SREmG

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SECR Wainwright D class 4-4-0

photograph: Mike Morant collection.

D Class N°1057 photographed at Ashford in Southern Railwaydays

When the South Eastern & Chatham Railway was created at the end of the nineteenth century, one of the first problems to be addressed was that of locomotives. Upon the appointment of Harry Wainwright as Locomotive and Carriage Superintendent steps were taken to replace the small and ageing locos of the LC&DR and the SER with more powerful ones. From the team of draughtsmen drawn primarily from the LC&DR works at Longhedge came plans for 3 designs of locomotives: the D class 4-4-0s for express passenger work, the R1 rebuilds of the R class 0-4-4Ts for local passenger, and the C Class 0-6-0s for goods work. In all some fifty-one of these locomotives were built and a large number, because of their robust construction, survived well into the 1950s.

The first locomotive was delivered from the builder, Sharp, Stewart & Co., in 1901 and in appearance and detail was a radical departure from anything seen previously on either the SER or the LCDR. Finished in brilliant green, with a copper chimney cap and brass boiler mountings, splasher beads and cabside numbers they were real eye-turners! One of the class, N°735, was exhibited at the Glasgow exhibition of 1901.

In 1907 an experimental extended smokebox was fitted to N°247 which, having proved to be a success, was subsequently fitted to the rest of the class. When Maunsell took over from Wainwright he proceeded to rebuild some of the class into class D1 and, at the same time, painted over the brasswork thus stripping the engines of some of their aesthetic glory!

Their reputation was mainly associated with the boat trains to Dover and Folkestone where the combination of the engines and new carriages led to these services being acknowledged as some of the most elegantly finished trains in the country.

Colloquially known as "Coppertops" these engines were at the forefront of the Managing Committee's efforts to raise the public profile of the two railways, which had sunk to an all-time low. Their striking livery, above all, made them stand out from the crowd!

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s1493

s1493 photographed in very early British Railways days with the legend 'British Railways' on the tender.
Photograph: Mike Morant collection.
31477
Ashford
N°31477, still sporting a 'Southern' tender at Ashford on 10th August 1950.
Photograph: Mike Morant collection.
31488
Clapham Jn
N°31488, formerly N°488 of 1902, en route to the carriage sidings at Clapham Junction in the mid 1950s.
Photograph by Mike Morant.
31737
Ashford
N°31737 at Ashford, paired with E Class N°31166 on 12th September 1954. N°31737 had worked the R.C.T.S. (London Branch) "Invicta Special" from Blackheath to Rainham, then from Kearnsey to Ashford and has now joined N°31166 for a double-headed run from Ashford to Blackfriars. N°31737 was subsequently preserved as part of the National Collection.
Photograph: Mike Morant collection.
31577

N°31577 in later British Railways livery, date and location unknown. This loco and 31075 were the last to be withdrawn, in December 1956.
Photograph: Mike Morant collection.
31733
Tonbridge
N°31733 photographed at Tonbridge.
Photograph: Mike Morant collection.
737
Clapham Museum

Fortunately one of these engines, N°737 of 1901, was saved for the nation and could be seen at the Clapham Transport Museum, as pictured here in 1968.
Photograph by Mike Glasspool.
737
NRM York
Later N°737 was moved and may now be seen at the National Railway Museum in York.
Photograph by Mike Glasspool.

Technical Details

Introduced: Driving Wheel: Bogie Wheel: Total Weight: Water Capacity: Cylinders (2): Boiler Pressure: Tractive Effort: Coal Capacity:	January 1901 6 ft 8 ins 3 ft 7 ins 50 tons 0 cwt 3,300 gals * 19 in x 26 in 175 lb sq in 17,500 lb 4 tons 10 cwt
* Last eleven (built 1906 & 1907): 3,450 gals

Data

The SECR was, if anything, the worst of the Southern Companies when it came to numbering locomotive classes out of consecutive order and the D Class was no exception! The following table is set out in order of build:
SECR N° 727 726 728 729 730 731 732 733 734 735 736 737 738 739 740 246 57 487 488 490 75 92 145 247 489 492 494 493 501 502 741 742 743 744 745 746 747 748 749 750 470 509 545 549 577 477 496 505 574 586 591	Builder Sharp Stewart Sharp Stewart Sharp Stewart Sharp Stewart Sharp Stewart Sharp Stewart Sharp Stewart Sharp Stewart Sharp Stewart Sharp Stewart Ashford Ashford Ashford Ashford Ashford Ashford Ashford Ashford Ashford Ashford Dübs & Co Dübs & Co Dübs & Co Dübs & Co Dübs & Co Dübs & Co Dübs & Co Dübs & Co Dübs & Co Dübs & Co Stephenson & Co Stephenson & Co Stephenson & Co Stephenson & Co Stephenson & Co Vulcan Foundry Vulcan Foundry Vulcan Foundry Vulcan Foundry Vulcan Foundry Ashford Ashford Ashford Ashford Ashford Ashford Ashford Ashford Ashford Ashford Ashford	SR N° # - 1726 1728 1729 1730 1731 1732 1733 1734 - - 1737 1738 - 1740 - 1057 - 1488 1490 1075 1092 - - - - - 1493 1501 - - 1742 - 1744 - 1746 - 1748 - 1750 - - - 1549 1577 1477 1496 - 1574 1586 1591	BR N° - - 31728 31729 31730 31731 31732 31733 31734 - - 31737 31738 - 31740 - 31057 - 31488 31490 31075 31092 - - - - - 31493 31501 - - - - 31744 - 31746 - 31748 - 31750 - - - 31549 31577 31477 31496 - 31574 31586 31591	Built: Jan 1901 Feb 1901 Feb 1901 Feb 1901 Mar 1901 Mar 1901 Mar 1901 Apr 1901 Apr 1901 Nov 1901 Dec 1901 Dec 1901 Jan 1902 Jan 1902 Feb 1902 Jun 1902 Jul 1902 Jul 1902 Aug 1902 Sep 1902 Mar 1903 Mar 1903 Apr 1903 Apr 1903 Apr 1903 Apr 1903 Apr 1903 May 1903 May 1903 May 1903 Mar 1903 Apr 1903 Apr 1903 May 1903 Jun 1903 Aug 1903 Aug 1903 Aug 1903 ? 1903 Oct 1903 Aug 1906 Sep 1906 Sep 1906 Sep 1906 Sep 1906 Mar 1907 Mar 1907 Feb 1907 Feb 1907 Feb 1907 Mar 1907	Rebuilt as D1 * 1923 A - - - - - - - - 1921 BP 1927 A - - 1927 A - 1921 BP - 1921 BP - - - - 1923 A 1921 BP 1921 BP 1927 A 1921 BP - - 1921 BP 1927 A - 1927 A - 1927 A - 1921 BP - 1921 BP - 1926 A 1927 A 1921 BP - - - - 1927 A - - -	Withdrawn - Nov 1947 Apr 1953 Apr 1954 Mar 1951 May 1951 Aug 1951 Nov 1953 Oct 1955 - - Nov 1956 § Sep 1950 - Mar 1951 - Mar 1951 - Feb 1956 Aug 1951 Dec 1956 Jun 1951 - - - - - Jan 1954 Mar 1953 - - Oct 1944 - Apr 1953 - Dec 1954 - Mar 1951 - Feb 1953 - - - Oct 1956 Dec 1956 Jan 1951 Aug 1955 - Oct 1956 Sep 1955 May 1955
# Between 1923 and 1928 SR numbers were the SECR numbers with the added prefix 'A' * A - Rebuilt at Ashford, BP - Rebuilt by Beyer, Peacock. § - Preserved at National railway Museum.

This page was last updated 7 July 2020