The two constituent railways of the SECR had both relied on 0-4-4T locomotives for London suburban, and semi-fast train services. The South Eastern Railway (SER) Q class was introduced in 1881, and the London Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) R class in 1891. Of these, the R was the most successful design, and was continued in production (in the form of the LCDR R1 class) by Harry Wainwright after the amalgamation of the railways in 1899. However, as traffic continued to increase there was a need for a new powerful 0-4-4T design to take over from the SER Q class. Wainwright therefore based his new design on the R1 class.[1]
Constructionedit
The first seven locomotives were built by Ashford Works in November and December 1904. The design was soon found to be successful so that sixty-four were built at Ashford between 1904 and 1909. Following Wainwright's retirement Richard Maunsell discovered that sixty-six had been ordered and their components built, but had not been erected earlier. Therefore a further two were erected in 1915.[2]
The majority of the class replaced Q class locomotives on the London suburban services of the SER and remained on these duties until after they entered Southern Railway stock in 1923. They began to be displaced by the electrification of these lines in 1925/6, when they began to be used on stopping trains further afield in the Eastern Section of Southern Railway in Kent. After 1929, they also began to be used on the Central Section (the former lines of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway) in East Sussex), where they replaced withdrawn D3 class locomotives. Between 1941 and 1952, two (and later three) examples were loaned to the Western Section and worked from Nine Elms on local shunting and empty stock. During 1943 and 1944 three examples were also loaned to the London Midland and Scottish Railway at Forfar.[4]
Two members of the class were withdrawn during the Second World War, but the remaining 64 entered British Railways stock in 1948. Forty five of the survivors were equipped for push-pull train working between 1949 and 1960, and the class was increasingly used on motor-trains on rural branches. With the completion of the Kent electrification scheme between 1959 and 1962, most of the surviving members of the class were withdrawn, except for a few examples working the non-electrified lines between Tunbridge Wells and Three Bridges.[5]
On 11 March 1913, locomotive No. 324 was hauling a passenger train that failed to stop at Ramsgate Town station, Kent. It collided with a van and pushed it through the buffers. Ten people were injured. The accident was caused by the failure to connect the brake pipe between the locomotive and its train.[7]
Preservationedit
No. 263 at Sheffield Park, Bluebell Railway 11 October 1992.
The final member of the class, SECR No. 263 (SR 1263, BR 31263), was withdrawn from Three Bridges on 4 January 1964. It remained in store at the locomotive depot until the following November, when it was purchased by the H-Class Trust and moved to Robertsbridge. Later it was preserved at the South Eastern Steam Centre at Ashford, but in 1975 the Trustees decided that the locomotive would have more scope for running if based on the Bluebell Railway in Sussex. In 2008 ownership was transferred to the Bluebell Railway Trust, which funded an overhaul that started in March 2009.[8] It returned to service on 28 July 2012.
Modelsedit
Hornby announced in 2016 that they would be releasing a model of the H class in 3 liveries. The model was released in 2017.[9][10]
Earnshaw, Alan (1991). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 7. Penryn: Atlantic Books. ISBN0-906899-50-8.
Ian Allan ABC of British Railways Locomotives, winter 1962/3 edition, page 53
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to SECR H class.
SEMG gallery
Class H Details at Rail UK
Bluebell Railway page
April 14, 2024
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The South Eastern and Chatham Railway SECR H Class is a class of 0 4 4T steam locomotive originally designed for suburban passenger work designed by Harry Wainwright in 1904 Most of the sixty six members of the class were later equipped for push pull working for use on rural branch lines SECR H classH class 31177 at Tonbridge in 1958Type and originPower typeSteamDesignerHarry WainwrightBuilderSECR Ashford WorksBuild date1904 1909 1915Total produced66SpecificationsConfiguration Whyte0 4 4T UICB2 n2tGauge4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm standard gaugeDriver dia 5 ft 6 in 1 676 m Trailing dia 3 ft 7 in 1 092 m Length32 ft 10 3 4 in 10 027 m Axle load16 long tons 16 cwt 37 600 lb or 17 1 t Adhesive weight33 long tons 12 cwt 75 300 lb or 34 1 t Loco weight54 long tons 8 cwt 121 900 lb or 55 3 t Fuel typeCoalFuel capacity1 1 2 to 2 1 2 long tons 1 5 to 2 5 t 1 7 to 2 8 short tons Water cap 1 350 to 1 150 imp gal 6 100 to 5 200 L 1 620 to 1 380 US gal Firebox Grate area16 2 3 sq ft 1 55 m2 Boiler pressure160 lbf in2 1 10 MPa Heating surface Firebox102 1 4 sq ft 9 50 m2 Tubes1 002 1 2 sq ft 93 14 m2 Total surface1 104 3 4 sq ft 102 63 m2 CylindersTwo insideCylinder size18 in 26 in 457 mm 660 mm Performance figuresTractive effort17 360 lbf 77 22 kN CareerOperatorsSouth Eastern and Chatham Railway Southern Railway British RailwaysClassSECR SR HPower classBR 1PLocaleSouthern RegionWithdrawn1944 1951 1964DispositionOne preserved remainder scrapped Contents 1 Background 2 Construction 3 Use 4 Accidents and incidents 5 Preservation 6 Models 7 References 8 External linksBackground editThe two constituent railways of the SECR had both relied on 0 4 4T locomotives for London suburban and semi fast train services The South Eastern Railway SER Q class was introduced in 1881 and the London Chatham and Dover Railway LCDR R class in 1891 Of these the R was the most successful design and was continued in production in the form of the LCDR R1 class by Harry Wainwright after the amalgamation of the railways in 1899 However as traffic continued to increase there was a need for a new powerful 0 4 4T design to take over from the SER Q class Wainwright therefore based his new design on the R1 class 1 Construction editThe first seven locomotives were built by Ashford Works in November and December 1904 The design was soon found to be successful so that sixty four were built at Ashford between 1904 and 1909 Following Wainwright s retirement Richard Maunsell discovered that sixty six had been ordered and their components built but had not been erected earlier Therefore a further two were erected in 1915 2 The H class boiler design was found to be so successful that it was later used as a standard replacement boiler on the SECR R1 class LCDR B1 class LCDR B2 class LCDR R class SER O1 class SECR Q1 class and SER R1 class 2 All 66 locomotives were equipped with vacuum brakes as used on the former SER but thirteen also had Westinghouse air brakes and were used on the former LCDR lines 3 Use editThe majority of the class replaced Q class locomotives on the London suburban services of the SER and remained on these duties until after they entered Southern Railway stock in 1923 They began to be displaced by the electrification of these lines in 1925 6 when they began to be used on stopping trains further afield in the Eastern Section of Southern Railway in Kent After 1929 they also began to be used on the Central Section the former lines of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway in East Sussex where they replaced withdrawn D3 class locomotives Between 1941 and 1952 two and later three examples were loaned to the Western Section and worked from Nine Elms on local shunting and empty stock During 1943 and 1944 three examples were also loaned to the London Midland and Scottish Railway at Forfar 4 Two members of the class were withdrawn during the Second World War but the remaining 64 entered British Railways stock in 1948 Forty five of the survivors were equipped for push pull train working between 1949 and 1960 and the class was increasingly used on motor trains on rural branches With the completion of the Kent electrification scheme between 1959 and 1962 most of the surviving members of the class were withdrawn except for a few examples working the non electrified lines between Tunbridge Wells and Three Bridges 5 Table of withdrawals 6 Year Quantity inservice atstart of year Quantitywithdrawn Locomotive numbers Notes1944 66 2 1264 13121945 50 64 0 1951 64 5 31016 31182 31532 41 461952 53 59 0 1954 59 1 313111955 58 4 31158 31309 20 315311956 54 0 1957 54 2 31274 313211958 52 1 311841959 51 11 31164 31259 69 79 95 31327 29 31503 23 48 541960 40 7 31239 65 66 31310 19 31520 401961 33 18 31161 62 77 93 31261 76 31306 07 22 26 28 31500 12 17 19 50 52 531962 15 8 31278 31305 08 24 31521 30 33 421963 7 4 31005 31522 43 441964 3 3 31263 31518 51 31263 preservedAccidents and incidents editOn 11 March 1913 locomotive No 324 was hauling a passenger train that failed to stop at Ramsgate Town station Kent It collided with a van and pushed it through the buffers Ten people were injured The accident was caused by the failure to connect the brake pipe between the locomotive and its train 7 Preservation edit nbsp No 263 at Sheffield Park Bluebell Railway 11 October 1992 The final member of the class SECR No 263 SR 1263 BR 31263 was withdrawn from Three Bridges on 4 January 1964 It remained in store at the locomotive depot until the following November when it was purchased by the H Class Trust and moved to Robertsbridge Later it was preserved at the South Eastern Steam Centre at Ashford but in 1975 the Trustees decided that the locomotive would have more scope for running if based on the Bluebell Railway in Sussex In 2008 ownership was transferred to the Bluebell Railway Trust which funded an overhaul that started in March 2009 8 It returned to service on 28 July 2012 Models editHornby announced in 2016 that they would be releasing a model of the H class in 3 liveries The model was released in 2017 9 10 References edit Bradley 1980 pp 23 27 a b Bradley 1980 p 24 Bradley 1980 p 23 Bradley 1980 pp 25 26 Bradley 1980 p 26 Bradley 1980 p 27 Earnshaw 1991 p 15 South Eastern amp Chatham Railway H class No 263 Bluebell Railway 7 April 2009 Retrieved 1 August 2012 Your scale modelling destination Key Model World Hornby H Hornby Magazine www hornbymagazine com Archived from the original on 28 December 2016 Bradley D L 1980 The locomotive history of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway London Railway Correspondence and Travel Society ISBN 0 901115 49 5 Earnshaw Alan 1991 Trains in Trouble Vol 7 Penryn Atlantic Books ISBN 0 906899 50 8 Ian Allan ABC of British Railways Locomotives winter 1962 3 edition page 53External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to wbr SECR H class SEMG gallery Class H Details at Rail UK Bluebell Railway page Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title SECR H class amp oldid 1208731684, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
