LMS Route: Nuneaton to Birmingham New Street

LMS Route: Birmingham New Street to Tamworth

Saltley Shed: mrsalt1213

British Railways Standard Class Crosti-boilered 9F 2-10-0 No 92029 runs forward to clear the points outside the shed. In the view below, the fireman is getting ready to throw the lever of the manually operated points. The British Railways' version of the Franco-Crosti boiler took the form of a single cylindrical water drum running along the underside of the main boiler barrel; the standard chimney at the front was only used during lighting-up, in normal working the gases went through firetubes inside the pre-heater drum that led to a second smokebox situated beneath the boiler from which there emerged a chimney on the right-hand side (fireman's), just forward of the firebox. In the event, the experiment did not deliver the hoped-for benefits, and efficiency was not increased sufficiently to justify the cost and complexity. Moreover, conditions were unpleasant on the footplate in a cross-wind, this in spite the later provision of a small deflector plate forward of the chimney. These problems led to the subsequent sealing off of the pre-heater drum, over the period 1959-1961, and the locomotives were then worked conventionally. As a result of this, there was a reduced ability to generate steam, and so their power classification was reduced from 9F to 8F. All were fitted with the BR1B-type 4,275 imperial gallons (19,430 litres) tender. The first Franco-Crosti 9F to be withdrawn in October 1966 was No 92028 with No 92027 following in August 1967 and the remainder being withdrawn en masse in November 1967.

Saltley Shed: mrsalt1214

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