Blackstone-engined Class 10

[malcolmcelyn]

Does anyone know if any of the Blackstone-engined Class 10 were ever allocated to ex-GER sheds, or maybe Eastern/Norh Eastern regions?

[Ian Smeeton]

BR Database has the answers

 

https://www.brdatabase.info/locoqry.php?action=class&id=10&type=D&page=alloc

 

Regards

 

Ian

[malcolmcelyn]

Thanks Ian. Perfect. 
New England or March. 

[russ p]

I hadn't realised there were so many and certainly didn’t realise they were built until 62

Anyone got any idea as to why they were built over such a long period. 

I do remember the old boys at Thornaby talking about them 

[The Johnster]

TTBOMK these were simply different engined versions of the 08 class, with no particular exterior distinguishing features that related to this class in particular, that is, other than and outside of those that were within the general variation of; box positions on the running plate, wooden or steel doors, position of BR crests, number style, ladders/no ladders at different times, red, yellow, or unpainted coupling rods, lamps and so on that were applicable to 08s, 09s, and 10s in general.  Modelling one, therefore, is more or less a matter of renumbering an RTR model, with attention to the variable details as suggested above.  Working to a dated and provenanced photo is always best, but if a photo of your chosen prototype is not available you will have to go with your best guess and be willing to change things if better information comes to light in future.

[TravisM]

As @The Johnster said, there was no real discernible difference between Class 08/09’s and Class 10’s, apart from obvious build differences during their long build.

 

I don’t think there was anything fundamentally wrong with them apart from being a small class with a non-standard power unit, but as pointed out, BR was losing traffic, closed yards and sidings, so no real work for them and as BR was reducing their fleet, their future was bleak.

[br2975]

And here we have a blue liveried example of Class 10, D4078 at Doncaster, which was amongst the last of the class withdrawn, in  June,1972.

( Photographer unknown )

[malcolmcelyn]

I’m looking for an ex-GER allocated engine. Circa 1955-1958. Vacuum brake only. If it’s in black with wasp stripes, that would be perfect. If such a thing doesn’t exist, green it will have to be. 

[bécasse]

Green paint came first from late 1956, wasp stripes weren't applied until spring 1960, so there were no black 350hp shunters with wasp stripes. Electrification flashes started to be applied in summer 1960, but were done at depots as well as at overhaul, so the whole fleet acquired them quite quickly. There were a few green locos, both as built and from overhaul, with the old style BR logo as transfers were used up, but again always without wasp stripes; much the same applies to the old style 13xxx numbers.

The overhaul period for 350hp shunters seems to have been very variable almost from the outset and, given that livery updates usually resulted from a works visit, it is very difficult to predict without a dated photo which livery any particular loco was in at any one time.

It isn't clear whether any Darlington built 350hp shunter initially had red-painted coupling rods as colour photos are rare and it is almost impossible to be certain from b/w photos.

[Clive Mortimore]

4 hours ago, malcolmcelyn said:

I’m looking for an ex-GER allocated engine. Circa 1955-1958. Vacuum brake only. If it’s in black with wasp stripes, that would be perfect. If such a thing doesn’t exist, green it will have to be. 

Hi Mal

 

Looking at the data base Ian linked to all class 10 locos were new to the ER* and NE. Very few were allocated to GER sheds, Stratford, Cambridge, March, Colchester and Parkston Quay.  There were no 350 hp shunters east of a line from March to Parkston until the late 1960s, early 1970s.

 

Only 13137 and 13138 (D3137 and D3138) were delivered in black and then later ended up at a GER shed (both to March, October 1968). It is highly unlikely they were still in black livery by the date of their transfer. All the other GER allocated locos would have been delivered in green. Green class 10s (and 08s) from Darlington had black radiators, bright metal connecting rods and unpainted wood on their cab doors, making them distinctive looking. Sadly when wasp stripes were applied from new these features were not seen on the later deliveries.

 

*Gorton and Annesley were ER all be it with LMR codes.

 

Flickr search shows D3137 being scraped, only the radiator and cab left, possibly green livery. D3138 was in early blue with the arrows on the cab sides when allocated to March.

[malcolmcelyn]

Crikey, Clive, you've done my research for me! I hadn't had time to look through the database for a suitable candidate. Seem's that there might not be one in black, and not many 350hp shunters at all in the area in the late fifties era I'm interested in. Seems I might have to resort to Plan B (or C or D or....). 

Plan A (if I'd had the foresight to make plans!) was to have a Class 08 - or better still, a Class 10, which might have co-existed with an ex-GER J79 Buckjumper, one at the start of it's life, one at the end.

Plan A(2) would have added an F5 2-4-2T and a J15 0-6-0, followed by another early diesel representative.

Why a Class 10? Well, for no other reason that I bought a Dapol O-gauge Class 08 cheaply as it needed some repairs. I smugly thought that when someone said "I like your Class 08" I could, all knowingly, say "It's a Class10!"  Such is the shallow person I am. It seems that 'shot myself in the foot' would be an appropriate epithet at this point!

 

[malcolmcelyn]

This is what I had in mind, but of course, this is a preserved loco. 
Ce la vie. 

[The Johnster]

11 hours ago, bécasse said:

The overhaul period for 350hp shunters seems to have been very variable almost from the outset

For good reason.

 

Overhauls, except when promted by accidents, were performed on a mileage basis, and because the 08s, 09,s 10s et al were shunting locomotives there was a big difference in the frequency of overhauls between individual locomotives according to the work they were put to.  A loco working a 24/7 pilot duty in a big hump yard, only stopping for occasional fuel top ups and basic maintenance, would accrue more mileage than one in some remote outpost only brought out twice a week for a move or two over any given time period.  The extreme example of this was the two Andrew Barclay 0-4-0s used on Holyhead Harbour breakwater, withdrawn in the 80s still in the 1950s black livery and unicycling lion they were delivered in!.

Edited September 23, 2021 by The Johnster