BR Standard Class 7 Totally Explained

Everything about The Br Standard Class 7 totally explained

The BR Standard Class 7, otherwise known as the Britannia Class, is a class of 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive designed by Robert Riddles for use by British Railways for mixed traffic duties. Fifty-five were constructed between 1951 and 1954. The design was a result of the 1948 locomotive exchanges undertaken in advance of further locomotive classes being constructed. Three batches were constructed at Crewe Works, before the publication of the 1955 .
   The Britannias Class was based on several previous locomotive designs, incorporating the best practices in locomotive technology as regards labour-saving and lowering maintenance costs; various weight-saving measures also increased the route availability of a Pacific-type locomotive on the British Railways network. The research gained from operating the best designs of the GWR, LMS, LNER and Southern railways on different areas of the British Railways network paved the way for several new classes of standardised locomotives to be constructed. The firebox was also similar in having a rocking grate, which allowed the fire to be rebuilt without stopping the locomotive, removing both ash and clinker on the move. A self-cleaning smokebox was used, which enabled ash to flow into the atmosphere, reducing the workload of the engine cleaner at the end of a working day. The Britannias had driving wheels, a compromise that took into account the intended mixed-traffic role they were designed for.
   The design also featured raised running plates above the wheels, which allowed easy access to the inside of the frames for purposes of lubrication. The lack of wheel splashers on this running plate also reduced the risk of the bearings overheating, by allowing more air to flow around the axles when at speed. For ease of maintenance, availability of spare parts and increased reliability, two sets of Walschaerts valve gear were used, along with the largest cylinders capable of staying within the British loading gauge. The initial order was for 25 locomotives, but such was the demand for the Britannias on the Eastern Region that more were rushed through construction before the teething problems had been ironed out on the prototypes. Each batch was given improvements that were required in order to improve reliability and efficiency, and to overcome flaws with the original design. They were subsequently modified, and released back into revenue-earning service. Initially, the return cranks on the main driving wheels were of LNER block-type, as seen on Arthur Peppercorn's A1s and A2s, but this was changed to the simpler LMS four-stud fitting. This was due to a problem of overheating bearings within the cranks, and difficulty in removing the LNER-type casings. 70035–70039 were built with roller bearings on the leading and trailing coupled axles only and plain bearings on the remaining axles, whilst 70040–70049 were built with plain bearings throughout. The locomotive naming ceremonies were carried out at various railway stations around the British Railways network. However, negative feedback was received from various operating departments, most notably on the Western Region, primarily out of preference for GWR-designed locomotive stock, and as such, Old Oak Common and Plymouth Laira depots declared that the class was surplus to requirements. The Southern Region also had an allocation of seven in May 1953, when all Merchant Navy Class locomotives had been withdrawn for inspection following 35020 Bibby Line shearing a crank axle on the central driving wheel.
   Repairs to the class were undertaken at Crewe, Swindon and Doncaster Works until the financial constraints of the British Railways Modernisation Plan in terms of expenditure on steam began to preclude the regular overhaul of locomotives. The Britannias, were numbered under the new British Railways standard numbering system in the 70xxx series. The locomotives were numbered between 70000 and 70054, and featured brass nameplates with an initial black background, followed by red, located on the smoke deflectors. Towards the end of steam, plain green livery was substituted, with the touching-up of existing paintwork being preferred to full aesthetic overhaul.

Preservation

Two Britannias have survived, the original, number 70000 Britannia and 70013 Oliver Cromwell. Number 70000 was originally selected to represent the class in the embryonic form of the future National Railway Museum, though was ultimately rejected due to the poor mechanical condition the locomotive was in. As a result, 70013 was eventually selected to represent the class for the benefit of future generations. However, 70000 had been purchased privately from British Railways by the Britannia Locomotive Group, therefore also ensuring that the doyen of the class was to survive into the preservation era. Subsequently utilised on mainline railtours, the locomotive was out of use in the late 1990s, requiring work to bring it back to steam; it was eventually sold to Pete Waterman and stored at Crewe. After a spell in storage on the Bressingham Steam Museum in Diss, Norfolk, 70013 was moved to the Great Central Railway (preserved), following an ownership dispute between Bressingham and the National Railway Museum. The locomotive has since been overhauled, and is scheduled to return to steam and mainline use in 2008, the anniversary of the end of steam in Britain, where it'll take centre stage. ť For location details of the preserved locomotives, see: List of BR 'Britannia' Class locomotives

Gallery
Image:46115 and 70037 at Carlisle Kingmoor, 1964.jpg|70037 Hereward the Wake (right) with Royal Scot 46115 Scots Guardsman at Carlisle Kingmoor depot, 1964. image:70015 Apollo at Carlisle.jpg|70015 Apollo at Carlisle, probably 1960. Further Information
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