Steam Locomotive No.8

No 8 "John Of Gaunt"

History
The locomotive was built in the workshops here at Aylsham station in 1996/7 from components originally manufactured and supplied by Winson Engineering.

The outline design is based on a 'Vale of Rheidol Railway'

She is a 2-6-2 tank engine, with a mechanical chassis similar to locomotive numbers 6 ,7 & 9.

Originally constructed as an oil fired locomotive and first steamed on the 19th December 1997.

When built oil was 11p per litre. The oil firing was noisy and gave problems. With oil prices escalating to 70p per litre,very expensive, relative to coal, a decision was taken to convert the locomotive to burn coal.

In late 2005 an extensive overhaul and programme of improvements began, which included converting it from oil to coal firing with the loco returning to traffic again in July 2008.

The locomotive had always been a poor steamer due to very restricted steam passageways, its cylinder size was reduced and steam passage ways enlarged in early 2010 to make the loco more efficient on steam demand.

The loco returned to traffic April 2010.

The locomotive is owned by the Bure Valley Railway.

Originally named "Thunder" due to the noise from the oil firing, the loco was renamed as "John Of Gaunt" by the children of the Aylsham school of the same name on the 13th May, 2014.

John of Gaunt (1340-1399) the son of King Richard III was Lord of the Manor of Aylsham. Although never King himself, his son would become Henry IV.

To maintain local railway connections a Britannia Pacific 70012 allocated new to Norwich Shed in December 1951 also carried the name "John O'Gaunt"

Technical details
Gauge: 15 inches
Length: 18 feet, 2 inches
Width: 4 foot, 3 inches
Height: 5 feet, 11 inches
Working Weight: 9½ tons
Coal Capacity: 6 cwt
Water Capacity: 900 Ltrs (198 gallons)
Wheel Arrangement: 2-6-2
Driving Wheel Diameter: 24 inches
Boiler Pressure: 180 psi
Boiler Diameter: 24 inches
Firebox grate area: 5½ feet ²
Cylinder Size: 6½ inch diameter by 11 inch stroke
Valve diameter: 3 inches
Nominal Tractive Effort: 2,963 Ibs
Valve Gear: Walschaerts
Livery: The loco is painted 'BR Black'