No 61 Class 0-4-4T 1875-1878

61-80, 170-184, 211-225

GERS Collection 7002 40

With the opening of the new terminus at Liverpool Street in 1874 there was a need for further suburban tank engines. William Adams wasted no time in producing the ‘No. 61 Class’ 0-4-4 tanks, fifty of which were built between 1875 and 1878. They were similar in size to Johnson’s engines, but with larger tanks and smaller driving wheels, thereby increasing their tractive effort and acceleration. They were built by Nielson, Stephenson and Kitson, each group having slight detail differences. Illustrated is the maker’s photograph of No. 184, built by Kitson & Co. in 1878. These were for some years the most powerful locomotives on the GER, and some were temporarily put to work hauling coal trains between Peterborough and London in 1884. This came about because of the opening of the GN&GE Joint Line and the increase in coal traffic, the poor availability of the ‘Mogul’ 2-6-0s and the late delivery of new Y14 class 0-6-0s.

GERS Collection 7018 431

All of the ‘No. 61 Class’ were later rebuilt with new boilers, enclosed cabs and Westinghouse brakes. Some engines were reboilered a second time with higher working pressure. This is No. 66, which was one of fourteen members of the class fitted to burn oil fuel in 1893. The oil fuel tank can be seen in the bunker. The last examples of the class were withdrawn in 1913.