Derived from the GER Class T19 but with much smaller driving wheels and intended for mixed traffic work, ninety T26s were built between 1891 and 1896 with cylinders and boiler pressure, numbered 417–506. From 1898 some locos were rebuilt with pressure boilers thus when an additional ten T26s were built in 1902 these were fitted with the new boilers as standard.
Operation
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.
Accidents and incidents
On 12 July 1913, locomotive No. 471 was run into by an express passenger train at, Essex due to a signalman's error. Three people were killed and fourteen were injured.
On 20 January 1915, at County School railway station, the junction of the line to Aylsham and Wroxham, Y14 '629', hauling 12 empty and 4 loaded wagons, ran into the 6 coach passenger train, hauled by T26 locomotive '446'. Nobody was injured in the crash, which took place at low speed, although both locomotives were damaged, along with other vehicles in both trains.
On 27 May 1931, locomotive No. 7486 was hauling a passenger train that overran signals and was in a head-on collision with a passenger train hauled by locomotive No. 7457 at station, Norfolk. One person was killed and fifteen were injured.
Livery
On introduction the T26 locomotives were painted in the standard GER livery of Ultramarine Blue over an undercoat of French Grey, with black smokebox and vermillion buffer beams and lining. From 1915 locos were not given a top coat and ran in French Grey undercoat but with the boiler bands picked out in black. After the amalgamation of the GER into the LNER in 1923, the E4s received the LNER mixed traffic livery of black with single red lining and red buffer beams. This lasted until the early 1940s when unlined black with red buffer beams was introduced, and the surviving locos were to carry this livery until their withdrawal.
