GER Classes S46, D56 and H88


The GER Classes S46, D56 and H88 were three classes of similar 4-4-0 steam locomotive designed by James Holden and A. J. Hill for the Great Eastern Railway.
They were given the nickname Claud Hamilton after the pioneer engine of the class, named after Lord Claud Hamilton the chairman of the Great Eastern Railway. The D56 class of 1903-4 evolved the design to include a square-topped Belpaire firebox. The H88 class of 1923 featured a larger superheated boiler, leading them to be known as Super Clauds. Many earlier members of the class were rebuilt during their working life.
During the Edwardian era, they were the flagship express locomotive on the Great Eastern Main Line, and although displaced on the heaviest express trains by the larger S69 class from 1911, members of the class were used on passenger and goods services throughout the Eastern Region until 1960. No locomotives of the three classes survived to preservation.

Design

The Claud Hamilton, particularly in its original GER blue livery, is widely considered one of the most elegant locomotive designs of the pre-grouping era.
In his 1955 history of the Great Eastern Railway, Cecil J. Allen devotes a whole chapter to the class and noted that

Of all the locomotive designs that emerged from Stratford Works during the reign of James Holden, the one destined to achieve the greatest fame, beyond question, was his Claud Hamilton type 4-4-0, of which the pioneer example, No. 1900 Claud Hamilton, took the rails in 1900.

Although credited to James Holden, the Locomotive Superintendent of the Great Eastern, Frederick Vernon Russell is thought to have contributed substantially to the design of the Claud Hamiltons; while researching his Some Classic Locomotives of 1949, C.H. Ellis was informed by Russell that during the process of designing the locomotive "Mr Holden, by then a was making a long recuperative stay in Egypt."
The 4-4-0 inside cylinder locomotive included a number of features that were to appear on later Great Eastern locomotive classes, including a circular polished steel smokebox door surround and decorative splashers. Class pioneer No 1900 Claud Hamilton featuring red lining and connecting rods, copper chimney cap and GER coat of arms was much admired when it was exhibited at the 1900 Paris Exposition.
The original S46 boiler had of heating surface, with a grate. The cylinders were 19 x 26 in. with flat valves placed below, operated by Stephenson's motion. The coupled wheels were in diameter.
Allen reports that Claud Hamiltons in their original state were capable of taking around 350 tons from Liverpool Street to North Walsham in under the booked time. No. 1882 with round-top boiler ran the in 156 min 60 sec. Even heavier trains were managed in the up direction: No. 1809 took 400 tons up in 157 minutes 24 seconds.
The S46 design was substantially modified in later incarnations, particularly with the introduction of a larger superheated boiler on the H88 designed by Alfred John Hill. Most earlier members of the class were substantially modified by Hill or during the tenure of Sir Nigel Gresley as CME of the LNER from 1923.
Two separate classes were also developed from the design of the Claud Hamilton; Holden's Class F48 was essentially an 0-6-0 goods version of the S46 and the Class S69 was a larger 4-6-0 version using many of the same design cues as the H88, built to replace the Clauds on the heaviest express trains.

Classification and numbering

The classification of the Claud Hamiltons is complex but is summarised here:
The class pioneer was numbered 1900, with subsequent batches numbered backwards in tens as follows:
YearOrderQuantityGER Nos.LNER Nos.1946 Nos.Notes
1900S461190089002500
1900L47101890–18998890–88992501–2510
1901M51101880–18898880–88892511–2520
1902F53101870–18798870–88792521–2530
1903L55101860–18698860–88692531–2540
1903–04D56101850–18598850–88592541–2550Belpaire boiler
1906–07G61101840–18498840–88492551–2560
1908A64101830–18398830–88392561–2570
1909B66101820–18298820–88292571–2580
1910D67101810–18198810–88192581–2590
1910P67101800–1809–8800–88092591–2600
1911E69101790–17998790–87992601–2610
1923H88101780–17898780–87892611–2620Never carried GER numbers in service

The Railway Magazine of November 1923 includes the log of a run from Liverpool Street to Ipswich with 4-4-0 number 1780, so this loco at least must have carried a GER number.

Appearance

Originally painted in GER blue with red lining and bronze highlights, following the 1923 grouping the GER became part of the London and North Eastern Railway, and were painted in the company's apple green with LNER on the tender and cab-side numbers. Side rods were polished steel. The appearance was altered when a larger boiler and Belpaire firebox was fitted, meaning a change in the cab window shape as well.
8783 and 8787 were kept in immaculate condition as dedicated Royal locos for hauling the Royal Train from King's Cross to Wolferton. 8783 was also fitted with a copper-capped chimney. Later some locos carried numbers and London & North Eastern Railway on the tender. During the Second World War most were repainted into unlined black livery with the letters "N E" on the tender. "Royal Claud" 8783 retained its LNER apple green livery into British Railways days, but with BRITISH RAILWAYS on the tender initially.
Others were painted black with BRITISH RAILWAYS on the tender. Later on they carried both lined and unlined black with the early BR crest and those which survived after 1956 lined and unlined black with the later crest. Many of the class retained steel smokebox door rings until withdrawal, except those rebuilt by Gresley with a larger boiler which also required a new smokebox. Many locos had their decorative valances removed in later years as well, though they still retained their distinctive character.

Accidents and incidents

Withdrawals of the class began in 1945, with the final member, a D16/3, scrapped in 1960 leaving no survivors of the class.
YearQuantity in
service at
start of year		Quantity
withdrawn		Locomotive numbersNotes
194512118866Not renumbered
194612022550/95
194711812500Name transferred to 2546
194811762504/60/63/83, 2600/02
194911112594
1950110362508/12/91
1951107762501/03/05/20/28/47, 62603
1952100862502/06-07/09/27/38/90/98
195392262581, 62616
1955901562525/31/36/41/49/52/54/57/59/73–74/79/85, 62607/20
195675862523/32/42/51/67/69/77/87
1957672862510/14/16/19/26/33/35/39/46/48/53/56/58/62/65/75–76/78/84/93/96, 62601/05/08–09/11/17/19
1958392362513/15/18/21–22/30/34/43/45/55/61/64/66/68/72/80/86/88/92/99, 62610/14–15
1959161262511/17/29/40/44/70–71/82/89, 62606/12/18
19604462524/97, 62604/13

Revival

A group based at the Whitwell & Reepham railway plan to build a replica of D16/2 No. 8783 to be named Phoenix.

In fiction

The design was the basis of the character Molly in the children's TV series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.