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.
History These locomotives were fitted with cylinders and 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.
+ Table of orders and numbers 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.
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 They all continued in service until 1959, when the first was withdrawn; all were gone by the end of 1962.
+ Table of withdrawals Year Quantity inservice atstart of year Quantitywithdrawn 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
External links
– Great Eastern Railway Society The Hill J20 (GER Class D81) 0-6-0 Locomotives – LNER Encyclopedia