GER Class C53 - History

History

These locomotives had 12-by-15-inch (305 mm × 381 mm) outside cylinders driving 3-foot-1-inch (0.940 m) wheels; all enclosed by skirting. They were the first locomotives on the Great Eastern to use Walschaerts valve gear. They were used on the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway and the ports of Great Yarmouth and Ipswich from the 1930s to the 1950s. They replaced earlier GER Class G15 0-4-0 of similar appearance.

Table of orders and numbers
Year Order Builder Quantity GER No. LNER No. LNER 1944 No. Notes
1903 C53 Stratford Works 2 135–136 7135–7136 8216–8217
1908 C64 Stratford Works 3 137–139 7137–7139 8218, —, 8219
1910 I67 Stratford Works 1 130 7130 8220
1914 P75 Stratford Works 3 127–128, 131 7127–7128, 7131 8221–8223
1921 D85 Stratford Works 3 125–126, 129 7125–7126, 7126 8224–8226

The first withdrawal was in 1942. The remaining locomotives were renumbered 8216–8226 in 1944. The remaining eleven locomotives passed to British Railways in 1948 on nationalisation, and had 60000 added to their numbers. Withdrawals restarted in 1949, slowly at first, then more quickly, and the last went in 1955.

Table of withdrawals
Year Quantity in
service at
start of year		 Quantity
withdrawn		 Locomotive numbers
1942 12 1 7138
1949 11 1 68218
1951 10 1 68221
1952 9 1 68224
1953 8 4 68216, 68217, 68219, 68220
1955 4 4 68222, 68223, 68225, 68226

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