GER 'Claud Hamilton'

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The Great Eastern Railway (GER) Claud Hamilton (LNER Class D14/D15/D16) was a class of 4-4-0 steam locomotive designed by James Holden. They were given the nickname Claud Hamilton after the first engine of the class. None of these locomotives survived to preservation.

[edit] Overview

(Allen 1961) 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"

He devotes a whole chapter to it. It is widely considered one of the classic locomotive designs, and three later Great Eastern Railway classes and three LNER classes were descended from it.^[1] F.V. Russell (Holden's Chief Designer) is generally accepted as the Claud Hamiltons' actual designer. (Ellis 1965:61) notes:

"Mr Holden, by then a valetudinarian was making a long recuperative stay in Egypt".

This was related to Ellis by Russell.

[edit] Classification

The classification of the Claud Hamiltons is complex but is summarised here:

• GER Class S46 (LNER Class D14), round-top firebox
• GER Class D56 (LNER Class D15), Belpaire firebox
  • LNER Class D15/1, D15 with superheater and short smokebox
  • LNER Class D15/2, D15 with superheater and long smokebox
• GER Class H88 (LNER Class D16), "Super Claud" with superheater, larger boiler and Belpaire firebox
  • LNER Class D16/3, Gresley rebuild of D15 and D16 with round-top firebox, some with piston valves

[edit] Dimensions

The S46 boiler had 1,630 sq ft (151 m²) of heating surface, with a 21.3 sq ft (1.98 m²) grate. The cylinders were 19 x 26 in. with flat valves placed below, operated by Stephenson's motion. The coupled wheels were 7 ft (2.1 m) in diameter.

[edit] Performance

(Allen 1961) reports 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 130.2 miles (209.5 km) in 156 min 60 sec. Even heavier trains were managed in the up direction: No. 1809 (Belpaire boiler) took 400 tons up in 157 min 24 sec.

[edit] Appearance

The Royal blue of the Great Eastern livery, with its scarlet lining, was embellished with a copper chimney cap, and brass beadings round the rim of the safety valve casing, the front and side cab windows, the top and bottom of both cylinders of the Westinghouse brake compressor, the coupled wheel splashers, and the four openings that had been cut in subsidiary coupling rod splashers — in London and North Western Railway style — to give access to the coupling rod pins when the rods were up. In contrast with the blue livery was the vermilion in which the buffer beam and coupling rods were painted. Another feature of great distinction, begun by James Holden with the Claud Hamiltons, was the broad steel ring, polished bright, that encircled the smokebox door, and made it possible to dispense with the usual straps across the door. Before very long, the painted representation of the GER coat-of-arms on the driving splashers was replaced by a replica cast in relief and picked out in colour.^[2]

[edit] In fiction

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

[edit] References

1. ^ (RCTS 1981)
2. ^ (Ellis 61)

[edit] Sources

• RCTS (1981). Locomotives of the LNER. Part 3C. Tender engines—classes D13 to D24. Railway Correspondence & Travel Society. 
• Ellis, C.H. (1942). "Famous locomotive engineers: No. 20 James Holden". Locomotive Carriage and Wagon Review 47: 110-115. 
• Ellis, C.H. (1949). Some classic locomotives. London: George Allen & Unwin. 
• Ellis, C.H. (1965). The splendour of steam. London: George Allen & Unwin. 

[edit] External links

• LNER Encyclopedia

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