Wainwright H class 0-4-4T
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| Nº1305 seen in Southern Railway days. Despite its grubby
condition, a remnant of the SECR livery can be seen on the splasher.
photograph: Mike Morant collection |
| With the continual growth in traffic around the beginning of
the 20th century, particularly in the London suburban area, the newly
amalgamated South Eastern and London, Chatham & Dover Railways had an
urgent need for medium sized passenger tank locomotives. Although the drawing
office at Ashford prepared drawings for both large sized and medium sized tank
locomotives, Wainwright decided to build only the smaller machines. Between
November 1904 and the end of 1915, 66 of these locomotives were constructed at
Ashford Works, being designated Class 'H'. Somewhat uniquely, only 64
of the class were initially constructed out of 66 authorised, but on taking
over as CME Maunsell discovered that the works had not erected the missing two,
presumably keeping the components as spares. Maunsell ordered construction of
the remaining two immediately in 1915, a gap of 6 years since the original 64
had been completed.
Some of the components of the locomotives as designed were common with the 'C' class goods locomotives. Whereas the SE&CR was primarily a line with vacuum braked stock, 16 of the class were fitted with Westinghouse brakes. All had the very unique pagoda-style cab roofs, and of course, the initial 64 appeared in Wainwright's elaborate, but very attractive, lined dark green livery. In due course they all appeared in Maunsell's initial plain dark green livery, to be followed by the wartime dull grey livery up until 1923. As the class was completed, at least the initial 64, they appeared at most former South Eastern depots and some of the former Chatham depots. |
| Nº1319 at Addison Road, Kensington heading for Clapham Junction.
photograph: Mike Morant collection |
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Many years later, and now as Nº31319, the same loco is seen at Warehorne with the 9.15 a.m.
New Romney to Ashford on 22nd June 1957
photograph: Mike Morant collection |
| Nº31523 seen at Tonbridge on 19th October 1958.
photograph: Mike Morant collection |
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Nº31522 arriving at Oxted from Tunbridge Wells West with
Maunsell Push Pull set Nº605. Note the tandem point in the foreground.
photograph by Keith Harwood |
| Nº31542 captured at Olympia, date not known but probably
during the late 1950s.
photograph: Mike Morant collection |
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| Nº31551, carrying one lamp and one headcode disc near Hurst
Green with set Nº605.
photograph by Keith Harwood |
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Nº31193 is seen here at Gillingham at an unknown date
before 1961. This page's compiler has deliberately not cropped this
photograph closer to the engine to allow the atmospheric period clutter to be
enjoyed by all!
photograph by Alan Robinson |
All photographs are copyright
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This page was last updated 5 April 2008
