List of SECR K and SR K1 class locomotives

Contents

A list of the names and numbers of the SECR K and SR K1 classes of 2-6-4 tank engines that formed the River class: locomotives initially running on the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR), and subsequently operated by its successor, the Southern Railway (SR) from 1923. The majority of the class consisted of 2-cylinder locomotives built to an SECR design by Richard Maunsell, but one 3-cylinder version, the K1 class, was constructed by the Southern Railway in 1925. They were given the names of various rivers by the Southern Railway in a publicity measure to advertise the area that the railway served.[1]

In 1928 the class was converted to the 2-cylinder U class and 3-cylinder U1 class 2-6-0 specifications after crews reported instability when running fast over the lightly laid rails of the former SECR network. The poor running culminated in the 1927 Sevenoaks railway accident, following which the locomotives were withdrawn. Once rebuilt, the former members of the K and K1 classes subsequently lost their names due to the bad publicity attached to them after this accident.[1] All the rebuilt locomotives saw service with British Railways (BR), and all were withdrawn from service by 1966.

Tables of locomotive details

SECR and Southern Railway-built K class 2-cylinder locomotives

SECR
No.		 SR No
(before/after
rebuilding)		 BR No.
(as U class)		 Name[2]
 Builder Date built Date Rebuilt
as U class		 Rebuit at Withdrawn Notes
790 A790/1790 31790 River Avon Ashford 01917-06 June 1917 01928-06 June 1928 Eastleigh 01965-05 May 1965
— A791/1791 31791 River Adur Armstrong Whitworth 01925-05 May 1925 01928-07 July 1928 Eastleigh 01966-06 June 1966
— A792/1792 31792 River Arun Armstrong Whitworth 01925-05 May 1925 01928-07 July 1928 Eastleigh 01964-09 September 1964
— A793/1793 31793 River Ouse Armstrong Whitworth 01925-05 May 1925 01928-06 June 1928 Eastleigh 01964-05 May 1964
— A794/1794 31794 River Rother Armstrong Whitworth 01925-05 May 1925 01928-06 June 1928 Eastleigh 01963-06 June 1963
— A795/1795 31795 River Medway Armstrong Whitworth 01925-06 June 1925 01928-06 June 1928 Eastleigh 01963-06 June 1963
— A796/1796 31796 River Stour Armstrong Whitworth 01925-06 June 1925 01928-07 July 1928 Eastleigh 01964-01 January 1964
— A797/1797 31797 River Mole Armstrong Whitworth 01925-06 June 1925 01928-06 June 1928 Ashford 01964-01 January 1964
— A798/1798 31798 River Wey Armstrong Whitworth 01925-06 June 1925 01928-08 August 1928 Ashford 01964-09 September 1964
— A799/1799 31799 River Test Armstrong Whitworth 01925-06 June 1925 01928-07 July 1928 Ashford 01965-02 February 1965
— A800/1800 31800 River Cray Brighton 01926-07 July 1926 01928-12 December 1928 Ashford 01965-10 October 1965 Involved in the 1927 Sevenoaks railway accident
— A801/1801 31801 River Darenth Brighton 01926-07 July 1926 01928-07 July 1928 Ashford 01964-06 June 1964
— A802/1802 31802 River Cuckmere Brighton 01926-08 August 1926 01928-07 July 1928 Ashford 01964-09 September 1964
— A803/1803 31803 River Itchen Brighton 01926-08 August 1926 01928-06 June 1928 Brighton 01966-03 March 1966
— A804/1804 31804 River Tamar Brighton 01926-09 September 1926 01928-06 June 1928 Brighton 01964-06 June 1964
— A805/1805 31805 River Camel Brighton 01926-10 October 1926 01928-03 March 1928 Ashford 01963-07 July 1963
— A806/1806 31806 River Torridge Brighton 01926-10 October 1926 01928-06 June 1928 Brighton 01964-01 January 1964 Preserved on the Mid Hants Railway; Under overhaul
— A807/1807 31807 River Axe Brighton 01926-11 November 1926 01928-09 September 1928 Brighton 01964-01 January 1964
— A808/1808 31808 River Char Brighton 01926-11 November 1926 01928-07 July 1928 Brighton 01964-01 January 1964
— A809/1809 31809 River Dart Brighton 01926-12 December 1926 01928-07 July 1928 Brighton 01966-01 January 1966

Southern Railway-built K1 class 3-cylinder locomotive

SR No.
(before/after
rebuilding)		 BR No.
(as U1 class)		 Name[2] Builder Date built Date Rebuilt
as U1 class		 Rebuilt at Withdrawn Notes
A890/1890 31890 River Frome Ashford 01925-12 December 1925 01928-06 June 1928 Ashford 01963-06 June 1963 U1 class prototype

Unbuilt locomotives

A further 20 K class locomotives were projected, but the order was cancelled after the derailment of No. A800 River Cray at Sevenoaks, Kent in August 1927 and subsequent withdrawal of the class for rebuilding.[3] The projected names were selected as thus:

A610 River Beaulieu, A611 River Blackwater, A612 River Bourne, A613 River Bray, A614 River Creedy A615 River Ebble, A616 River Eden, A617 River Anton, A618 River Hamble, A619 River Taw, A620 River Lymington, A621 River Parret, A622 River Medina, A623 River Exe, A624 River Allen, A625 River Seaton, A626 River Tiddy, A627 River Tavy, A628 River Lynher, A629 River Titchfield.

These unused K class numbers, but not the names, were later allocated to the first production batch of the U class 2-6-0 from 1928. Although a batch of ten K1 class locomotives was also ordered during 1927, no names had been allocated before cancellation.[3]

Location link

References

Notes

  1. ^ a b Burridge, p. 48
  2. ^ a b Burridge, p. 49
  3. ^ a b Rowledge (1976), p. 22

Bibliography

External links