GER Class T26

Infobox Locomotive
powertype=Steam
name = GER Class T26
LNER Class E4


caption =
designer = James Holden
builder = GER
builddate = 1891
totalproduction = 100
whytetype = 2-4-0
gauge = standard gauge
leadingsize =
driversize = 5ft 8ins
length =
weight = 40 tons 6 cwt
tender, 30 tons 13 cwt
fueltype = coal
fuelc

waterc

cylindercount = 2
cylindersize = 17½" x 24"
firearea =
boilerpressure = 140 - 160 psi
tractiveeffort = 14,700 lbf
railroadclass=|

The GER Class T26 (LNER Class E4) was a class of 2-4-0 steam tender 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 18 survived into British Railways ownership in 1948. Their BR numbers were 62780-62797.

Overview

Derived from the GER Class T19 but with much smaller 5ft 8in driving wheels and intended for mixed traffic work, ninety T26s were built between 1891 and 1896 with 17inch cylinders (later 17½ inch) and 140lb boiler pressure, numbered 417-506. From 1898 some locos were rebuilt with 160lb pressure boilers thus when an additional 10 T26s (numbers 1250-1259) were built in 1902 these were fitted with the new boilers as standardcite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = T26 Class 2-4-0 1891-1902 | work =
publisher = Great Eastern Raiway Society | date = | url = http://www.gersociety.org.uk/loco/jholden.htm#t26 | format = | doi = | accessdate= 2008-04-15.

Operation

The GER used air brakes but, when introduced, more than half the T26 locomotives were fitted with vacuum brake ejectors for operating over the lines of other railway companies. T26s were particularly associated with the movement of horses by rail to and from Newmarket Racecourse, and thus travelled widely.

T26s were often used on passenger trains to the Norfolk Coast, particularly Wells and Cromer. After the grouping of 1923 Claud Hamilton 4-4-0s took over most passenger traffic to Wellscite book | last = Hawkins | first = Chris | coauthors = Reeve, George | title = Great Eastern Railway Engine Sheds Part 1: Stratford, Peterborough and Norwich Districts | publisher = Wild Swan Publications Ltd | date = 1986 | location = | pages = | isbn = 0 906867 401.

Livery

On introduction the T26 locomotives were painted in the standard GER livery of Ultramarine Blue over an undercoat of French Grey, with black smokebox and vermillion buffer beams. From 1915 locos were not given a top coat and ran in French Grey undercoat but with the boiler bands picked out in black.cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Locomotive liveries | work = | publisher = Great Eastern Raiway Society | date = | url = http://www.gersociety.org.uk/loco/intro.htm#liv | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2008-04-28.

Preservation

One (GER No. 490, BR No. 62785) has survived to form a part of the National Collection and is currently located at Bressingham Steam Museum. There are Transacord recordings of their gentle chuffing through the byways of East Anglia.

References

ources

* Ian Allan ABC of British Railways Locomotives, 1948 edition, part 4, page 23

External links

* [http://www.lner.info/locos/E/e4.shtml LNER Encyclopedia]
* [http://www.scalefour.org.uk/ag/ag6det/22page.htm Line drawing of a T26]