The GER Class D81 was a class of twenty-five 0-6-0 steam locomotives designed by A. J. Hill for the Great Eastern Railway. The all passed to the London and North Eastern Railway at the 1923 grouping and received the classification J20.

GER Class D81
LNER Class J20
J20 No. 4697 rests along with numerous other freight engines at March Locomotive Depot on Sunday 14 July 1946
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerA. J. Hill
BuilderStratford Works
Build date1920–1922
Total produced25
Specifications
Configuration:
 • Whyte0-6-0
 • UICC h2
Gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Driver dia.4 ft 11 in (1.499 m)
Wheelbase40 ft 11 in (12.47 m)
Length54 ft 6 in (16.61 m) over buffers
Loco weight54 long tons 15 cwt (122,600 lb or 55.6 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Firebox:
 • Grate area26.5 sq ft (2.46 m2)
Boiler pressure180 lbf/in2 (1.24 MPa)
Heating surface1,834.2 sq ft (170.40 m2)
CylindersTwo, inside
Cylinder size20 in × 28 in (508 mm × 711 mm)
Performance figures
Tractive effort29,044 lbf (129.19 kN)
Career
Operators
Class
  • GER: D81
  • LNER: J20
Power classBR: 5F
Axle load classLNER/BR: RA 5
Withdrawn1959–1962
DispositionAll scrapped

History edit

These locomotives were fitted with 20-by-28-inch (508 mm × 711 mm) cylinders and 4-foot-11-inch (1.499 m) wheels, while the Belpaire firebox-fitted boiler was identical to that fitted to the Class S69 4-6-0s. They were the most powerful 0-6-0 tender locomotive in Britain until the arrival of Oliver Bulleid's Q1 class for the Southern Railway in 1942.[1]

Table of orders and numbers[1]
Year Order Manufacturer Quantity GER Nos. LNER Nos. 1946 Nos. Notes
1920 D81 Stratford Works 5 1270–1274 8270–8274 4675–4679
1922 M87 Stratford Works 10 1275–1284 8275–8284 4680–4689
1922 Y87 Stratford Works 10 1285–1294 8285–8294 4690–4699

All were still in service at the 1923 grouping, the LNER adding 7000 to the numbers of nearly all the ex-Great Eastern locomotives, including the Class D81 locomotives. Between 1943 and 1956 the class was rebuilt with round-top fireboxes, and reclassified as J20/1.[1][2]

At nationalisation in 1948, British Railways added 60000 to their LNER numbers. They all continued in service until 1959, when the first was withdrawn; all were gone by the end of 1962.[1]

Table of withdrawals[2]
Year Quantity in
service at
start of year
Quantity
withdrawn
Locomotive numbers Notes
1959 25 3 64675/83/88
1960 22 9 64678/81–82/84–86/93–95
1961 13 8 64676–77/79–80/89/92/97–98
1962 5 5 64687/90–91/96/99

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Aldrich 1969, p. 73.
  2. ^ a b Baxter 2012, pp. 102–103.
  • Aldrich, C. Langley (1969). The Locomotives of the Great Eastern Railway 1862–1962 (7th ed.). Wickford, Essex: C. Langley Aldrich. OCLC 30278831.
  • Baxter, Bertram (2012). Baxter, David; Mitchell, Peter (eds.). British Locomotive Catalogue 1825–1923, Volume 6: Great Eastern Railway, North British Railway, Great North of Scotland Railway, Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway, remaining companies in the LNER group. Southampton: Kestrel Railway Books. ISBN 978-1-905505-26-5.

External links edit