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Great Northern (UK) class H4
London & North Eastern class K3
Great Britain | 1920
193 produced
No. 61815 at Stratford
No. 61815 at Stratford
flickr/stratfordman72

The Great Northern class H4 was a 2-6-0 mixed-traffic locomotive designed by Sir Nigel Gresley. Its basis was the H3, but now it got three instead of two cylinders, being the first production locomotive to use Gresley's conjugated valve gear. All three cylinders worked on the second driving axle. With a huge boiler being six feet in diameter, the axle loading became somewhat high for some lines.

The first ten locomotives were built in 1920 at Doncaster and the LNER adopted this class as a standard design. With additional batches built at Doncaster, Darlington and three commercial manufacturers, 193 had been completed by 1937. They were designated class K3 by the LNER. Due to their rhythm of the exhaust beat and the uneven gyratory movements, they earned the nickname “Jazzers”.

Nevertheless, they were able to run at up to 75 mph (121 km/h) and were also used to haul express trains when needed. So they could be rated as being very successful, although Thompson rebuilt one in 1945 into the two-cylinder K5. All were withdrawn between 1959 and 1962 with none being preserved. The A1 steam trust once announced that they might build a new K3, but as of today no new news can be found about that topic.

General
Built1920-1937
ManufacturerDoncaster, Darlington, Armstrong Whitworth, Robert Stephenson & Co., North British
Axle config2-6-0 (Mogul) 
Gauge4 ft 8 1/2 in (Standard gauge)
Dimensions and Weights
Wheelbase25 ft 2 in
Rigid wheelbase16 ft 3 in
Service weight160,610 lbs
Adhesive weight134,400 lbs
Total weight257,155 lbs
Axle load44,800 lbs
Water capacity4,203 us gal
Fuel capacitycoal
Boiler
Grate area28 sq ft
Firebox area182 sq ft
Tube heating area1,901 sq ft
Evaporative heating area2,083 sq ft
Total heating area2,083 sq ft
Power Plant
Driver diameter68 in
Boiler pressure180 psi
Expansion typesimple
Cylindersthree, 18 1/2 x 26 in
Power
Power sourcesteam
Estimated power1,000 hp (746 kW)
Optimal speed21 mph
Starting effort30,032 lbf
Calculated Values
steam locomotive
passenger
freight
Herbert Nigel Gresley
last changed: 06/2024
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