tons) ​  • Leading  8.75 long tons (8.89 t; 9.80 short tons)  • 1st coupled 13.75 long tons (13.97 t; 15.40 short tons)  • 2nd coupled 13.60 long tons (13.82 t; 15.23 short tons)  • 3rd coupled 13.15 long tons (13.36 t; 14.73 short tons)  • Tender axle Axle 1: 13.75 long tons (13.97 t; 15.40 short tons) Axle 2: 11.80 long tons (11.99 t; 13.22 short tons) Axle 3: 11.30 long tons (11.48 t; 12.66 short tons) Adhesive weight 40.50 long tons (41.15 t; 45.36 short tons) Loco weight 49.25 long tons (50.04 t; 55.16 short tons) Tender weight 36.85 long tons (37.44 t; 41.27 short tons) Total weight 86.10 long tons (87.48 t; 96.43 short tons) Tender type BR3 Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 4 long tons (4.1 t; 4.5 short tons) Water cap. 3,000 imp gal (14,000 L; 3,600 US gal) Firebox: ​  • Type Belpaire  • Grate area 17.5 sq ft (1.63 m2) Boiler: ​  • Model BR8  • Pitch 8 ft 3 in (2,515 mm)  • Tube plates 10 ft 10 1⁄2 in (3,315 mm)  • Small tubes 1 5⁄8 in (41 mm) O.D. × 12 SWG, 162 off  • Large tubes 5 1⁄8 in (130 mm) O.D. × 7 SWG, 12 off Boiler pressure 200 psi (1.38 MPa; 14.1 kgf/cm2) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 101 sq ft (9.4 m2)  • Tubes and flues 924 sq ft (85.8 m2) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 124 sq ft (11.5 m2) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 16 1⁄2 in × 24 in (419 mm × 610 mm)
Performance figures Tractive effort 18,515 lbf (82.4 kN) Factor of adh. 4.9
Career Operators British Railways Power class 2MT Numbers 78000–78064 Nicknames Mickey Mouse Axle load class Route Availability 3 Withdrawn November 1963 – August 1967 Disposition Three preserved, one in the process of being rebuilt into tank version, remainder scrapped

Overview

The design was derived from the Ivatt-designed Class 2 2-6-0, with a reduced cab to enable it to fit into a universal loading gauge, and other standard fittings, most notably a taller chimney, others including the lack of an Ivatt dome and side plates connecting the two sections of the engine. Like the LMS predecessor the BR design had a tender cab to enhance crew protection and visibility when running tender-first. They were all attached to a BR3 type tender. These locomotives are often known by the nickname "Mickey Mouse".

Construction

Darlington works was responsible for building the entire fleet of 65 engines and for a time construction of the LMS and BR designs overlapped. The last No. 78064 was completed in 1956 but the class remained intact for just seven years. Coincidentally the first to be withdrawn No. 78015 was a Darlington-based engine.

Route availability

Like the LMS counterpart, the Standard Mogul was arranged for a low axle-loading of just 13.75 long tons (13.97 t). This allowed it to operate on most lightly laid routes and secondary lines. The route availability was 3. Some of the class had speedometers fitted.

Reputation

Among crews the 2MT 2-6-0 gained a reputation for being very sure-footed. Some maintained however that the engine did not steam well. The loudest complaint was about the draughty and dirty footplate. This was surprising given the efforts of Robert Riddles and his team to optimise working conditions in the Standards' cab layout.

Shed allocations

Two former Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway sheds (Bank Hall (Liverpool) and Wigan (L&Y), respectively), designated 27A and 27D, received an allocation of the class. Bank Hall had 78041–44 which were used with great success on both slow and fast trains from Liverpool Exchange to either Preston, Bolton or Rochdale. The Wigan engines 78040/61–64 were used on stopping trains to Liverpool, Southport, Bolton and Rochdale. They replaced LMS Class 2P 4-4-0s and L&YR 2-4-2Ts. On the former L&Y lines this class was generally employed on passenger work whilst the LMS Class 2 2-6-0s were normally found on shunting and freight jobs until the mid-1960s.

When the Cambrian section closed and other areas dieselised, other members of the class came to the former L&Y lines (some as replacements for those originally allocated to 27A and 27D). These included 78002 (in green livery), 78007, 78027 and 78057. Some of these were used on shunting duties from Bolton and Lostock Hall sheds. Number 78022 preserved on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway had a spell as Preston station passenger pilot whilst allocated to Lostock Hall.

Withdrawal

Table of withdrawals

Year	Quantity in service at start of year	Quantity withdrawn	Locomotive numbers	Notes
1963	65	1	78015
1964	64	4	78005/09/48/53
1965	60	17	78000–01/04/06/11/14/24–25/27/29–30/32–33/35/42–43/54
1966	43	30	78002–03/08/10/16–19/22/31/34/36/38–40/45–47/49–52/56–61/63–64
1967	13	13	78007/12–13/20–21/23/26/28/37/41/44/55/62

Preservation

Four members of the class survived into preservation, however one member of the class (78059) is currently in the process of being converted to the tank version of the class.

Number	Built	Withdrawn	Service Life	Location	Livery	Status	Image	Notes
78018	Mar 1954	Nov 1966	12 Years, 8 months	Great Central Railway	BR Lined Black, Late Crest	Operational, Boiler Ticket Expires: 2026
78019	Mar 1954	Nov 1966	12 Years, 8 months	Great Central Railway	BR Lined Black, Late Crest	Operational, Boiler Ticket Expires: 2032
78022	May 1954	Sept 1966	12 Years, 4 months	Keighley & Worth Valley Railway	BR Lined Green, Early Emblem	Operational, Boiler Ticket Expires: 2028
78059/ 84030	Sept 1956	Nov 1966	10 Years, 2 months	Bluebell Railway	N/A	Undergoing conversion into BR Standard Class 2 2-6-2T

Footnotes

Further reading

• Bradley, Rodger P. (1984). The Standard Steam Locomotives of British Railways. David & Charles. ISBN 0715383841.
• A Detailed History of BR Standard Steam Locomotives, - Vol 2 - The 4-6-0 and 2-6-0 Classes. RCTS ISBN 0-901115-93-2
• British Railways. Standard Locomotive Diagrams (PDF). British Railways Board. p. 2 (per pdf). {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)

External links

• steamlocomotive.info

• 78018
• 78019
• 78022
• 78059

• Darlington Railway Preservation Society