140 Class
The GER 140 Class was a small class of 0-4-4 suburban tank locomotives designed by Massey Bromley, Locomotive Superintendent of the Great Eastern Railway from 1878 to 1881. Built in 1880 by R. W. Hawthorn, Leslie & Co of Newcastle, they continued the GER's programme of providing purpose-built suburban tank engines for the ever-growing London commuter traffic funnelling into Liverpool Street.
Bromley's tenure at Stratford was brief — he died in office in 1881 — but productive. The 140 Class was a modest development of the 0-4-4T formula established by his predecessor Johnson, retaining the inside-cylinder layout but specifying 5 ft driving wheels rather than the 134 Class's 5 ft 4 in. As the GER's suburban traffic intensified through the 1880s, the small size of the 140s told against them, and all were scrapped before the turn of the century. None was preserved.
Design and development
Massey Bromley was appointed Locomotive Superintendent of the GER in 1878. The 140 Class was a continuation of the 0-4-4T pattern Johnson had introduced with the 134 Class in 1872, with driving wheel diameter adjusted to 5 ft for slightly better adhesion on stop-and-start services. The locomotives were built by Hawthorn Leslie of Newcastle rather than at Stratford Works.
Service and withdrawals
The 140 Class entered traffic in 1880 on GER suburban duties. Their useful life was limited by the rapid intensification of GER suburban working in the 1880s and 1890s. All were scrapped before the turn of the century. None was preserved.
Identification features
Inside-cylinder 0-4-4 tank with 5 ft coupled wheels.
Notable locomotives
- Various — none preserved
Allocations and regions
Allocated to depots serving the GER inner-suburban network out of Liverpool Street and Stratford.
