GER Class C53

The GER Class C53 was a class of twelve 0-6-0T steam tram locomotives designed by James Holden for the Great Eastern Railway. They passed to the London and North Eastern Railway at the grouping, and received the LNER classification J70.

  • GER Class C53
  • LNER Class J70
8226 at Stratford locomotive depot, 28 September 1946 (note the short skirt)
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerJames Holden
BuilderStratford Works
Build date1903–1921
Total produced12
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte0-6-0T
 • UICC n2t
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.3 ft 1 in (0.940 m)
Wheelbase6 ft 8 in (2.032 m)
Length20 ft 8+3⁄8 in (6.309 m)
Loco weight27 long tons 1 cwt (60,600 lb or 27.5 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity15 long cwt (1,700 lb or 800 kg)
Water cap.625 imp gal (2,840 L; 751 US gal)
Firebox:
 • Firegrate area		9.2 sq ft (0.85 m2)
Boiler pressure180 lbf/in2 (1.24 MPa)
Heating surface348.08 sq ft (32.338 m2)
CylindersTwo, outside
Cylinder size12 in × 15 in (305 mm × 381 mm)
Valve gearWalschaerts
Performance figures
Tractive effort8,931 lbf (39.73 kN)
Career
Operators
Class
  • GER: C53
  • LNER: J70
Power classBR: 0F
Axle load classLNER/BR: RA 2
Withdrawn1942 (1), 1949–1955
DispositionAll original C53s scrapped, one Toby the Tram Engine replica built at East Anglian Railway Museum.

History

These locomotives had 12-by-15-inch (305 mm × 381 mm) outside cylinders driving 3-foot-1-inch (0.940 m) wheels; all enclosed by skirting. They were the first locomotives on the Great Eastern to use Walschaerts valve gear.[1] They were used on the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway and the ports of Great Yarmouth and Ipswich from the 1930s to the 1950s. They replaced earlier GER Class G15 0-4-0T of similar appearance.

Table of orders and numbers[1]
YearOrderBuilderQuantityGER No.LNER No.LNER 1946 No.Notes
1903C53Stratford Works2135–1367135–71368216–8217
1908C64Stratford Works3137–1397137–71398218, —, 8219GER No.138 was withdrawn in 1942
1910I67Stratford Works113071308220
1914P75Stratford Works3127–128, 1317127–7128, 71318221–8223
1921D85Stratford Works3125–126, 1297125–7126, 71298224–8226

The first withdrawal was in 1942. The remaining locomotives were renumbered 8216–8226 in 1944. The remaining eleven locomotives passed to British Railways in 1948 on nationalisation, and had 60000 added to their numbers. Withdrawals restarted in 1949, slowly at first, then more quickly, and the last went in 1955.[2]

Table of withdrawals[3]
YearQuantity in
service at
start of year		Quantity
withdrawn		Locomotive numbers
19421217138
194911168218
195110168221
19529168224
19538468216–7/19–20
19554468222–3/25–6

Individual locomotives
List of GER C53 locomotives[4][5]
GER numberLNER number1946 numberBR numberBuild dateWithdrawal date
135713582166821631/10/190331/12/1953
136713682176821730/11/190331/03/1953
137713782186821830/09/190830/09/1949
1387138Never allocatedNever allocated30/09/190831/01/1942
139713982196821931/10/190831/08/1953
130713082206822030/04/191031/03/1953
127712782216822130/06/191421/05/1951
128712882226822230/06/191428/02/1955
131713182236822330/06/191419/07/1955
125712582246822431/03/192130/04/1952
126712682256822531/03/192131/03/1955
129712982266822631/03/192102/08/1955

Note: The data above is according to RailUK. BRDatabase gives some different dates:

  • GER No. 135 was withdrawn in 30 November 1953
  • GER No. 136 was withdrawn in 9 March 1953
  • GER No. 130 was withdrawn in 23 February 1953
  • GER No. 128 was withdrawn sometime in January 1955
  • GER No. 125 was withdrawn in 24 March 1952
  • GER No. 126 was withdrawn in 8 March 1955

In fiction
Toby replica on Avon Valley Railway

J70 68221 was the inspiration for the character Toby the Tram Engine in The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry, and its television series adaptation Thomas & Friends.[6]

See also

References

Notes
  1. Aldrich 1969, p. 105
  2. Aldrich 1969, p. 106
  3. Allen et al. 1970, p. 102
  4. "GER Class C53". RailUK.
  5. "GER/LNER Holden "J70" Class 0-6-0T". BRDatabse.
  6. Wilbert Vere Awdry. The Island of Sodor - its People, History and Railways. p. 137.

Bibliography
  • Aldrich, C. Langley (1969). The Locomotives of the Great Eastern Railway 1862–1962 (7th ed.). Wickford, Essex: C. Langley Aldrich. OCLC 30278831.
  • Allen, D. W.; Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Proud, P.; Roundthwaite, T. E.; Tee, D. F.; Yeadon, W. B. (November 1970). Fry, E. V. (ed.). Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., part 8A: Tank Engines - Classes J50 to J70. Kenilworth: RCTS. ISBN 0-901115-05-3.

Further reading
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