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Electric Locomotives of the NER
The North Eastern Railway propsed electrifying the line with 1500V DC from Newcastle to York. In fact a coal line from Shildon to Newport near Middlesborough was all that was electrified. The first picture is of the freight hauling loco that was used on the line taking coal from the colliery to the port. The second is of a prototype main line loco that was tested extensively on the line. It never went into service. Except for an electric shunter none of these locos survive today.
The North Eastern Railway propsed electrifying the line with 1500V DC from Newcastle to York. In fact a coal line from Shildon to Newport near Middlesborough was all that was electrified. The first picture is of the freight hauling loco that was used on the line taking coal from the colliery to the port. The second is of a prototype main line loco that was tested extensively on the line. It never went into service. Except for an electric shunter none of these locos survive today.
Electric Locomotives
What might have been on the NER
In 1903 the North Eastern Railway electrified the local lines from Newcastle upon Tyne to the coast. This was in response to competition from trams. It was a success. At the same time they obtained two Bo-Bo electric locomotives for working a steep tunnel down to Tyne quay. These two were successful being in operation for nearly 60 years. One is now in the National rail Museum at York.
In 1911 the idea of electrifiying the main line between Newcastle and York was proposed. Consultants Merz and McLellan, who had worked on the Tyneside electrification, were consulted. At the time the biggest electrification programmes were in the USA, and it was there that they went for advice.
Merz and McLellan proposed four locomotives. General electric proposed another, and no doubt other options were considered for which no record has been found. One that basic information came to light on is included in this list.
Basically there were three options:
Drive through cranks.
Drive to large wheels through a quill.
Direct drive to the axles, geared or built on the axle.
Merz and McLellan rejected the first so no proposals of this type were made.
In the mean time the NER electrified a route between Shildon, in County Durham, and Newport near Sunderland. It was for the transportation of coal. A series on Bo-Bo locomotives were built and run until the line was dismantled in the late 1920s.
One further locomotive was built, number 13. This was a 4-Co-4. It followed a Merz and McLellan proposal and each of the three axles were drive by two motors each through a quill drive. Its testing showed it to be a successful machine, but the abandonment of the project meant it was redundant. It survived until the 1950s when it was broken up.
Economics were the main reason that electrification did not proceed. When the east coast main line was eventually electrified in the 1970s it was successful. It was on time, and on budget and carried out by the much maligned British Railways. West coast electrification since privatisation will enter the text books for all the opposite reasons.
These electrifications are at 25000 volts 50Hz AC. The NER proposal was 1500 volts DC.
My interpretation
These outlines are based on the Merz and McLellan, and others, proposed locomotives. The outline is based on that adopted for the Bo-Bo and No 13 that was built. The original merz and McLellan drawings show a different outline. However as No 13 was based on their proposals I am assuming that the outline of any other locomotives built at the time would have been similar.
Light Quill Drive
Assuming two 225kW motors per axle then the total power available would have been 900kW. It was intended for light, high speed passenger traffic.
Heavy Quill Drive
With three axles the power here would have been 1350kW in total. Number 13 was of this type and had a tractive effort of 73kN for 1 hour or 44kN continuously. That it was a powerful locomotive was determined on tests, one of which involved hauling 16 cars, including the dynamometer car. A picture of No. 13 can be seen at:
Heavier quill drive
This was only a proposal, and no drawing has been published. The outline is from the wheel base dimensions only. For some reason the bogies have different wheel bases, but no explanation is given. Assuming the same layout as above then the total power would have been 1800kW. As it had smaller wheels 1550mm diameter as opposed to 2032 diameter on the other locomotives.
Light Gearless Locomotive
This design has four axles with a motor on each axle. Being gearless one must assume the bi-polar design where the two poles were fitted to the frame and the armature was on the axle with limited vertical movement. It must be assumed that these were intended for freight work as the maximum expected speed was not really practical with this design.
Heavy Gearless Locomotive
A pair of couple sub-frames are required for this design which again it must be assumed was for freight work.
General Electric Proposal
This is based on the US practise of separate units. It achieves the same as the former in a different format.
A British Bipolar
The Bi-Polars manufactured in the USA were intended for US lines. Using the existing layouts I have come up with a possible British version.
Literature on these locomotives is limited. The best available in the UK is:
The Electric Locomotives of the North Eastern Railway, author K Hoole, Published by the Oakwood Press as No.167 in the Locomotion Paper series. I think it is still in print.
The Electric Railway that never was by RAS Hennessey, published in 1980 was obtained second hand.
There are a number of books on electric locomotion from the 1920s and 30s which have details of these locomotives, and the US design influences upon them.
What might have been on the NER
In 1903 the North Eastern Railway electrified the local lines from Newcastle upon Tyne to the coast. This was in response to competition from trams. It was a success. At the same time they obtained two Bo-Bo electric locomotives for working a steep tunnel down to Tyne quay. These two were successful being in operation for nearly 60 years. One is now in the National rail Museum at York.
In 1911 the idea of electrifiying the main line between Newcastle and York was proposed. Consultants Merz and McLellan, who had worked on the Tyneside electrification, were consulted. At the time the biggest electrification programmes were in the USA, and it was there that they went for advice.
Merz and McLellan proposed four locomotives. General electric proposed another, and no doubt other options were considered for which no record has been found. One that basic information came to light on is included in this list.
Basically there were three options:
Drive through cranks.
Drive to large wheels through a quill.
Direct drive to the axles, geared or built on the axle.
Merz and McLellan rejected the first so no proposals of this type were made.
In the mean time the NER electrified a route between Shildon, in County Durham, and Newport near Sunderland. It was for the transportation of coal. A series on Bo-Bo locomotives were built and run until the line was dismantled in the late 1920s.
One further locomotive was built, number 13. This was a 4-Co-4. It followed a Merz and McLellan proposal and each of the three axles were drive by two motors each through a quill drive. Its testing showed it to be a successful machine, but the abandonment of the project meant it was redundant. It survived until the 1950s when it was broken up.
Economics were the main reason that electrification did not proceed. When the east coast main line was eventually electrified in the 1970s it was successful. It was on time, and on budget and carried out by the much maligned British Railways. West coast electrification since privatisation will enter the text books for all the opposite reasons.
These electrifications are at 25000 volts 50Hz AC. The NER proposal was 1500 volts DC.
My interpretation
These outlines are based on the Merz and McLellan, and others, proposed locomotives. The outline is based on that adopted for the Bo-Bo and No 13 that was built. The original merz and McLellan drawings show a different outline. However as No 13 was based on their proposals I am assuming that the outline of any other locomotives built at the time would have been similar.
Light Quill Drive
Assuming two 225kW motors per axle then the total power available would have been 900kW. It was intended for light, high speed passenger traffic.
Heavy Quill Drive
With three axles the power here would have been 1350kW in total. Number 13 was of this type and had a tractive effort of 73kN for 1 hour or 44kN continuously. That it was a powerful locomotive was determined on tests, one of which involved hauling 16 cars, including the dynamometer car. A picture of No. 13 can be seen at:
Heavier quill drive
This was only a proposal, and no drawing has been published. The outline is from the wheel base dimensions only. For some reason the bogies have different wheel bases, but no explanation is given. Assuming the same layout as above then the total power would have been 1800kW. As it had smaller wheels 1550mm diameter as opposed to 2032 diameter on the other locomotives.
Light Gearless Locomotive
This design has four axles with a motor on each axle. Being gearless one must assume the bi-polar design where the two poles were fitted to the frame and the armature was on the axle with limited vertical movement. It must be assumed that these were intended for freight work as the maximum expected speed was not really practical with this design.
Heavy Gearless Locomotive
A pair of couple sub-frames are required for this design which again it must be assumed was for freight work.
General Electric Proposal
This is based on the US practise of separate units. It achieves the same as the former in a different format.
A British Bipolar
The Bi-Polars manufactured in the USA were intended for US lines. Using the existing layouts I have come up with a possible British version.
Literature on these locomotives is limited. The best available in the UK is:
The Electric Locomotives of the North Eastern Railway, author K Hoole, Published by the Oakwood Press as No.167 in the Locomotion Paper series. I think it is still in print.
The Electric Railway that never was by RAS Hennessey, published in 1980 was obtained second hand.
There are a number of books on electric locomotion from the 1920s and 30s which have details of these locomotives, and the US design influences upon them.