GER Classes S46, D56 and H88

GER S46, D56 and H88
“Claud Hamilton”
LNER Class D14/D15/D16

300px D16/3 'Super Claud' 4-4-0 No. 62530 departs March in August 1958.

Type and origin Power type Steam Builder Stratford Works Build date 1900-1923 Total produced 121

Specifications Configuration 4-4-0 UIC class 2′B n2, 2′B h2 Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Driver diameter 7 ft (2.1 m) Length Loco weight 52.2–55.9 long tons (53.0–56.8 t) Fuel type Coal Boiler pressure 180 psi (1,200 kPa) Firegrate area 21.3 sq ft (1.98 m2) Cylinders Two inside Cylinder size 19 in × 26 in (480 mm × 660 mm)

Performance figures Tractive effort 17,095 lbf (76,040 N)

Career Operators Great Eastern Railway → London and North Eastern Railway → British Railways Power class BR: 2P (3P for D16/3 from 1953) Axle load class LNER/BR: RA 5 Disposition All scrapped

The GER Classes S46, D56 and H88 (classified Classes D14, D15, and D16 by the London and North Eastern Railway) were three classes of similar 4-4-0 steam locomotive designed by James Holden (S46 and D56) and A. J. Hill (H88) for the Great Eastern Railway. They were given the nickname Claud Hamilton after the first engine of the class, named after Lord Claud Hamilton (1843–1925) the chairman of the Great Eastern Railway. None of these locomotives survived to preservation.

History

Allen (1961) noted that

"Of all the locomotive designs that emerged from Stratford Works during the reign of James Holden, the one destined to achieve the greatest fame, beyond question, was his Claud Hamilton type 4-4-0, of which the pioneer example, No. 1900 Claud Hamilton, took the rails in 1900"

He devotes a whole chapter to it. It is widely considered one of the classic locomotive designs, and three later Great Eastern Railway classes and three LNER classes were descended from it. F.V. Russell (Holden's Chief Designer) is generally accepted as the Claud Hamiltons' actual designer. Ellis notes:

"Mr Holden, by then a valetudinarian was making a long recuperative stay in Egypt".

This was related to Ellis by Russell.

Table of orders and numbers

Year	Order	Quantity	GER Nos.	LNER Nos.	1946 Nos.	Notes
1900	S46	1	1900	8900	2500
1900	L47	10	1890–1899	8890–8899	2501–2510
1901	M51	10	1880–1889	8880–8889	2511–2520
1902	F53	10	1870–1879	8870–8879	2521–2530
1903	L55	10	1860–1869	8860–8869	2531–2540
1903–04	D56	10	1850–1859	8850–8859	2541–2550	Belpaire boiler
1906–07	G61	10	1840–1849	8840–8849	2551–2560
1908	A64	10	1830–1839	8830–8839	2561–2570
1909	B66	10	1820–1829	8820–8829	2571–2580
1910	D67	10	1810–1819	8810–8819	2581–2590
1910	P67	10	1800–1809–	8800–8809	2591–2600
1911	E69	10	1790–1799	8790–8799	2601–2610
1923	H88	10	(1780–1789)	8780–8789	2611–2602

Accidents and incidents

Main article: Ilford rail crash (1915)

• On 1 January 1915, locomotive No. 1813 was hauling an express passenger train that overran signals and collided with a local passenger train at Ilford, Essex. Ten people were killed and more than 500 were injured.
• On 12 February 1927, locomotive No. 8808 was hauling an express passenger train that was in collision with a lorry on a level crossing at Tottenham, London. Due to foggy conditions, the train was not travelling at a high speed.
• On 17 January 1931, locomotive No. 8781 was running light engine at Great Holland, Essex when it was in a head-on collision with a newspaper train. Two people were killed and two were seriously injured. The newspaper train had departed from Thorpe-le-Soken station against signals.
• In November 1934, a Class D16/2 8783 locomotive was derailed at Wormley, Hertfordshire when it collided with a lorry on a level crossing. both engine crew were killed.
• On 1 June 1939, locomotive No. 8783 was hauling a passenger train that collided with a lorry on an occupation crossing at Hilgay, Norfolk and was derailed.

Classification

File:Cambridge Locomotive Depo an old Great Eastern 4-4-0 geograph-2321769-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg

Class D15 No. 62503 at Cambridge Shed in August 1949. Note the cut-out splashers and small 'water-cart' tender.

File:March Locomotive Depot D16-2 'Super-Claud' 4-4-0 by coaler geograph-2326204-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg

D16/2 'Super-Claud' nO.8813 at March Locomotive Depot 14 July 1946.

The classification of the Claud Hamiltons is complex but is summarised here:

• GER Class S46 (LNER Class D14), 4 ft 9 in diameter boiler, round-top firebox
• GER Class D56 (LNER Class D15), 4 ft 9 in diameter boiler, Belpaire firebox
  • LNER Class D15/1, D15 as built with short smokebox, some with superheater
  • LNER Class D15/2, D15 with superheater and long smokebox
• GER Class H88 (LNER Class D16), "Super Claud" with superheater, larger boiler (5 ft ​1 ¹⁄₈ in diameter) and Belpaire firebox
  • LNER Class D16/1, D16 as built (with short smokebox)
  • LNER Class D16/2, as D16/1 but with extended smokebox
  • LNER Class D16/3, Gresley rebuild of D15 and D16 with round-top firebox, some with piston valves

Dimensions

The S46 boiler had 1,630 sq ft (151 m²) of heating surface, with a 21.3 sq ft (1.98 m²) grate. The cylinders were 19 x 26 in. with flat valves placed below, operated by Stephenson's motion. The coupled wheels were 7 ft (2.1 m) in diameter.

Performance

(Allen 1961) reports Claud Hamiltons in their original state were capable of taking around 350 tons from Liverpool Street to North Walsham in under the booked time. No. 1882 with round-top boiler ran the 130.2 miles (209.5 km) in 156 min 60 sec. Even heavier trains were managed in the up direction: No. 1809 (Belpaire boiler) took 400 tons up in 157 min 24 sec.

Appearance

File:GER Claud Hamilton.jpg

Model of the locomotive as built in GER blue livery, to 1:160 scale

The royal blue of the Great Eastern livery, with its scarlet lining, was embellished with a copper chimney cap, and brass beadings round the rim of the safety valve casing, the front and side cab windows, the top and bottom of both cylinders of the Westinghouse brake compressor, the coupled wheel splashers, and the four openings that had been cut in subsidiary coupling rod splashers – in London and North Western Railway style – to give access to the coupling rod pins when the rods were up. In contrast with the blue livery was the vermilion in which the buffer beam and coupling rods were painted. Another feature of great distinction, begun by James Holden with the Claud Hamiltons, was the broad steel ring, polished bright, that encircled the smokebox door, and made it possible to dispense with the usual straps across the door. Before very long, the painted representation of the GER coat-of-arms on the driving splashers was replaced by a replica cast in relief and picked out in colour. The tenders were replaced with standard GER ones when oil firing came to an end. The cab windows were round.

Later in LNER days the locos were painted apple green with LNER on the tender and cab numbers. Side rods were polished steel. The appearance was altered when a larger boiler and belpaire firebox was fitted, meaning a change in the cab window shape as well. 8783 and 8787 were kept in immaculate condition as the dedicated Royal locos hauling the Royal trains from Kings Cross to Wolferton for Sandringham. 8783 also had a copper capped chimney. Later some locos carried numbers and London & North Eastern Railway on the tender. Most were repainted into NE black for the war.

In British Railway days 8783 carried apple green with British Railways on the tender just like Tornado. The others carried black with British Railways on the tender. Later on they carried both lined and unlined black with early crest and lined and unlined black with late crest. Many of the steel rings were retained into the last days except on Gresley rebuilds where a larger boiler required a new smokebox. Much of the decorative valancing was removed in later years as well, though the locos still retained their distinctive character.

Table of withdrawals

Year	Quantity in service at start of year	Quantity withdrawn	Locomotive numbers	Notes
1945	121	1	8866
1946	120	2	2550, 2595
1947	118	1	2500	Name transferred to 2516
1948	117	6	2504/60/63/83, 2600/02
1949	111	1	2594
1950	110	3	62508/12/91
1951	107	7	62501/03/05/20/28/47, 62603
1952	100	8	62502/06/07/09/27/38/90/98
1953	92	2	62581, 62616
1955	90	15	62525/31/36/41/49/52/54/57/59/73/74/79/85, 62607/20
1956	75	8	62523/32/42/51/67/69/77/87
1957	67	28	62510/14/16/19/26/33/35/39/46/48/53/56/58/62/65/75/76/78/84/93/96, 62601/05/08/09/11/17/19
1958	39	23	62513/15/18/21/22/30/34/43/45/55/61/64/66/68/72/80/86/88/92/99, 62610/14/15
1959	16	12	62511/17/29/40/44/70/71/82/89, 62606/12/18
1960	4	4	62524/97, 62604/13

In fiction

The design was the basis of the character Molly in the children's TV series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. 8783 also featured as a character in Toby and the Old Engine story.

Preservation

There are no survivors of the original class, however there is a group who have planned to build a replica Claud Hamilton D16/2 No. 8783 as it was one of the original engines which pulled the royal train, this engine will be named Phoenix.

External links

• Claud Hamilton Locomotive Group
• LNER Encyclopedia