P Class 0-6-0T
 |
Nº1556 off Southern metals circa 1938 and working on the Kent & East Sussex
line. The coach is 45' brake composite KESR Nº3, ex-SR N&prdm;6413 (formerly LSWR)
acquired by the KESR in 1932.
photograph: Mike Morant collection |
| The eight member P class of small six-coupled tanks were
built by Ashford Works between February 1909 and July 1910 and were designed
for working light branch and push-pull services, replacing the underpowered
steam railmotors that had been purchased in 1905 & 1906 for lightly loaded
branch lines. They proved only slightly more successful than the railmotors but
did become useful engines on other duties as shed pilots and carriage
shunters.
Harry Wainwright had been impressed by the LBSCR A1x class Terriers, then being transferred from London suburban service to branchline use. Unfortunately in an effort to keep building costs down, several dimensions were scaled down (e.g. cylinder stroke and bore both reduced by 2 inches) and these economies resulted in a locomotive with only 73% of a Terrier's tractive effort. All of the class were re-allocated to light shunting or shed pilots by 1913. Nº27 and Nº753 were shipped to France during World War I and spent a year and a half shunting at Boulogne from April 1915. |
| Nº31555 seen here looking repslendent in early British
Railways livery.
photograph: Mike Morant collection |
 |
 |
Nº31325 looking decidedly grubby in the second incarnation of the BR
livery. The B4 behind the 'P' is hiding its number from us, which
begins 3008.
photograph: Mike Morant collection |
| Nº31323 on Dover shed with some interesting stock, 8
August 1958. The shed and stock have long since passed on but the P is still
with us as the Bluebell Railway's Nº323 "Bluebell". The
Dover foreman told the photographer it was a load of old rubbish. But then, the
Ps were never popular on their native railway - it seems only others
appreciated them!
photograph by Trevor Tupper |
 |
| Maunsell had the original working pressure of 180 psi
reduced to 160 as he considered it needlessly high for a shunter. The class
carried SR passenger green but by 1936 any repaints were in black. All eight
engines passed to BR in 1948 where they were unclassified in power rating and
painted black eventually with Nº1558 being the last SR locomotive to be
renumbered in July 1953.
Towards the end Southern Railway days two of the class, Nº178 and Nº555, were located at Brighton, though were still considered to be Eastern Section stock. Three of the class passed into preservation and are located on the Bluebell, engines Nº27, Nº178 & Nº323, though Nº31178 was first sold to Bowaters at Sittingbourne as their Pioneer II, whilst one other, Nº1556, was sold to the "Pride of Sussex" flour mill at Robertsbridge but is now on the KESR. All these locos, 50% of the class total, have given useful service on service trains in the past and continue to provide special services such as footplate experience courses. Just imagine the steam scene if some other classes had 50% of their class preserved! |
Technical DetailsIntroduced:Driving Wheel: Length: Weight: Water Capacity: Cylinders (2): Boiler Pressure: Tractive Effort: Coal Capacity: BR Power Classification: |
Feb 19093 ft 9 1/8 ins 24 ft 1 3/8 ins 28 tons 10 cwt 550 gals (2) 12 in x 18 in 160 lb sq in 7,810 lbs 18 cwt Unclassified |
| The SECR was prone to allocate their numbers in any old fashion! The following table is set out in order of build: | |||||
| SECR Nº | Renumbered Mar 1927 |
SR Nº # | BR Nº | Built | Withdrawn |
| 753 | A 556 | 1556 | 31556 | Feb 1909 | Jun 1961 * |
| 754 | A 557 | 1557 | 31557 | Feb 1909 | Sep 1957 |
| 27 | - | 1027 | 31027 | Feb 1910 | Mar 1961 |
| 178 | - | 1178 | 31178 | Feb 1910 | Jun 1958 § |
| 555 | - | 1555 | 31555 | Jun 1910 | Feb 1955 |
| 558 | - | 1558 | 31558 | Jun 1910 | Feb 1960 |
| 323 | - | 1323 | 31323 | Jul 1910 | Jul 1960 |
| 325 | - | 1325 | 31325 | Jul 1910 | Mar 1960 |
| # | 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 |
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| * | Sold to "Pride of Sussex" flour mill | ||||
| § | Sold to Bowaters | ||||
All photographs are copyright
First | 2nd
This page was last updated 13 March 2012
