LNER Class B17

The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Class B17, also known as "Sandringham" or "footballer" class was a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive designed by Nigel Gresley for hauling passenger services on the Great Eastern Main Line. In total 73 were built.
By 1926, the former GER B12 class locomotives were no longer able to cope with the heaviest express passenger trains on the Great Eastern Main Line between London and Cambridge, Ipswich and Norwich. Yet Gresley was unable to use his larger classes due to severe weight restrictions on the line. The requirement for a lightweight yet powerful 4-6-0 proved to be difficult to achieve. 
===Design===
After several unsuccessful attempts by Doncaster Works to satisfy Gresley's specification, the contract for the detailed design and building of the class was given to the North British Locomotive Company in 1927. They used several features from a batch of A1 Pacifics they had built in 1924. The cab, cylinders, and motion had all been copied directly or slightly modified. Most of the boiler design was taken from the LNER Class K3 2-6-0 and LNER Class O2 2-8-0 designs. Darlington Works provided drawings for the bogies, and Stratford Works designs for the GE-type 3,700-imperial-gallon (17,000 l; 4,400 US gal), 4-long-ton (4.1 t) tender.
Due to weight restrictions it proved to be impossible for all three cylinders to drive the middle coupled axle, the design used divided drive with the middle cylinder driving the leading axle and was positioned forward above the front bogie. The cylinder remained horizontal, rather than the usual LNER practice of middle cylinder offsetting, which left room for a Gresley conjugated gear set behind the cylinders rather than the usual front position. The LNER also ordered some modifications, including an increase in cylinder size from 17 in (432 mm) to 17 1⁄2 in (444 mm), and a lengthening of the firebox by 5 in (127.0 mm) with longer frames, and lighter springs. The design continued to prove problematic and the LNER eventually cancelled a penalty clause in the original contract. The first locomotive, No. 2802 Walsingham was delivered 30 November 1928, thirteen weeks late. 
===Construction===
Ten locomotives were built by the North British Locomotive Company (works nos. 23803-12) during November and December, which were allocated the running numbers 2800-9. Five further orders were placed with Darlington Works between December 1928 and March 1935 for a further fifty-two locomotives to be delivered between August 1930 and June 1936. A final batch of eleven were ordered from Robert Stephenson and Company in February 1936 (works nos. 4124-34) for delivery between January and July 1937; resulting in a total of 73 B17s built.
===Sub-classes===
The first ten by the North British Locomotive Company were designated B17, later B17/1. The second and third batches had boilers supplied by Armstrong Whitworth and different springing and became B17/2. The next two batches had different springing and were designated B17/3. However, as the locomotives passed through the works the original springs were replaced by those of the later design and in 1937 the three sub-classes were merged into B17/1. The final Darlington batch introduced in 1936, and those built by Robert Stephenson and Company had 4,200-imperial-gallon (19,000 l; 5,000 US gal), 7.5-long-ton (7.6 t) tenders and were intended for use in the North Eastern area of the LNER: these were designated B17/4.
In September 1937 two locomotives (Nos. 2859 Norwich City and 2870 Tottenham Hotspur) were streamlined in the manner of the LNER Class A4s, renamed East Anglian and City of London and intended for use on the East Anglian train. They were designated B17/5. However, the streamlining was cladding for publicity purposes only and had little effect on the overall speed of the locomotive. By 1951 both engines had been stripped of the streamlining altogether.
Between 1943 and 1957 most of the surviving members of the class were rebuilt with a LNER 100A boiler with increased pressure and were designated B17/6.
===Rebuilds===
Ten B17s were rebuilt by Edward Thompson as 2-cylinder locomotives with a LNER 100A boiler, between 1945 and 1949, becoming the Class B2. No more were rebuilt because of the success of the Thompson's B1 class.
===New Build===
A brand new B17 class LNER No. 61673 Spirit of Sandringham is under construction.
==References==
*Hillier-Graves, Tim. GRESLEY’S MASTER ENGINEER, BERT SPENCER: A Career in Railway Engineering and Design. 2023.
== Summary table ==
Image	LNER
No.	BR
No.	Original Name (Rename(s)) 	Date built 	Date rebuilt 	Rebuilt
as	Date
withdrawn	Notes
 	2800 	61600	Sandringham 	December 1928 	June 1950 	B17/6	July 1958 	
 	2801 	61601	Holkham 	December 1928 	— 	— 	January 1958 	
 	2802 	61602	Walsingham 	November 1928 	October 1951 	B17/6	January 1958 	
 	2803 	61603	Framlingham 	December 1928 	October 1946 	B2 	September 1958	
 	2804 	61604	Elveden 	December 1928 	November 1951 	B17/6	August 1953 	
 	2805 	61605	Burnham Thorpe(Lincolnshire Regiment from April 1938)	December 1928 	January 1948 	B17/6	May 1958 	
 	2806 	61606	Audley End 	December 1928 	March 1950 	B17/6	September 1958	
 	2807 	61607	Blickling 	December 1928 	May 1947 	B2 	December 1959 	
 	2808 	61608	Gunton 	December 1928 	October 1950 	B17/6	March 1960 	
 	2809 	61609	Quidenham 	December 1928 	January 1952 	B17/6	June 1958 	
 	2810 	61610	Honingham Hall 	August 1930 	October 1953 	B17/6	January 1960 	
 	2811 	61611	Raynham Hall 	August 1930 	February 1956 	B17/6	October 1959 	
 	2812 	61612	Houghton Hall 	October 1930 	March 1950 	B17/6	September 1959	
 	2813 	61613	Woodbastwick Hall 	October 1930 	December 1951 	B17/6	December 1959 	
 	2814 	61614	Castle Hedingham 	October 1930 	November 1946 	B2 	June 1959 	
 	2815 	61615	Culford Hall 	October 1930 	April 1946 	B2 	February 1959 	
 	2816 	61616	Fallodon 	October 1930 	November 1945 	B2 	September 1959	
 	2817 	61617	Ford Castle 	November 1930 	December 1946 	B2 	August 1958 	
 	2818 	61618	Wynyard Park 	November 1930 	April 1958 	B17/6	January 1960 	
 	2819 	61619	Welbeck Abbey 	November 1930 	January 1953 	B17/6	September 1958	
 	2820 	61620	Clumber 	November 1930 	December 1951 	B17/6	January 1960 	
 	2821 	61621	Hatfield House 	November 1930 	January 1955 	B17/6	November 1958 	
 	2822 	61622	Alnwick Castle 	January 1931 	October 1943 	B17/6	September 1958	
 	2823 	61623	Lambton Castle 	February 1931 	April 1948 	B17/6	July 1959 	
 	2824 	61624	Lumley Castle 	February 1931 	— 	— 	March 1953 	
 	2825 	61625	Raby Castle 	February 1931 	— 	— 	December 1959 	
 	2826 	61626	Brancepeth Castle 	March 1931 	April 1955 	B17/6	January 1960 	
 	2827 	61627	Aske Hall 	March 1931 	November 1948 	B17/6	July 1959 	
 	2828 	61628	Harewood House 	March 1931 	December 1948 	B17/6	September 1952	First to be withdrawn
 	2829 	61629	Naworth Castle 	April 1931 	— 	— 	September 1959	
 	2830 	61630	Thoresby Park(Tottenham Hotspur from January 1938) 	April 1931 	December 1948 	B17/6	August 1958 	
 	2831 	61631	Serlby Hall 	May 1931 	October 1957 	B17/6	April 1959 	
 	2832 	 	Belvoir Castle(Royal Sovereign from September 1958) 	May 1931 	June 1947 	B2 	February 1959 	
 	2833 	61633	Kimbolton Castle 	May 1931 	August 1948 	B17/6	September 1959	
 	2834 	61634	Hinchingbrooke 	June 1931 	January 1957 	B17/6	August 1958 	
 	2835 	61635	Milton 	July 1931 	January 1949 	B17/6	January 1959 	
 	2836 	61636	Harlaxton Manor 	July 1931 	May 1950 	B17/6	October 1959 	
 	2837 	61637	Thorpe Hall 	March 1933 	November 1957 	B17/6	September 1959	
 	2838 	61638	Melton Hall 	March 1933 	December 1948 	B17/6	March 1958 	
 	2839 	61639	Rendlesham Hall(Norwich City from January 1938) 	May 1933 	January 1946 	B2 	May 1959 	
 	2840 	61640	Somerleyton Hall 	May 1933 	May 1955 	B17/6	November 1958 	
 	2841 	61641	Gayton Hall 	May 1933 	February 1949 	B17/6	January 1960 	
 	2842 	61642	Kilverstone Hall 	May 1933 	January 1949 	B17/6	September 1958	
 	2843 	61643	Champion Lodge 	May 1935 	October 1954 	B17/6	July 1958 	
 	2844 	61644	Earlham Hall 	May 1935 	March 1949 	B2 	February 1959 	
 	2845 	61645	The Suffolk Regiment 	June 1935 	December 1952 	B17/6	February 1959 	
 	2846 	61646	Gilwell Park 	August 1935 	February 1951 	B17/6	January 1959 	
 	2847 	61647	Helmingham Hall 	September 1935	February 1958 	B17/6	November 1959 	
 	2848 	61648	Arsenal 	March 1936 	October 1957 	B17/6	December 1958 	
 	2849 	61649	Sheffield United 	March 1936 	March 1954 	B17/6	February 1959 	
 	2850 	61650	Grimsby Town 	March 1936 	February 1955 	B17/6	September 1958	
 	2851 	61651	Derby County 	March 1936 	June 1953 	B17/6	August 1959 	
 	2852 	61652	Darlington 	April 1936 	March 1948 	B17/6	September 1959	
 	2853 	61653	Huddersfield Town 	April 1936 	May 1954 	B17/6	January 1960 	
 	2854 	61654	Sunderland 	April 1936 	April 1948 	B17/6	November 1959 	
 	2855 	61655	Middlesbrough 	April 1936 	July 1950 	B17/6	April 1959 	
 	2856 	61656	Leeds United 	May 1936 	November 1953 	B17/6	January 1960 	
 	2857 	61657	Doncaster Rovers 	May 1936 	October 1950 	B17/6	June 1960 	
 	2858 	61658	Newcastle United(The Essex Regiment from June 1936) 	May 1936 	September 1950	B17/6	December 1959 	
 	2859 	61659	Norwich City(East Anglian from September 1937) 	June 1936 	July 1949 	B17/6	March 1960 	
 	2860 	61660	Hull City 	June 1936 	— 	— 	June 1960 	
 	2861 	61661	Sheffield Wednesday 	June 1936 	August 1955 	B17/6	July 1959 	
 	2862 	61662	Manchester United 	January 1937 	March 1955 	B17/6	December 1959 	
 	2863 	61663	Everton 	February 1937 	November 1951 	B17/6	February 1960 	
 	2864 	61664	Liverpool 	January 1937 	October 1943 	B17/6	June 1960 	
 	2865 	61665	Leicester City 	January 1937 	August 1949 	B17/6	April 1959 	
 	2866 	61666	Nottingham Forest 	February 1937 	December 1947 	B17/6	March 1960 	
 	2867 	61667	Bradford 	April 1937 	— 	— 	June 1958 	
 	2868 	61668	Bradford City 	April 1937 	June 1949 	B17/6	August 1960 	Last to be withdrawn
 	2869 	61669	Barnsley 	May 1937 	September 1949	B17/6	September 1958	
 	2870 	61670	Manchester City(Tottenham Hotspur from May 1937)
(City of London from September 1937)	May 1937 	April 1951 	B17/6	April 1960 	
 	2871 	61671	Manchester City(Royal Sovereign from April 1946) 	June 1937 	August 1948 	B2 	September 1958	
 	2872 	61672	West Ham United 	July 1937 	September 1950	B17/6	March 1960 	
 	*2873	61673	Spirit of Sandringham 	- 	- 	- 	- 	Newbuild member of the class.
Category:Steam locomotives
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Category:Passenger locomotives
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Category:Standard gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain
Category:4 foot 8 1⁄2 inch gauge
Category:LNER locomotives
Category:4-6-0 steam locomotives
Category:4-6-0 locomotives
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Category:Scrapped locomotives
Category:British steam locomotives
Category:British locomotives