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Description
The Great Central Railway favored the 4-4-0 wheel arrangement for express passenger locomotives in the early part of the 20th Century. The Class 11E was a step up from Sir John Robinson's Classes 11B, 11C, and 11D 4-4-0s, and ten were built at Gorton Works in 1913. Their success was such that another batch was ordered in 1916, but was postponed until after the end of World War I. The class became known as "Directors" since their names were all taken from those of the general directors of the railway. The 11Es were often overshadowed by their direct descendants, the 11F "improved Directors," and were replaced on many passenger services. The D10s, as the LNER classified them, were then moved them far afield throughout the system on a variety of work including goods trains between Edinburgh and Newcastle during World War II. At Nationalization, they were all allocated to Sheffield, and the London Midland Region took over control of the Cheshire lines, resulting in their replacement by ex-LMS types. Withdrawals began in 1953 and all were gone in 1955, with none being preserved.

After the initial success of the 11E, the Great Central ordered another batch in 1916, but the order was postponed and issued again in 1919, with additional improvements to the 11E design. 11 Were built by the GCR in 1919-1920, as well as 24 more by outside builders with Kitson and Co. and Armstrong Whitworth each supplying 12, bringing the class total to 35. The GCR built engines were classified as D11/1 to differentiate them from the D11/2s ordered by the LNER being built to a smaller loading gauge with smaller boiler mountings for work in Scotland. The D11/2s proved particularly popular with Scottish crews when the engines were used in that part of the system, as the LNER had transferred them there to fill the need for express motive power. The D11/1s remained on express passenger duties between Sheffield Victoria and London Marylebone as well as semi-fast services between Manchester and Liverpool. The D11s in Scotland began to be displaced by D49s, and many of both subtypes were placed in storage. The Cheshire based engines were steadily replaced by ex-LMS engines after Nationalization, though withdrawals did not begin until 1958. The last D11/1s were gone by 1960 and the D11/2s managed to hang on into 1962. The first member of the class, Number 506 Butler Henderson was preserved by BR in 1960, where it was restored to original GCR condition and put on static display at the British Transport Commission Museum at Clapham. With the demise of the British Transport Commission in 1975, No. 506 entered the National Collection and was loaned to preserved Great Central Railway and was in working order from the late 1970s until 1992. In 2005 it was placed on long-term loan to Barrow Hill engine shed in Derbyshire, where it remains to the present day.

Description
The Great Central Railway favored the 4-4-0 wheel arrangement for express passenger locomotives in the early part of the 20th Century. The Class 11E was a step up from Sir John Robinson's Classes 11B, 11C, and 11D 4-4-0s, and ten were built at Gorton Works in 1913. Their success was such that another batch was ordered in 1916, but was postponed until after the end of World War I. The class became known as "Directors" since their names were all taken from those of the general directors of the railway. The 11Es were often overshadowed by their direct descendants, the 11F "improved Directors," and were replaced on many passenger services. The D10s, as the LNER classified them, were then moved them far afield throughout the system on a variety of work including goods trains between Edinburgh and Newcastle during World War II. At Nationalization, they were all allocated to Sheffield, and the London Midland Region took over control of the Cheshire lines, resulting in their replacement by ex-LMS types. Withdrawals began in 1953 and all were gone in 1955, with none being preserved.

After the initial success of the 11E, the Great Central ordered another batch in 1916, but the order was postponed and issued again in 1919, with additional improvements to the 11E design. 11 Were built by the GCR in 1919-1920, as well as 24 more by outside builders with Kitson and Co. and Armstrong Whitworth each supplying 12, bringing the class total to 35. The GCR built engines were classified as D11/1 to differentiate them from the D11/2s ordered by the LNER being built to a smaller loading gauge with smaller boiler mountings for work in Scotland. The D11/2s proved particularly popular with Scottish crews when the engines were used in that part of the system, as the LNER had transferred them there to fill the need for express motive power. The D11/1s remained on express passenger duties between Sheffield Victoria and London Marylebone as well as semi-fast services between Manchester and Liverpool. The D11s in Scotland began to be displaced by D49s, and many of both subtypes were placed in storage. The Cheshire based engines were steadily replaced by ex-LMS engines after Nationalization, though withdrawals did not begin until 1958. The last D11/1s were gone by 1960 and the D11/2s managed to hang on into 1962. The first member of the class, Number 506 Butler Henderson was preserved by BR in 1960, where it was restored to original GCR condition and put on static display at the British Transport Commission Museum at Clapham. With the demise of the British Transport Commission in 1975, No. 506 entered the National Collection and was loaned to preserved Great Central Railway and was in working order from the late 1970s until 1992. In 2005 it was placed on long-term loan to Barrow Hill engine shed in Derbyshire, where it remains to the present day.