NER Fletcher 901 Class
Design and development
Edward Fletcher, the NER's first Locomotive Superintendent (appointed at the railway's formation in 1854), designed in 1872 a 2-4-0 express engine that became the standard NER express type. The 901 class — named after the leading number in the series — had 7 ft 1 in coupled wheels, inside cylinders, and Fletcher's distinctive elegant styling. 55 were built between 1872 and 1882.
Service and withdrawals
The 901 class worked NER East Coast expresses through the 1870s and 1880s, including services on the Newcastle–Edinburgh and York–Newcastle main lines. They were progressively superseded by Worsdell's 4-4-0s from the 1890s. No. 910 was selected for preservation when withdrawn in 1925 and is now at the NRM York, finished in NER green.
Identification features
Inside-cylinder 2-4-0 with 7 ft 1 in coupled wheels, parallel boiler, brass dome on the front ring, distinctive Fletcher styling with curved running plate above the leading wheel.
Notable locomotives
- 910 (1875, National Railway Museum)