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{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}

{{Infobox locomotive
| name = GCR Class 1B<br />LNER Class L1 (later L3)
| powertype = Steam
| image = Northwich Locomotive Depot ex-GC 2-6-4T geograph-2879167-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg
| alt =
| caption = No. 5274 at Northwich Locomotive Depot 21 September 1947
| designer = [[John G. Robinson]]
| builder = [[Gorton Works]]
| buildmodel =
| builddate = December 1914-May 1917
| totalproduction = 20
| whytetype = {{whyte|2-6-4|T}}
| uicclass = 1′C2′ h2t
| gauge = 
| leadingdiameter = {{convert|3|ft|0|in|m|3|abbr=on}}
| driverdiameter = {{convert|5|ft|1|in|m|3|abbr=on}}
| trailingdiameter = {{convert|3|ft|0|in|m|3|abbr=on}}
| minimumcurve =
| wheelbase = {{convert|37|ft|6|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| length = {{convert|46|ft|4.75|in|m|2|abbr=on}}
| width =
| height =
| axleload = 
| weightondrivers = 
| locoweight = {{convert|97.45|LT|abbr=on}}
| fueltype = [[Coal]]
| fuelcap = {{convert|4.5|LT|abbr=on}}
| watercap = {{convert|3000|impgal|sigfig=3|abbr=on}}
| sandcap =
| boiler =
| boilerpressure = {{convert|180|lbf/in2|MPa|2|abbr=on}}
| firearea = {{convert|26.5|sqft|abbr=on}}
| tubearea = 
| fluearea = 
| fireboxarea = 
| totalsurface = {{convert|1543|sqft|abbr=on}}
| superheatertype = Robinson
| superheaterarea = {{convert|209|sqft|abbr=on}}
| cylindercount = Two, inside
| cylindersize = {{convert|21|x|26|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
| valvegear = [[Stephenson valve gear|Stephenson]]
| valvetype = {{convert|10|in|mm|0|adj=on}} piston valves
| tractiveeffort = {{convert|28759|lbf|kN|2|abbr=on}}
| trainheating =
| locobrakes = Steam
| trainbrakes = Vacuum
| safety =
| operator = {{ubl|[[Great Central Railway]]| → [[London & North Eastern Railway]]| → [[British Railways]]}}
| operatorclass = {{ubl|GCR: 1B|LNER: L1 (L3 from May 1945)}}
| powerclass = LNER: 6; BR: 5F
| numinclass =
| fleetnumbers =
| officialname =
| nicknames = Crabs
| axleloadclass = LNER/BR: [[Route Availability]] 7
| locale =
| withdrawndate = July 1947 – July 1955
| scrapdate =
| disposition = All scrapped
}}
The '''GCR Class 1B''' was a class of {{whyte|2-6-4|T}} locomotives on the [[Great Central Railway]]. They were notable as the first locomotives of the 2-6-4T (or ''Adriatic'') wheel arrangement to be used by a British standard-gauge railway; there had been two narrow-gauge examples on the [[Leek and Manifold Valley Light Railway#Locomotives and rolling stock|Leek & Manifold Valley Light Railway]] since 1904.{{sfn|Boddy|Brown|Fry|Hennigan|1977|p=4}}{{sfn|Haresnape|Rowledge|1982|p=106}}{{sfn|Jackson|1996|p=173}}

==History==
In 1906, the [[Great Central Railway]] (GCR) had inherited nine {{whyte|0-6-4|T}} locomotives from the [[Lancashire, Derbyshire and East Coast Railway]] (LD&EC), of [[LD&ECR Class D|Class D]] (LNER class M1). These had been designed to the specifications of [[Robert Absalom Thom|Robert A. Thom]], the locomotive superintendent of the LD&EC, for hauling coal trains from northern Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to the docks at Grimsby. They were built by [[Kitson and Company|Kitson & Co]] in 1904 and 1906, and performed well.{{sfn|Boddy|Brown|Fry|Hennigan|1977|p=33}}{{sfn|Nock|1983|p=120}}

When further locomotives were required for similar duties, opportunity was taken to produce an updated design. The 1B class locomotives were designed by the GCR's locomotive superintendent [[John G. Robinson]], with assistance from Thom,{{sfn|Boddy|Brown|Fry|Hennigan|1977|p=4}} who, after a period as assistant works manager at the GCR's [[Gorton Locomotive Works]],{{sfn|Dow|1965|p=184}} was now Robinson's assistant.{{sfn|Jackson|1996|p=66}} The chief design improvement was the fitment of a larger boiler incorporating a superheater;{{sfn|Boddy|Brown|Fry|Hennigan|1977|p=4}} it was similar to those fitted to the [[GCR Class 11E]] {{whyte|4-4-0}}, and a number of other existing GCR components were also incorporated.{{sfn|Dow|1965|p=327}} The LD&EC Class D bogie was retained, but the increased weight made it necessary to add a carrying axle at the front; thus the 2-6-4T was derived from an 0-6-4T.{{sfn|Boddy|Brown|Fry|Hennigan|1977|p=4}}

Unlike the LD&EC engines, the 1B class was built at Gorton, where twenty were built between 1914 and 1917.{{sfn|Boddy|Brown|Fry|Hennigan|1977|p=4,9}} They were described by an engineering journal as 'one of the handsomest tank engines to have made their appearance anywhere in recent years', although not everybody agreed.{{sfn|Dow|1965|p=327}} Unfortunately, by the time that the first few were in service, the coal traffic for which they had been designed was dwindling; and so they found themselves on work for which they were not ideally suited.{{sfn|Boddy|Brown|Fry|Hennigan|1977|pp=7}}

==Numbering==
Their GCR numbers were 272–276, 336–345, and 366–370, which under the [[London and North Eastern Railway]] (LNER) were increased by 5000 between 1924 and 1926.{{sfn|Boddy|Brown|Fry|Hennigan|1977|p=9}} Classified 1B by the GCR, the LNER assigned class L1, which was altered to L3 in May 1945, because the [[LNER Thompson Class L1|Thompson Class L1]] were about to appear.{{sfn|Boddy|Brown|Fry|Hennigan|1977|pp=4,13}} All were renumbered to 9050–9069 by the LNER during 1946;{{sfn|Boddy|Brown|Fry|Hennigan|1977|p=5}} and, of the 19 which passed to [[British Railways]], eleven were renumbered into the 69050–69069 block between 1948 and 1950.{{sfn|Boddy|Brown|Fry|Hennigan|1977|pp=7,9}} Withdrawal occurred between 1947 and 1955{{sfn|Boddy|Brown|Fry|Hennigan|1977|pp=7,9}} and none have been preserved.

==Notes==
{{reflist|colwidth=20em}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
*{{RCTS-LocosLNER|9A}}
*{{cite book |last=Dow |first=George |authorlink=George Dow |title=Great Central, Volume Three: Fay Sets the Pace, 1900-1922 |year=1965 |publisher=[[Ian Allan Publishing|Ian Allan]] |location=Shepperton |isbn=0-7110-0263-0 }}
*{{cite book |last1=Haresnape |first1=Brian |last2=Rowledge |first2=Peter |title=Robinson Locomotives: A Pictorial History |date=May 1982 |publisher=[[Ian Allan Publishing|Ian Allan]] |location=Shepperton |isbn=0-7110-1151-6 |id=DX/0582 }}
*{{cite book |last=Jackson |first=David |title=J.G. Robinson: A Lifetime's Work |series=The Oakwood Library of Railway History |year=1996 |publisher=Oakwood Press |location=Headington |isbn=0-85361-497-0 |id=OL98 }}
*{{cite book |last=Nock |first=O.S. |authorlink=O. S. Nock |title=British Locomotives of the 20th Century: Volume 1 1900-1930 |year=1983 |publisher=Book Club Associates |location=London |id=CN5096 }}
{{refend}}

{{LNER Locomotives}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:GCR Class 01B}}
[[Category:Great Central Railway locomotives|01B]]
[[Category:2-6-4T locomotives]]
[[Category:1′C2′ h2t locomotives]]
[[Category:Railway locomotives introduced in 1914]]
[[Category:Scrapped locomotives]]
[[Category:Standard-gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain]]
[[Category:Freight locomotives]]

GCR Class 1B - Revision history

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