SR Class Q
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 541 in steam at the Bluebell Railway. |
|
| Power type | Steam |
|---|---|
| Designer | Richard Maunsell |
| Builder | SR Eastleigh Works |
| Build date | 1938 |
| Total production | 19 |
| Configuration | 0-6-0 |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm) |
| Driver size | 5 ft 1 in |
| Length | 53 ft 9½ ins (16.18 m) |
| Locomotive weight | 90 tons 0 cwt (91.4 tonnes) |
| Fuel type | coal |
| Fuel capacity | 5 tons (5.1 tonnes) |
| Water capacity | 3500 & 4000 imp. gal (15,890 & 18,160 litres) |
| Boiler pressure | 200 lbf/in² (1,378 kPa) |
| Cylinders | 4 |
| Cylinder size | 19 in × 26 in (48.26 cm × 66.04 cm) |
| Tractive effort | 26,160 lbf (116.36 kN) |
| Career | London and South Western Railway, Southern Railway (Great Britain), Southern Region of British Railways |
| Class | 4F |
| Locale | Great Britain |
The SR Class Q, also regarded as the Q Class, is a type of 0-6-0 steam locomotive constructed prior to the Second World War. The class was designed by Richard Maunsell to Victorian principles of locomotive design, and were for use on medium-distance freight turns to be found on the Southern Railway network.
A total of 19 of locomotives were built under the auspices of Maunsell's successor, Oliver Bulleid, in 1938, though they were superseded by Bulleid's newer Q1 Class design. Modified by Bulleid to improve performance, they were utilised throughout the Southern system until 1965, by which time all had been withdrawn. Only one has survived, and is displayed on the Bluebell Railway.
Contents |
[edit] Background
The Southern Railway had a dilemma in terms of the availability of recent motive power designed especially for freight duties. Due to the railway being primarily passenger in terms of traffic carried, the most recent distance-freight locomotive was the S15 of 1914 vintage.[2] The rest of the Southern's freight hauling capability rested with mixed-traffic locomotive types, and so the requirement for a new, purpose-designed freight locomotive class was addressed.[2] Maunsell, in his last year as Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the Southern Railway before retirement on health grounds, settled on the revival of the 0-6-0 tender locomotive as the solution to the Southern's freight needs in what was to become the Q Class of 1938.[3]
[edit] Construction history
The last Southern steam locomotive design before the Second World War, the Q Class also represented the final design of Richard Maunsell's career. The class also represented a first for the Southern in being a Southern-designed 0-6-0, as all other locomotives of this wheel arrangement were of the pre-1923 grouping era, which they were meant to replace.[3] The actual class of locomotive they replaced, however was the ex-LSWR 'Jubilee' A12 0-4-2.[4] Designed for freight, the locomotives had a high route availability. Designed in 1937, construction began early in Oliver Bulleid's tenure as Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern in 1938. They were provided with Superheatering and Stephenson link valve gear.[3]
Bulleid is reported to have found the Q Class uninspiring, having been manufactured to traditional Victorian principles of locomotive design, and stated that the order for the Q Class would have been cancelled if Bulleid had been appointed CME earlier.[5] They were constructed at Eastleigh between 1938 and 1939. During their early career, some locomotives were fitted with Lemaître blast pipes by Bulleid in an attempt to improve the efficiency of the locomotives.[4]
When the requirement for modern freight locomotives on the Southern increased during the early stages of the Second World War, Bulleid was faced with the options of continuing the production of the Q Class, or to design a completely new locomotive. Taking the latter option, Bulleid designed what was to become the highly utilitarian SR Class Q1 0-6-0 locomotives.[4]
[edit] Modifications
The class was given the 4F power classification by British Railways, F denoting a freight locomotive in power class 4.[6] The Q Class remained the subject of modification with several being issued with British Railways Standard Class 4 single chimneys in an attempt to improve efficiency.[6] Withdrawals from service began during 1962 and was completed by 1965.
[edit] Operational details and preservation
The locomotives provided adequate service throughout their working lives, their utility compounded by their light weight and steady handling.[6] They had a good turn of speed and were fitted with steam heating, therefore giving the Q Class passenger haulage capability, and despite being primarily a freight design, they frequently deputised in this duty. [1] However, the remit of the design meant that they were non-standard to other designs by Maunsell. This meant that most parts could not be interchanged with locomotives of other classes, as could occur between the SR Lord Nelson Class, SR Class V and LSWR N15 Class. [1] The class saw service during British Railways ownership, and were withdrawn from 1961. Had it not been for Woodham's scrapyard in Barry, South Wales, no examples would have survived. Only one, number 541 (BR No. 30541), was rescued, and has operated on the Bluebell Railway in Sussex. However, it has not been steamed since 1993, though overhaul to working order is planned to take place in the near future due to the popularity of the locomotive.[4]
[edit] Livery and numbering
[edit] Southern Railway
Due to its primary role as a freight locomotive, the Q Class carried the Southern Black livery. Locomotive number and 'Southern' were located on the tender, and were painted in 'Sunshine Yellow.'[1] The numbering of the locomotives under the Southern Railway ranged from 530–549. Even though they were built under the tenure of Bulleid, the locomotives never followed his adaptation of the UIC classification system which refers to the number of leading, trailing and driving axles – in this case three. Under this system, this class would have had the prefix 'C' before the numbers, such as C30. In the event, this form of numbering was granted to Bulleid's Q1 Class locomotives of 1942.
[edit] Post-1948 (nationalisation)
Early livery included the temporary retention of the Southern number, and remained black, though 'British Railways' was put on the tender in place of 'Southern' in 'Sunshine Yellow'. At the same time, the class was granted the power classification 4F. Livery was changed to British Railways freight black with the crest on the tender, the locomotive lined in red and white.[6] Latterly, the class was released in unlined freight black livery. After nationalisation, the Q Class was given a temporary 'S' prefix to the original Southern Railway number, though as overhauls and re-paints became due, the class was eventually re-numbered under the British Railways standard numbering system. These locomotive numbers ranged between 30530 and 30549, and these were moved to the cabsides from the tender.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Haresnape, Brian: Maunsell Locomotives - a pictorial history (Ian Allan Ltd, 1977), ISBN 0711007438
- ^ a b 'New 0-6-0 goods engines for the Southern Railway' (Railway Magazine: 1938), 82, 227
- ^ a b c Longworth, Hugh: British Railway Steam Locomotives: 1948–1968 (Oxford Publishing Company: Oxford, 2005) ISBN 0860935930
- ^ a b c d Morgan, John Scott: The Story of the Q1s (KRB Publications: Bishop's Waltham, 2003) Page 9 ISBN 0954485912
- ^ Southern E-Group (2004)[1], Retrieved April. 18, 2007. For information on Bulleid's dislike of the design.
- ^ a b c d Banks, Chris: BR Locomotives 1955 (Oxford Publishing Company: Oxford, 2001), ISBN 0860935604
- ^ Ian Allan ABC of British Railways Locomotives, 1962 edition
[edit] External links
- SEMG page
- Railuk database
- Maunsell Sociey page on 541
- Preserved locomotive database entry for No. 541
|
|||||||||||||||||
