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.
History 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 cylinders, driving wheels, and 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. + Table of orders and numbers 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 The last batch did not emerge from Stratford until after the grouping.
One locomotive was lent to the War Department in October 1939, and sold 12 months later,. 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. + Table of withdrawals Year Quantity inservice atstart of year Quantitywithdrawn Locomotive numbers Notes 1940 30 1 7041 to WD 85 1958 29 6 68651/53/59/62/64/66 1959 23 5 68638–40/48/58 1960 18 10 68641/43/45/52/54–57/61/65 1961 8 8 68642/44/46–47/49–50/60/63
References
External links
— Great Eastern Railway Society The Hill J68 (GER Class C72) 0-6-0T Locomotives — LNER Encyclopedia