The GER Class R24 was a class of steams designed by James Holden for the Great Eastern Railway (GER). They passed to the London and North Eastern Railway at the grouping in 1923 and received the LNER classification J67. Some R24s were rebuilt with higher boiler pressure in which form they were similar to the later Class S56. The rebuilt R24s, together with the S56s, were classified J69 by the LNER. The later Class C72, an improvement on the class S56, were classified as J68 by the LNER.
History These locomotives were very similar to the Class T18 locomotives, sharing the same dimensions for most major components. They were all built at the GER's Stratford Works between 1890 and 1901. + Table of orders and numbers Year Order No. Quantity GER Nos. LNER No. LNER 1946 No. Notes 1890 R24 10 327–336 7327–7336 8490–8495, —, 8496–8498 1890 S24 10 337–346 7337–7346 8499–8505, —, 8507–8508 1890 A26 10 397–406 7397–7406 8509–8513, —, 8514, — 8515, — 1890–91 B26 10 407–416 7011–7020 8516–8521, —, 8522–8523, — Renumbered 11–20 in January 1920 1892 P29 10 347–356 7347–7356 8524–8533 1892 R29 10 357–366 7357–7366 8534–8538, — 8540, — 8541–8542 1894 N33 10 367–376 7367–7376 8543–8552 1895 F36 10 377–386 7377–7386 8553–8562 1895–96 Y36 10 387–396 7387–7396 8563, —, 8565–8572 1896 C37 10 265–274 7265–7274 8573–8579, — 8581, — 1899 H45 10 255–264 7255–7264 —, 8583–8585, —, 8586–8590 1899–1900 G47 10 199–208 7199–7208 —, 8606, —, —, 8591–8592, —, 8593–8595 1900 S48 10 189–198 7305, 7190–7198 8596–8603, —, 8605 189 renumbered 305 in January 1909 1901 R50 10 160–169 7160–7169 8607–8613, —, —, 8616
Eighty-nine locomotives were rebuilt between 1904 and 1921 with boilers and increased water capacity. Most were fitted with air brakes and used in suburban and branch line passenger service alongside the Class S56. The 51 locomotives not rebuilt were used for shunting and working local goods trains.
Withdrawal The first withdrawal was in 1931 due to accident damage. Eleven were withdrawn in 1937, and one in 1939. Thirteen class J69 locomotives were lent to the War Department in October 1939, of which eight had been built as Class R24. They were sold to the War Department in October 1940, where they were used on the Melbourne and Longmoor Military Railways. The remaining locomotives were renumbered 8490–8616 in order of construction (with one exception); however gaps were left where the locomotives sold to the War Department would have been. At nationalisation in 1948, they all passed to British Railways, who added 60000 to their number. Post-war withdrawals started in 1953, and by 1962 all had been retired.
+ Table of withdrawals Year Quantity inservice atstart of year Quantitywithdrawn Locomotive numbers Notes 1931 140 1 7364 Accident damage 1937 139 11 7017, 7020, 7199, 7201, 7202, 7205, 7255, 7259, 7402, 7404, 7406 1939 128 1 7333 1940 127 8 7274, 7272, 7197, 7168, 7388, 7344, 7362, 7167 to WD 78–79, 81–82, 84, 88–90 respectively 1953 119 4 68505/25/33/48 1954 115 4 68493/509/34/72 1955 111 11 1956 100 13 1957 87 9 1958 78 22 1959 56 18 1960 38 12 1961 26 18 1962 8 8
References
Ian Allan ABC of British Railways Locomotives, 1948 edition, part 4, pp 49–50
External links
LNER Encyclopedia