Kirtley T Class 0-6-0T
T Class 0-6-0T No.Nº149 photograph: Steve Roffey collection |
| The London Chatham & Dover Railway T Class 0-6-0T tanks were introduced by Kirtley for shunting and local goods work between 1879 and 1893. All ten were built at the LC&DR's own works at Longhedge. The last eight, constructed a decade after the first pair, had six inch longer frames to provide a larger bunker and space on the cab side sheeting for the Westinghouse pump (the first two having steam brakes only, in spite of which they were over a ton heavier). In peacetime they worked at Herne Hill and Victoria sidings where they were kept in first rate order, also performing a degree of passenger work, though Nº150 spent most of its pre-SECR days on the docks at Dover. The formation of the South Eastern & Chatham Railway in 1899 saw 459 added to their numbers in common with the other inherited LC&DR types, and all received Wainwright's lined Passenger Green livery. During the 1914-1918 war they were repainted in SE&CR 'austerity' grey and most if not all of them put in an appearance at the port of Boulogne at one time or another; a couple could usually be seen there. To avoid confusion with other locomotives borrowed by the R.O.D., a figure 5 prefix was added to their numbers whilst in France. Reboilering took place between 1908 and 1926, increasing the working pressure to 160lb, while 17½in. diameter cylinders were fitted between 1913 and 1924. |
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A spotless Nº608 (LC&DR Nº149) in Wainwright's SE&CR passenger green livery.
photograph: Steve Roffey collection |
| Withdrawals began in 1932 with Nº A605 being condemned in July of that year. Two (1600, 1608)
were sold into industrial service in December 1936 and this was the intended fate of A607; however, the deal fell
through and after a period in store at Battersea, this engine was overhauled at Ashford Works in the summer of
1938 and sent to work at Meldon Quarry in place of the diminutive former SER Manning Wardle 0-4-0T Nº 225S
which was by then beyond economic repair. Nº1604 was placed in store during January 1939 as part of a reserve of locomotives to be reinstated in the advent of hostilities and was duly repaired and returned to traffic, being lent to Colonel Stephens' East Kent Railway where it remained until January 1945. Nº1604 was then returned to Herne Hill sidings to work with the other surviving T, Nº1602. Taken over by British Railways in 1948, by which time only 18 former LC&DR locomotives were left (the remainder being R/R1 0-4-4T class locos), the surviving pair were sent to Reading where they spent most of their time in store, though Nº31602 is recorded as having reached Guildford at least once. This engine was the last survivor in BR ownership, being withdrawn in July 1951. The very last surviving T was however one of the pair sold to Frazer and Co., Hebburn-on-Tyne in December 1936. Resold to R.Evans & Co., St. Helens in March 1940, the former SR Nº1600 was employed at Haydock Colliery until the end of 1957, still in SR unlined black livery. |
| NºA607 (LC&DR Nº148) in unlined SR Black and retaining the brass bunker side plate
bearing the legend "SE&CR" fitted by that company when these engines were in 'austerity'
grey. This loco would become Meldon Quarry shunter Nº500S in 1938
photograph: Steve Roffey collection |
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Technical DetailsIntroduced:Driving Wheel: Weight (141-142): Weight (143-150): Water Capacity: Cylinders (2): Boiler Pressure: Tractive Effort: Coal Capacity (141-142): Coal Capacity (143-150): |
1879 |
| LCDR Nº | SECR Nº | SR Nº # | BR Nº | Works Nº # |
Withdrawn |
| 141 | 600 | 1600 | 6 (1879) | Dec 1936 | |
| 142 | 601 | 1601 # | 7 (1879) | Jun 1933 | |
| 143 | 602 | 1602 | 31602 # | 22 (1893) | Jul 1951 |
| 144 | 603 | 1603 | 23 (1893) | Jan 1936 | |
| 145 | 604 | 1604 | 31604 # | 17 (1891) | Nov 1950 |
| 146 | 605 | 1605 # | 15 (1890) | Jul 1932 | |
| 147 | 606 | 1606 # | 18 (1891) | Dec 1936 | |
| 148 | 607 | 1607 #/500S # | 16 (1890) | Nov 1949 | |
| 149 | 608 | 1608 | 14 (1889) | Dec 1936 | |
| 150 | 609 | 1609 # | 19 (1891) | Dec 1936 | |
# Between 1923 and 1931 SR numbers were the SECR numbers with the added prefix 'A', although the prefix may not have been removed until some time later. # The spasmodic numbering of Nºs 145-150 was due to the order in which the scrapping of the Martley era "Ruby" class 2-4-0Ts they replaced, and acquired their numbers from, took place. # To service stock and sent to Meldon Quarry September 1938. # Number not carried? |
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This page was created 9 May 2011
