| GER Class C72 LNER Class J68 | |
| Powertype: | Steam |
| Designer: | A. J. Hill |
| Builder: | Stratford Works |
| Builddate: | 1912–1923 |
| Totalproduction: | 30 |
| Uicclass: | C n2t |
| Driverdiameter: | 4feet |
| Wheelbase: | 13feet |
| Length: | 27feet over buffers |
| Fueltype: | Coal |
| Watercap: | 1200impgal |
| Boilerpressure: | 1802NaN2 |
| Firearea: | 14.5square feet |
| Totalsurface: | 996.17square feet |
| Cylindercount: | Two, inside |
| Cylindersize: | 16.5x |
| Tractiveeffort: | 190912NaN2 |
| Powerclass: | BR: 2F |
| Axleloadclass: | LNER/BR: RA 3 |
| Withdrawndate: | 1940, 1958–1961 |
| Disposition: | All scrapped |
The GER Class C72 was a class of thirty steam locomotives designed by A. J. Hill for the Great Eastern Railway. They passed to the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) at the 1923 grouping and received the LNER classification J68.
These locomotives were an improved version of the Class S56 tanks, and the final development of James Holden's Class T18 tank locomotives, sharing the same 16.5x cylinders, 4feet driving wheels, and 13feet wheelbase. There were three orders, each of ten locomotives, all built at Stratford Works between 1912 and 1923. The first batch were built as suburban passenger tanks and were fitted with Westinghouse air brakes. The second and third batches were built as shunting tanks and were fitted with steam locomotive brakes and vacuum train brakes.
| Year | Order | Quantity | GER Nos. | LNER Nos. | 1946 Nos. | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | C72 | 10 | 41–50 | 7041–7050 | —, 8638–8646 | Passenger service | |
| 1913–14 | G75 | 10 | 21–30 | 7021–7030 | 8647–8656 | Shunting service | |
| 1923 | L89 | 10 | 31–40 | 7031–7040 | 8657–8666 | Shunting service |
One locomotive was lent to the War Department in October 1939, and sold 12 months later,[1] It was used on the Longmoor Military Railway before being moved to the Bicester Central Ordnance Depot, and then the Military Port No. 1, Faslane. The remaining locomotives were renumbered 8638–8666 in order of construction. At nationalisation in 1948 they passed to British Railways, who added 60000 to their numbers. Post war withdrawals started in 1958, and all were gone by 1961.
| Year | Quantity in service at start of year | Quantity withdrawn | Locomotive numbers | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 30 | 1 | align=left | 7041 | align=left | to WD 85 |
| 1958 | 29 | 6 | align=left | 68651/53/59/62/64/66 | align=left | |
| 1959 | 23 | 5 | align=left | 68638–40/48/58 | align=left | |
| 1960 | 18 | 10 | align=left | 68641/43/45/52/54–57/61/65 | align=left | |
| 1961 | 8 | 8 | align=left | 68642/44/46–47/49–50/60/63 | align=left | |