GER Class C53 explained

Powertype:Steam
Designer:James Holden
Builder:Stratford Works
Builddate:1903 - 1921
Totalproduction:12
Aarwheels:Co
Uicclass:C n2t
Coupleddiameter:3feet
Wheelbase:6feet
Length:20feet
Fueltype:Coal
Watercap:625impgal
Fireboxtype:Round-top
Firearea:9.2square feet
Diameterinside:2feet
Lengthinside:6feet
Smalltubediameter:102 x 1.6251NaN1
Boilerpressure:1802NaN2
Totalsurface:348.08square feet
Tubearea:306square feet
Fireboxarea:42.08square feet
Cylindercount:Two, outside
Cylindersize:12x
Valvegear:Walschaerts
Tractiveeffort:89312NaN2 at 85%
Powerclass:BR: 0F
Axleloadclass:LNER/BR: RA 2
Withdrawndate:1942 (1), 1949–1955
Disposition:All original C53s scrapped, one Toby the Tram Engine replica built at East Anglian Railway Museum.
Notes:Most specifications from[1]

The GER Class C53 was a class of twelve 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.

History

These locomotives had 12x outside cylinders driving 3feet wheels; all enclosed by skirting. They were the first locomotives on the Great Eastern to use Walschaerts valve gear. 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 of similar appearance.

Table of orders and numbers
Year Order Builder Quantity GER No. LNER No. LNER 1946 No. Notes
1903 C53 2 135–136 7135–7136 8216–8217
1908 C64 3 137–139 7137–7139 8218, —, 8219 GER No.138 was withdrawn in 1942
1910 I67 1 130 7130 8220
1914 P75 3 127–128, 131 7127–7128, 7131 8221–8223
1921 D85 3 125–126, 129 7125–7126, 7129 8224–8226
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.
Table of withdrawals
Year Quantity in
service at
start of year
Quantity
withdrawn
Locomotive numbers
1942 12 1 7138
1949 11 1 68218
1951 10 1 68221
1952 9 1 68224
1953 8 4 68216–7/19–20
1955 4 4 68222–3/25–6

Individual locomotives

List of GER C53 locomotives[2] [3]
GER number LNER number 1946 number BR number Build date Withdrawal date
135 7135 8216 68216 31/10/1903 31/12/1953
136 7136 8217 68217 30/11/1903 31/03/1953
137 7137 8218 68218 30/09/1908 30/09/1949
138 7138 N/A N/A 30/09/1908 31/01/1942
139 7139 8219 68219 31/10/1908 31/08/1953
130 7130 8220 68220 30/04/1910 31/03/1953
127 7127 8221 68221 30/06/1914 21/05/1951
128 7128 8222 68222 30/06/1914 28/02/1955
131 7131 8223 68223 30/06/1914 19/07/1955
125 7125 8224 68224 31/03/1921 30/04/1952
126 7126 8225 68225 31/03/1921 31/03/1955
129 7129 8226 68226 31/03/1921 02/08/1955
Note: The data above is according to RailUK. BRDatabase gives some different dates:

In fiction

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.[4]

See also

References

Bibliography

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: LNER J70. 2023-11-24. lner.info.
  2. Web site: GER Class C53. RailUK.
  3. Web site: GER/LNER Holden "J70" Class 0-6-0T. BRDatabse.
  4. Book: The Island of Sodor - its People, History and Railways . Wilbert Vere Awdry . 137.