GER Class G15

The GER Class G15 was a class of ten 0-4-0T steam tram locomotives designed by Thomas William Worsdell for the Great Eastern Railway. They passed to the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) at the 1923 grouping, and received the LNER classification Y6.

GER Class G15 LNER Class Y6
A 3mm scale GER Class G15 locomotive
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Thomas William Worsdell Builder Stratford Works Build date 1883–1897 Total produced 10
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 0-4-0T  • UIC Bn2t Gauge 4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Driver dia. 3 ft 1 in (0.940 m) Loco weight 21 long tons 5 cwt (47,600 lb or 21.6 t) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 0 long tons 10 cwt (1,100 lb or 0.5 t) Water cap 500 imp gal (2,270 l; 600 US gal) Firebox:  • Firegrate area 9.7 sq ft (0.90 m^2) Boiler pressure 140 lbf/in^2 (0.97 MPa) Heating surface 348.46 sq ft (32.373 m^2) Cylinders Two, inside Cylinder size 11 in × 15 in (279 mm × 381 mm)
Performance figures Tractive effort 5,837 lbf (25.96 kN)
Career Operators GER » LNER » BR Class GER: G15 LNER: Y6 Power class BR: 0F Axle load class LNER/BR: RA 1 Withdrawn 1907–1952 Disposition All scrapped

Overview

These locomotives has 11-by-15-inch (279 mm × 381 mm) inside cylinders driving 3-foot-1-inch (0.940 m) wheels. They were used on the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway in East Anglia. They were later used elsewhere after being replaced by the more powerful GER Class C53 (LNER Class J70) 0-6-0Ts.

Table of orders and numbers[1]

Year	Order	Manufacturer	Quantity	GER Nos.	LNER Nos.	Notes
1883–84	G15	Stratford Works	3	130, 131, 132	—, —, 7132
1885	N17	Stratford Works	2	128, 129	—, 07129
1891–92	C29	Stratford Works	3	125, 126, 127	07125, 07126, —
1897	F40	Stratford Works	2	133, 134	7133, 7134

Four were withdrawn before the grouping – 131 in 1907, 130 in 1909, 127 and 128 in 1913. Sometime before 1921, numbers 125, 126 and 129 were placed on the duplicate list, and had their numbers prefixed with a "0" (The original numbers were reused on the 1921-batch of class C53 locomotives). Four more were withdrawn before the 1944 renumbering — 7132 in 1931, 07129 in 1933, 07125 and 07126 in 1943. The remaining two were numbered 8082 (ex-7133) and 8083 (ex-7134). Both survived into British Railways ownership in 1948 and they were numbered 68082 and 68083. The former was withdrawn in 1951, and the latter in 1952.[2] None has been preserved, although 68083 had been earmarked for preservation,[1] although it was scrapped after standing in Stratford paintshop for over a year.

The Nene Valley Railway were building a replica of the Y6 steam tram to play as Toby the Tram Engine for their Day Out with Thomas events but when Rev. W. Awdry died, the project was ceased halfway through.

References

Notes

1. Aldrich 1969, p. 109
2. Aldrich 1969, p. 110

Bibliography

• Aldrich, C. Langley (1969). The Locomotives of the Great Eastern Railway 1862–1962 (7th ed.). Wickford, Essex: C. Langley Aldrich. OCLC 30278831.

External links

• G15 Class 0-4-0T 1883-1897 — Great Eastern Railway Society
• The Y6 (GER G15) 0-4-0 Tram Engines — LNER Encyclopedia