SEG

SECR E1 Class 4-4-0

31019

photograph: Mike Morant collection

E1 class Nº31019 at Robertsbridge whilst heading the The Rother Valley Limited railtour on October 19th, 1958.
 
Wainwright's class E 4-4-0 express tender engines of 1905 followed on from his successful D Class and were easily distinguishable from the latter by their Belpaire firebox and smooth-sided splashers, though they also had a longer wheelbase and 2" smaller wheels. In all some 26 E class were built between 1905 and 1909, with superheating commencing in 1912.

In 1919 Maunsell decided to rebuild one, Nº179, and quite changed the whole look of the engine. The footplate over the driving wheels was raised and the Wainwright cab was replaced with one of the "standard" Maunsell variety. The technical changes involved fitting a new, larger, firebox, replacing slide valves with 10" piston valves and reducing slightly the total heating surface in the boiler and firebox. Nº179 hadn't yet been superheated so this was done at the same time, fitting a Maunsell-style header. This, the first E1, was rebuilt at Ashford and proved to be such an improvement on the E class that it was decided to rebuild ten more, which was done during 1920 by Beyer, Peacock & Co.
 
179 The E1 class leader, Nº179, in SE&CR days.

photograph: Mike Morant collection
 
Another E1, Nº67, also in SE&CR days.

photograph: Mike Morant collection

 67
 
1497 In sunny Southern days!  1497 on shed at Bournemouth Central.

photograph: Mike Morant collection
 
In not-so-sunny BR(S) days!  31497, the same engine as above, location unknown.

photograph: Mike Morant collection

 31497
 
Following the rebuilding of eleven the E class into the E1 class, 21 of the 51 D class engines were rebuilt as D1 class between 1921 and 1927.  These D1 locomotives were, to all intents and purposes, the same as the E1 class.  Four of the E1s were converted to oil burnring during the 1926 strike, but they didn't remain in this condition for long and were converted back to coal firing.

Originally employed on express passenger trains on the Chatham section, the locos ended their days under BR(S) on secondary lines and stopping passenger duties, although the occasional express service would take them back onto the main line.
 
31497 Nº31497 again, this time on shed somewhere and with some weak sunshine!

photograph: Mike Morant collection
 

Technical Details

  • Introduced: 1919
  • Driving Wheel: 6 ft 6 ins
  • Bogie Wheel: 3 ft 6 ins
  • Length: 54 ft 117/8 ins
  • Total Weight: 91 tons 4 cwt
  • Water Capacity: 3,300 gals
  • Cylinders (2): 19 in x 26 in
  • Boiler Pressure: 180 lb sq in
  • Tractive Effort: E1: 18,400 lb
  • Coal Capacity: 4 ton 10 cwt
  • Power Classification: 3-P
 
SECR Nº SR Nº # BR Nº Rebuilt from Class E Rebuilt by Withdrawn
19 1019 31019 1920 Beyer, Peacock & Co. Apr 1961
67 1067 31067 1920 Beyer, Peacock & Co. Nov 1961
160 1160 31160 1920 Beyer, Peacock & Co. Mar 1951
163 1163 - * 1920 Beyer, Peacock & Co. May 1949
165 1165 31165 1920 Beyer, Peacock & Co. May 1959
179 1179 31179 1919 Ashford Dec 1950
497 1497 31497 1920 Beyer, Peacock & Co. Oct 1960
504 1504 31504 1920 Beyer, Peacock & Co. Mar 1958
506 1506 31506 1920 Beyer, Peacock & Co. Sep 1958
507 1507 31507 1920 Beyer, Peacock & Co. Aug 1961
511 1511 31511 1920 Beyer, Peacock & Co. Mar 1951
# Between 1923 and 1928 SR numbers were the SECR numbers with the added prefix 'A'
although the new number may not have been applied until some time later
* Allocated 31163, this locomotive never carried the BR number

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This page was last updated 4 February 2011

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