GER Classes R24 Rebuilt and S56
Encyclopedia
The GER Class S56 was a class of 0-6-0
T steam
tank locomotive
s designed by James Holden
for the Great Eastern Railway
. Together with some rebuilt examples of GER Class R24
, they passed to the London and North Eastern Railway
at the grouping
in 1923, and received the LNER classification J69.
All twenty passed to the LNER in 1923. Thirteen class J69 locomotives were lent to the War Department in October 1939, of which five had been built as Class S56. They were sold to the War Department in October 1940, where they were used on the Melbourne
and Longmoor Military Railway
s. The remaining locomotives were renumbered 8617–8636 in order of construction; however gaps were left where the locomotives sold to the War Department would have been. At nationalisation in 1948, the remainder passed to British Railways, who added 60000 to their number. Post-war withdrawals started in 1958, and by 1962 all had been retired.
.
0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
T steam
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
tank locomotive
Tank locomotive
A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon...
s 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
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
. Together with some rebuilt examples of GER Class R24
GER Class R24
The GER Class R24 was a class of 0-6-0 steam tank locomotives designed by James Holden for the Great Eastern Railway . They passed to the London and North Eastern Railway at the grouping in 1923 and received the LNER classification J67. Some R24s were rebuilt with higher boiler pressure in which...
, they 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 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...
in 1923, and received the LNER classification J69.
History
The Class S56 were a development of the Class R24, being almost identical, apart from higher boiler pressure and larger water tanks. Twenty were built in 1904 at Stratford Works.| Year | Order No. | Quantity | GER Nos. | LNER Nos. | 1946 Nos. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1904 | S56 | 10 | 51–60 | 7051–7060 | 8617–19, —, 8621, —, 8623, —, 8625–8626 | |
| 1904 | P57 | 10 | 81–90 | 7081–7090 | —, 8628–8633, —, 8635–8636 | |
All twenty passed to the LNER in 1923. Thirteen class J69 locomotives were lent to the War Department in October 1939, of which five had been built as Class S56. They were sold to the War Department in October 1940, where they were used on the Melbourne
Melbourne Military Railway
thumb|[[Buffer stop]]s by [[Isley Walton]] RoadThe Melbourne Military Railway was a military railway in Derbyshire used by British Army and Allied engineers during the Second World War from 1939 until late 1944 to prepare them for the invasion of mainland Europe...
and Longmoor Military Railway
Longmoor Military Railway
The Longmoor Military Railway was a British military railway in Hampshire, built by the Royal Engineers from 1903 in order to train soldiers on railway construction and operations.-Route:...
s. The remaining locomotives were renumbered 8617–8636 in order of construction; however gaps were left where the locomotives sold to the War Department would have been. At nationalisation in 1948, the remainder passed to British Railways, who added 60000 to their number. Post-war withdrawals started in 1958, and by 1962 all had been retired.
| Year | Quantity in service at start of year | Quantity withdrawn | Locomotives numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 20 | 5 | 54, 56, 58, 81, 88 | to WD 86, 87, 83, 80, 91 |
| 1958 | 15 | 5 | 68617, 68618, 68628, 68631, 68632 | |
| 1959 | 10 | 4 | 68625, 68629, 68630, 68636 | |
| 1960 | 6 | 1 | 68633 | |
| 1961 | 5 | 2 | 68619, 68623 | |
| 1962 | 3 | 3 | 68621, 68626, 68635 | |
Preservation
GER no. 87 (LNER 7087, 8633, BR 68633) has been preserved, initially at the Clapham Transport Museum, and now at the National Railway MuseumNational Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
.
External links
- R24, R24R, S56 and C72 Classes 0-6-0T — Great Eastern Railway Society
- The Holden J67 & J69 (GER Class R24, R24 Rebuilt, & S56) 0-6-0T Locomotives — LNER Encyclopedia