GER Class G58

The GER Class G58 (LNER Class J17) was a class of 0-6-0 steam tender locomotives designed by James Holden for the Great Eastern Railway in England. The class consisted partly of new locomotives built from 1905 to 1911 and partly of rebuilds of the earlier GER Class F48 built from 1900 to 1903. The rebuilding started under GER auspices from 1921 and was continued by the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) after grouping in 1923.

GER Class G58 LNER Class J17
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer James Holden Builder Stratford Works Build date 1905–1911 Total produced 30 Rebuild date 1921–1932 Number rebuilt 60 from Class F48
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 0-6-0  • UIC C h2 Gauge 4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Driver dia. 4 ft 11 in (1.499 m) Wheelbase 38 ft 0 in (11.58 m) Length 50 ft 6 in (15.39 m) Loco weight 45 long tons 7.75 cwt (101,700 lb or 46.1 t) Tender weight 38 long tons 5 cwt (85,700 lb or 38.9 t) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 5 long tons 0 cwt (11,200 lb or 5.1 t) Water cap 3,500 imp gal (16,000 l; 4,200 US gal) Firebox:  • Firegrate area 21.6 sq ft (2.01 m^2) Boiler pressure 180 lbf/in^2 (1.24 MPa) Heating surface 1,501.1 sq ft (139.46 m^2) Cylinders Two, inside Cylinder size 19 in × 26 in (483 mm × 660 mm)
Performance figures Tractive effort 24,340 lbf (108.27 kN)
Career Operators GER » LNER » BR Class GER: G58, LNER: J17 Power class BR: 4F Axle load class LNER/BR: RA 4 Withdrawn 1944, 1953–62 Disposition One preserved, remainder scrapped

History

The earlier GER Class F48 were built between 1900 and 1903 and had round-top boilers; there were sixty of them. The G58 had Belpaire fireboxes, like those fitted to the F48 No. 1189, and later fitted to the Class D56 Claud Hamilton 4-4-0s.[1] A further thirty of the Belpaire boiler type followed to form Class G58.

Table of orders and numbers (Class G58)[2]

Year	Order No.	Quantity	GER Nos.	LNER Nos.	1946 Nos.	Notes
1905	G58	10	1210–1219	8210–8219	5560–5569
1905–06	S59	10	1220–1229	8220–8229	5570–5579
1910–11	T67	10	1230–1239	8230–8239	5580–5589

Superheating

The class was superheated between 1915 and 1932. From 1921, all the round-top boilers were replaced by the Belpaire type and the majority were of the superheated type.

Blastpipes

At first Macallan blastpipes were fitted, but later the Stone's variable blastpipe was substituted. Plain blastpipes were substituted between 1924 and 1929.[3]

LNER ownership

On the LNER, those retaining round-top fireboxes were classified J16, and those built, or rebuilt, with Belpaire fireboxes were classified J17.[4] The J16 category ceased to exist in 1932.[1]

BR ownership

All the J16s had been rebuilt as J17s by 1932 and 89 J17s passed to British Railways (BR) in 1948.[5] BR numbers were 65500–65589, of which 65500–59 were the rebuilds from F48 (J16).[6] One number (65550) was blank, because locomotive no. 8200 had been destroyed in a German V-2 rocket explosion at Stratford in November 1944.[1][7] The second locomotive was withdrawn in 1953, and the last in 1962.[8]

Preservation

GER no. 1217 (LNER 8217, 5567, BR 65567) was withdrawn in 1962 and acquired privately for preservation.[1] It is owned by the National Railway Museum, York, as part of the UK National Collection, but is on loan to the Barrow Hill Roundhouse and Railway Centre.

G58 No. 1217

Modelling

A 4 mm scale kit is available from PDK Models [9]

References

1. Aldrich 1969, p. 71.
2. Aldrich 1969, p. 70.
3. Fry 1966, p. 102.
4. Fry 1966, pp. 99, 100.
5. Fry 1966, p. 104.
6. Fry 1966, pp. 105–106.
7. Fry 1966, p. 100.
8. Aldrich 1969, pp. 141–143.
9. PDK Price List page 2

• 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.
• Fry, E. V., ed. (September 1966). Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 5: Tender Engines—Classes J1 to J37. Kenilworth: RCTS. ISBN 0-901115-12-6.
• Ian Allan ABC of British Railways Locomotives, 1948 edition, part 4, page 41

External links

• The Holden J16 & J17 (GER Classes F48 & G58) 0-6-0 Locomotives — LNER Encyclopedia
• F48 and G58 Class 0-6-0 — Great Eastern Railway Society