Maunsell N class 2-6-0
a digitally restored photograph from the David Lord collection In the photograph above N class A816 is seen fitted with a new funnel, and below she is shown many years later, in her British Railways guise, at Redhill. |
photograph by Keith Harwood |
| The N class was designed by Richard Maunsell, CME of the
SECR, to be a modern powerful mixed traffic locomotive to replace the regular
double heading undertaken by smaller and older loco classes. Design work
started in 1914 but was delayed by the Great War. The first prototype, number
810, did not emerge from Ashford until July 1917. Southern fans need to be
uncomfortably aware that this design was heavily influenced by GWR thinking,
due to the recruitment by the SECR of Harry Holcroft from Swindon.
In extended trials the design proved to be so successful that following abortive attempts by the Association of Railway Locomotive Engineers to produce standard loco classes for use by all British railway companies, the government adopted the standards idea and selected the type to be produced by the former munitions factory at the Woolwich Arsenal as an alternative to closing the factory once it's wartime function was no longer required. |
| Southern engine number A862 is pictured on shed at Nine Elms.
a digitally restored photograph from the David Lord collection |
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| Ashford works themselves did not move quickly producing
the class, with only 15 locos emerging (up to 825) until December 1923 - number
822, was built as the prototype three cylindered version to be known as the N1 class.
Meanwhile the Woolwich Arsenal produced kits of parts, however after the government abandoned its attempt to nationalise the railways there were few takers (the nationalised railway was due to receive 100 of the class). Those companies which did buy the "kits" were the G.S.& W.R. of Ireland (Maunsell's native railway) , the Metropolitan Railway, and the newly formed Southern Railway which seized the opportunity to pick up the parts for 50 engines at a bargain price. These 50 were assembled at Ashford, were numbered A826 to A875 in the Southern list, and this sub-class of the Ns was nicknamed by their footplatemen "Woolworths" (a contortion of Woolwich). NºA866 was put on display at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley from May to November 1925, as Southern Railway Nº866. The first 65 of the class were built with the standard SECR right hand drive, however a further 15 engines numbered 1400 to 1414 were built between 1932 and 1934, with U1 Chimneys and domes (U1 domes were lower), 4000 gallon tenders with a step in their footplate, and some of this batch had the by-then Southern standard left hand drive (note that in written accounts the number of locos which received left hand drive differs between authors, so as always work from a good photograph if you want an accurate model). |
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Nº31870 captured on shed at Ashford in the early 1960s.
photograph by John Roffey |
| This slightly unusual head-on shot of 31870 shows just how much
of a gap there was between the smokebox and the smoke deflectors!
photograph by John Roffey |
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This page was last updated 9 February 2006
