Crest of the Great Eastern Railway

Brass and painted coat of arms of the Great Eastern Railway, circa 1900.

Original G.E.R. crest from a Claud Hamilton class S46 4-4-0 locomotive.

Cast brass and polychrome painted, with four fixing bolts, mounted on a later wooden shield shaped backboard.

Crest: 40 x 31.5 cm.

Wood shield: 55 x 43 cm.

GER Class S46 (classified D14 by the London and North Eastern Railway) was a 4-4-0 steam locomotive designed by James Holden for the Great Eastern Railway, named after Lord Claud Hamilton (1843–1925) the chairman of the Great Eastern Railway.

The Claud Hamilton, particularly in its original GER blue livery, is widely considered one of the most elegant locomotive designs of the pre-grouping era. Class pioneer No 1900 Claud Hamilton featuring red lining and connecting rods, copper chimney cap and GER coat of arms was much admired when it was exhibited at the 1900 Paris Exposition.

Armorial of the Great Eastern railway:

The arms of Maldon – Party per pale Azure and Argent on the dexter side three lions passant guardant in pale Or and on the sinister on waves of the sea in base Proper a ship of one mast Sable the mast surmounted by a fleur-de-lis Gold and from the masthead a pennon flotant Gules the sail furled Argent and from a turret at the stern a flagstaff erect surmounted by a fleur-de-lis of the sixth and therefrom a banner of the first charged with three lions passant guardant of the third.

The arms of Ipswich – Party per pale gules and azure, on the dexter side, a lion rampant guardant or, and on the sinister three demi-hulks of ships of the same conjoined to the impalement line.

The arms of Norwich – Gules a castle domed Argent in base a lion passant guardant Or.

The arms of Cambridge – Gules a bridge throughout fesseways surmounted by three towers in chief a fleur-de-lis Or between two roses Argent the base barry wavy Argent and Azure thereon three ships each with one mast and yardarm and sail furled Sable.

The arms of Hertford – Argent a hart lodged resting on water Proper.

The arms of Northampton – Gules on a mount Vert a tower triple towered in a pyramidical form Argent and supported by two lions rampant guardant Or in the portway of the tower a portcullis.

The arms of Huntingdon – A landscape, in the centre of which is a tree on the dexter side of which is a bird perched on the sinister side of the tree is a huntsman (supposed to represent Robin Hood) blowing a horn in his sinister hand a bow and arrow on the dexter side a stag courant pursued by two dogs all Proper.

The arms of Middlesex – Gules three seaxes fessewise points to the sinister Proper in the centre chief point a Saxon Crown.

The arms of London – Argent a cross Gules in the first quarter a sword in pale point upwards of the last.