Claud Hamilton Locomotive Group

Claud Hamilton Locomotive Group

These 4-4-0 locomotives were one of the the Great Eastern Railways most famous class's of locomotive. The class got their name Claud Hamiltons from the class prototype No.1900 "Claud Hamilton", the loco was shown at a exhibition held in Paris to celebrate the new century, here it was awarded the Gold Medal!

At that time it was the GERs largest express locomotive. No.1900 was then followed by forty further locomotives built between 1900 and 1903 in four batches of ten each. These were given the classification of S46 by the GER, but quickly acquired the nickname of 'Clauds' after the pioneer locomotive. The LNER would give these initial locomotives the classification of D14.

A third variation of the Clauds was designed in 1922. This new Claud had a larger 5ft 1.125in diameter boiler, a superheater, and a Belpaire firebox. A rebuild of No.1805 to this new design, appeared just after Grouping in March 1923. This was then followed by ten of the new locomotives these were built in 1923. Nicknamed 'Super Clauds the LNER gave them the classification of D16.

The last major development with the Clauds came in 1933, when D15/2 No. 8848 was rebuilt with a 5ft 1.125in diameter boiler fitted with a round topped firebox. This loco was then followed by a number of similar rebuilds from classes D15/1, D15/2, and D16/2. These were known as 'Gresley rebuilds', and they were classed as D16/3.

When built the Clauds were quickly put to work on the principal express services, including express passenger trains from London to Ipswich, Norwich, Cromer, Clacton, and the boat trains to Parkeston Quay. Although the D14s had modest dimensions compared to later locomotives, they demonstrated some excellent performances during this period, and at one point even held a world speed record!

The Clauds most distinguished work was on The Norfolk Coast Express which ran between Liverpool Street and Cromer. While thirty years later, the streamlined B17 4-6-0s only shaved a few minutes off the running time for this service.

The introduction of the B12 4-6-0s soon displaced the Clauds from the principal routes to the Cambridge main line and various cross country routes.

In total 117 Clauds survived into Nationalisation in1948, fourteen of these were D15s. The remaining D15s and D16/2s were quickly withdrawn, both variants became extinct by 1952. No. 62613 was the last D16/3 to be withdrawn in September of 1960 from March shed.

"Lady Hamilton" No.8783

8783 was one of two Claud Hamiltons allocated to Royal Train duties regularly taking the King and Royal Family to their Sandinrgham Estate, and so the locomotive was kept in an imaculate condition.

On 1st June 1939 the loco crashed into a farm lorry on a crossing in Hilgay Norfolk After the crash it was rebuilt as D16/3 and had the decorative valancing removed along with its copper capped funnel.

After nationalisation it was renumbered 62614 and shedded at Kings Lynn 31C, the loco was withdrawn in August 1958

Thank You for listening

The Claud Hamiltons

8783 will be a D16/2 Claud which will be

used primarily on hertiage railways. The loco

will debut LNER apple green livery, and will feature a copper capped chimney as worn by the orginal locomotive. We estimate that the locomotive will cost £1.2m to build and will have a timescale of around 12-15 years.

Royal Claud