Great Central class 9Q

The class 9Q of the Great Central was a 4-6-0 mixed traffic locomotive designed by John Robinson. It was based on the class 9P “Lord Faringdon” express locomotive, but had smaller drivers with a diameter of five feet and eight inches (1,727 mm). Despite four cylinders, they had only two sets of valve gear which also controlled the outside cylinders via levers. Their primary role were express freights with passenger services only as second priority.

Starting in 1921, the GCR got 28 locomotives in four batches. After the grouping, the LNER designated them class B7 and built ten additional locomotives which had a lower boiler to comply with a smaller loading gauge. These were designated subclass B7/2, while the others were designated B7/1. Due to their high coal consumption, they got the nickname “Black Pigs”. All 38 came to British Railways, but were scrapped by 1950.