G4M22 Great Eastern Railway Class T26/L.N.E.R. Class E4 2.4-0 locomotive and Holden 2,640 gallon tender kit

THE PROTOTYPE
This Great Eastern Railway design, Class T26, was introduced in 1891, being a development of Holden’s Class T19 of 1886. They were built to cope with the increasing need for a mixed-traffic locomotive with a high route availability that would be suitable for the growing cross-country passenger branch line traffic together with excursion and livestock trains. Built in batches of 10 at the east London Stratford Works of the Great Eastern Railway between 1891-1902 the number of ‘Intermediates’, as the class became popularly known, finally totalled 100. All locomotives passed into L.N.E.R. hands at the Grouping, when they become Class E4, but very extensive withdrawals resulted in just 18 examples surviving to enter service with British Railways at nationalisation. The class became extinct in December 1959 with the last locomotive in service with B.R. (No. 62785) being withdrawn from the Cambridge shed. It was subsequently restored to its original G.E.R. condition as Class T26 No. 490 and can be seen on display at the National Railway Museum in York. For running numbers and the numerous variations of details I recommend study of Part 4 of Locomotives of the L.N.E.R. published by the R.C.T.S.

THE KITS
Another locomotive in our range of Great Eastern Railway prototypes. This kit was introduced following requests from many customers who asked for a kit for the last remaining 2-4-0 tender locomotive type in service with British Railways and who also wanted another indigenous Great Eastern engine — in short, a perfect companion for the ‘F’ tanks and the J15. The bodywork for the locomotive and tender is supplied as etched brass frets with a piece of specially drawn brass tubing, shaped and machined to length, being supplied for the boiler. The fittings are lost wax brass castings and the kits also include sprung buffers, sprung pick ups, sprung homblocks and brake gear. The chassis consists of etched brass main and tender frames. The 4mm. scale kit comes complete with the correct pattern wheels from our own ranges. A selection of etched brass smokebox number plates is supplied. Full assembly instructions together with useful notes are provided in each kit. A motor and gearbox is required to complete.

This kit is available in both 4mm and 7mm scales.