22 Book of Locomotives 



We now pass, to Patrick Stirling who 

 came down from Scotland to take charge 

 of the engines of the Great Northern in 

 1867. 



The Great Northern as a rather late 

 comer, depended more on the speed of its 

 locomotives than any other big system. 

 Stirling appreciated that point at once, and 

 he set to work to design what is probably 

 the best known type of express engine ever 

 seen on British (or foreign) metals. This 

 was his famous " eight-footer " which, for 

 thirty years, held its own against all comers. 



Every detail of their design was carefully 

 thought out before even the drawings were 

 made; Stirling was a master of his craft, 

 he knew exactly what he wanted, he knew 

 exactly what his railway needed, and in the 

 outside cylinder " eight-footer " he arrived 

 at his goal. 



Although these engines had what would 

 now be called midget boilers, and a wheel 

 formula which is now obsolete, they romped 

 along with any load then available. For 

 thirty years, without any substantial change 



