The LNER Encyclopedia

The GER Class T26 was a class of 2-4-0 steam tender locomotives designed by James Holden for the Great Eastern Railway. At the 1923 grouping they passed to the London and North Eastern Railway, who classified them E4.
Derived from the GER Class T19 but with much smaller 5 ft 8 in (1.727 m) driving wheels and intended for mixed traffic work, ninety T26s were built between 1891 and 1896 with 17 in × 24 in (432 mm × 610 mm) cylinders (later 17.5 in × 24 in or 444 mm × 610 mm) and 140 psi (965 kPa) boiler pressure, numbered 417–506. From 1898 some locos were rebuilt with 160 psi (1,103 kPa) pressure boilers thus when an additional ten T26s (numbers 1250–1259) were built in 1902 these were fitted with the new boilers as standard
The GER used air brakes but, when introduced, more than half the T26 locomotives were additionally fitted with vacuum brake ejectors for operating over the lines of other railway companies. T26s were particularly associated with the movement of horses by rail to and from Newmarket Racecourse, and thus travelled widely.
T26s were often used on passenger trains to the Norfolk Coast, particularly Wells and Cromer. After the grouping of 1923 Claud Hamilton 4-4-0s took over most passenger traffic to Wells.


This next collection features the locos in the B.R era. Eighteen survived into British Railways ownership in 1948, and the last was withdrawn in 1959, making them the last 2-4-0s at work in Britain. Their BR numbers were 62780–62797

62780 Stratford shed 25th September 1955 (note the stationary boiler behind 62780)


https://railway-photography.smugmug.com ... /i-QPbMHpf


62780 Stratford shed 25th September 1955 (note the stationary boiler behind 62780)
railway-photography.smugmug.com
62780 Stratford shed 25th September 1955 (note the stationary boiler behind 62780)

62780 Cambridge shed May 1952


https://railway-photography.smugmug.com ... /i-mhd9P6f


James Holden E4 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years

62781 Stratford shed 13th April 1952


https://railway-photography.smugmug.com ... /i-wLfC2MS


James Holden E4 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years

62784 Cambridge 15th September 1953


https://railway-photography.smugmug.com ... /i-NdBGZbb


James Holden E4 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years

62784 Cambridge shed August 1953

https://railway-photography.smugmug.com ... /i-NRpgNJm


James Holden E4 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years

62785 last Holden E4 in service Cambridge April 1958 now preserved




62785 Cambridge July 1957


https://railway-photography.smugmug.com ... /i-dfK8THr


James Holden E4 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years
https://railway-photography.smugmug.com ... /i-6L9v2wz


James Holden E4 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years

62785


https://railway-photography.smugmug.com ... -vMLkMFm/A


James Holden E4 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years
https://railway-photography.smugmug.com ... /i-k9wVgXx


James Holden E4 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years

62788

https://railway-photography.smugmug.com ... /i-HFQPHGR


James Holden E4 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years
62790 R.C.T.S. (London Branch) East Anglian Rail Tour 6th September 1953


https://railway-photography.smugmug.com ... /i-LD2QNd2


James Holden E4 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years
https://railway-photography.smugmug.com ... /i-fFTcqs2


James Holden E4 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years
https://railway-photography.smugmug.com ... /i-xqZCFBC


James Holden E4 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years
62791 Cambridge shed 4th April 1954

https://railway-photography.smugmug.com ... /i-r2SVrh7


James Holden E4 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years
62794 Cambridge September 1953

https://railway-photography.smugmug.com ... /i-J6K92BS


James Holden E4 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years
62794 with 68222 Holden Tram engine Colchester J.Holden E4 (GER T26) 2-4-0


https://railway-photography.smugmug.com ... /i-sZrBdx8


James Holden E4 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years

62795 Cambridge


https://railway-photography.smugmug.com ... /i-zcmv2Wp


James Holden E4 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years
62797 ex works

https://railway-photography.smugmug.com ... /i-BHnDL7V


James Holden E4 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years
62797 Stratford scrapline 11th May 1958



https://railway-photography.smugmug.com ... /i-vnf2L57


James Holden E4 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years

https://railway-photography.smugmug.com ... -HCMdz5S/A


James Holden E4 - Railway-Photography
railway-photography.smugmug.com
railway photographs from the last 100 years
Neil