SR Q1 class
SR Q1 class British Railways | |
---|---|
Class | SR: Q1 |
Power class | BR: 5FA (later 5F) |
Numbers |
|
Nicknames | Coffee Pots Charlies Ugly Ducklings |
Locale | Southern Region |
Withdrawn | 1963–1966 |
Preserved | C1 |
Current owner | National Railway Museum |
Disposition | One preserved, remainder scrapped |
The SR Q1 class is a type of
The highly unusual and controversial design represents the ultimate development of the British 0-6-0 freight engine, capable of hauling trains that were usually allocated to much larger locomotives on other railways. Nicknames for the class included "Ugly Ducklings", "Coffee Pots",[2] "Charlies", "Biscuit Tins", "Biscuit Barrels", "Clockworks" and "Frankensteins".[3]
Background
In late 1939, the Southern Railway, until then primarily a high-density commuter railway serving London and South-East England, much of it electrified with third-rail pick-up, found itself on the British front line of the Second World War, with a severe lack of modern freight-handling capability.[4] The newest freight design was the Q class 0-6-0 of 1938, the last locomotive designed by Richard Maunsell. Built to essentially Victorian era principles,[5] these had been designed as replacements for many of the older 0-6-0s inherited by the Southern Railway in 1923,[6] and entered service in January 1938.[7] Maunsell, having retired at the end of October 1937, was replaced by Oliver Bulleid.[8]
The Southern Railway became an essential strategic war-asset because of its proximity to continental Europe, and needed to equip itself with adequate freight-handling capability to transport the vast quantities of supplies and troops required for the conflict.[9] The brief stipulated high route availability and high tractive effort.
Construction history
The answer to this problem came from the drawing board of the Southern Railway's innovative
Design
The class was one of several built under the wartime austerity regime, which stressed pure functionality above any considerations of style or decoration.[4] This austere approach to the design explains its functional appearance. One aspect of their shape was that, like Bulleid's SR Merchant Navy class and SR West Country and Battle of Britain classes, they could be simply driven through a coach-washer for cleaning at a time when manpower for this time-consuming chore could not be spared.
The unusual shape was also dictated by the use of materials; the lagging was made of a
The boiler design was based upon that of the Lord Nelson class, and the firebox used the same throatplate and backplate. The boiler barrel measured 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m) in length, with diameters of 5 ft 0 in (1.52 m) at the front and 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) at the back. The grate area was 27 sq ft (2.51 m2), the heating surface of the 209 tubes and 21 flues was 1,302 sq ft (120.96 m2), that of the firebox was 170 sq ft (15.79 m2) giving a total evaporative heating surface of 1,472 sq ft (136.75 m2); the superheater heating surface was 218 sq ft (20.25 m2).[14]
Operational details
The Q1 was the final development of the British 0-6-0 main line steam locomotive. Later designs of medium-powered freight locomotives, such as the LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0 and LMS Ivatt Class 4 Moguls, had a 2-6-0 wheel arrangement: the 0-6-0 wheel arrangement was not used in the BR Standard designs of locomotive.[15]
BR classified the Q1 class in the
The Q1's route availability meant that although they were primarily freight locomotives they also frequently deputised on secondary passenger services. However, the class gained a reputation for poor braking on unfitted freight trains due to the light construction of the tender braking system.[10]
The Q1s thrived on their intended duties during World War II, and were an indispensable addition to the Southern locomotive fleet,[9] to such an extent that they all remained in service until the 1960s, long after they were intended to cease operation as an "austerity" design.[10] Withdrawals began in 1963, when one had a broken cylinder that was deemed not worthy of repairing. The last example of the class was withdrawn in 1966.[16]
Year | Quantity in service at start of year |
Quantity withdrawn |
Locomotive numbers |
---|---|---|---|
1963 | 40 | 13 | 33002/05/08/11/13/16/19/21/24–25/28/31/37. |
1964 | 27 | 20 | 33001/03/07/10/12/14–15/17/22–23/29–30/32–36/38–40. |
1965 | 7 | 4 | 33004/09/18/26. |
1966 | 3 | 3 | 33006/20/27. |
Livery and numbering
Southern Railway and Bulleid numbering system
Livery of the Q1 Class was plain freight black, with Sunshine Yellow numbering on the cabside, and "Southern" lettering on the tender, shaded in green.
Post-1948 (nationalisation)
After nationalisation, the original Southern livery was in continued use, although with "
Preservation
Only one locomotive of the class survived into preservation. First-of-class 33001 (C1) has been preserved, and now resides at the National Railway Museum in York, where it carries its original SR livery and number. Before it moved to York in 2004, the locomotive worked on the Bluebell Railway in West Sussex: it ran from 14 September 1980 to Spring 1983. Its second period of running was from 9 September 1992 to Summer 2000 and that is the last time it ran.[10]
References
Notes
- ^ Scott-Morgan 2003, p. 19
- ^ Glasspool, David. "Bulleid Class Q1". Kent Rail. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
- ^ "Bulleid Q1 Class" (PDF). Victory Works. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
- ^ a b c Longworth, section "Q1 class"
- ^ Scott-Morgan 2003, p. 9
- ^ Haresnape 1977, p. 112
- ^ Bradley 1975, p. 54
- ^ Chacksfield 1998, p. 146
- ^ a b Whitehouse & Thomas 2002, p. 6
- ^ a b c d e f g Herring 2000, pp. 150–151
- ^ Scott-Morgan 2003, pp. 17–19
- ^ Bradley 1975, p. 59.
- ^ Scott-Morgan 2003, p. 10
- ^ Bradley 1975, pp. 59–60.
- ^ Scott-Morgan 2003, p. 72
- ^ Bradley 1975, pp. 64–65
- ^ Scott-Morgan 2003, p. 25
- ^ Bulleids in Retrospect
- ^ Ian Allan ABC of British Railways 1958–59
Bibliography
- Bradley, D.L. (October 1975). Locomotives of the Southern Railway: Part 1. London: ISBN 0-901115-30-4.
- Bulleids in Retrospect, Transport Video Publishing, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire
- Burridge, Frank (1975). Nameplates of the Big Four. Oxford: Oxford Publishing Company. ISBN 0-902888-43-9.
- Chacksfield, John E. (1998). Richard Maunsell: An Engineering Biography. The Oakwood Library of Railway History. Usk: Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-526-8. OL102.
- Haresnape, Brian (1977). Maunsell Locomotives: A Pictorial History. Shepperton: ISBN 0-7110-0743-8. CX/0183.
- Herring, Peter (2000). "Q1 Class". Classic British Steam Locomotives. London: Abbeydale Press. ISBN 1-86147-057-6.
- Ian Allan ABC of British Railways Locomotives, winter 1958–59 edition
- Longworth, Hugh (2005). British Railway Steam Locomotives: 1948–1968. Oxford Publishing Company. ISBN 0-86093-593-0.
- Scott-Morgan, John (2003). The Story of the Q1s. Bishop's Waltham: KRB Publications. ISBN 0-9544859-1-2.
- Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends (HIT Entertainment, 2006), season 9, episode 11: "Thomas and the New Engine."
- Whitehouse, Patrick & Thomas, David St.John (2002). SR 150: A Century and a Half of the Southern Railway. Newton Abbot: David and Charles.
External links