The GER Class S44 was a class of forty 0-4-4T steam locomotives designed by James Holden

James Holden (engineer)

James Holden was an English locomotive engineer.He is remembered mainly for the "Claud Hamilton" 4-4-0, his pioneering work with oil fuel, and his unique "Decapod".- Biography :...

 for the Great Eastern Railway. They all passed to the London and North Eastern Railway

London and North Eastern Railway

The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...

 at the 1923 grouping

Railways Act 1921

The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...

 and received the classification G4.

History

These were the last 0-4-4T locomotives built for the Great Eastern Railway, a type which, as side tanks, the GER had pioneered in Britain. The locomotives were all built at Stratford Works

Stratford Works

Stratford Works was the locomotive-building works of the Great Eastern Railway situated at Stratford, London, England. It was opened in 1847-1848 by the GER's predecessor, the Eastern Counties Railway...

and had 17 by 24 in (431.8 by 609.6 mm) inside cylinders driving 4 in 11 in (1.5 m) wheels.

Table of orders and numbers

Year	Order	Quantity	GER Nos.	LNER Nos.	Notes
1898–99	S44	10	1100–1109	8100–8109
1899	F47	10	1110–1119	8111–8119
1900	R48	10	1120–1129	8120–8129
1900–01	L50	10	1130–1139	8130–8139

All were still in service at the 1923 grouping; the LNER adding 7000 to the numbers of nearly all the ex-Great Eastern locomotives, including the Class S44 locomotives. Withdrawals started in 1929 with No. 8133 and finished in 1939 with 8139.

Table of withdrawals

Year	Quantity in service at start of year	Quantity withdrawn	Locomotive numbers	Notes
1929	40	3	8103, 8120, 8133
1930	37	6	8102, 8108, 8111, 8118, 8121, 8128
1931	31	12	8100, 8104, 8106, 8107, 8112–8115, 8125, 8127, 8135, 8138
1932	19	5	8110, 8122, 8129, 8130, 8132
1933	14	6	8101, 8109, 8116, 8117, 8119, 8126
1934	8	4	8124, 8131, 8136, 8137
1936	4	1	8134
1938	3	2	8105, 8123
1939	1	1	8139

External links

• S44 Class 0-4-4T – Great Eastern Railway Society
• The Holden G4 (GER Class S44) 0-4-4T Locomotives – LNER Encyclopedia