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SECR Wainwright H Class 0-4-4T

photograph: Mike Morant collection.

N°1305 seen in Southern Railway days. Despite its grubby condition, a remnant of the SECR livery can be seen on the splasher.

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.

Upon formation of the Southern Railway, the locomotives of the class received the standard Southern passenger locomotive livery of a shade of olive green with lining, and had 1000 added to their numbers. With the spread of suburban electrification during the 1920s and 1930s, many of the usual duties for 'H' class tanks disappeared, but many were assigned to more rural routes on the South Eastern section of the SR and also drafted on to the former Brighton section. During WWII two of the class were drafted to the South Western section and even the LMS borrowed three for use in Scotland.

Two of the class were withdrawn during WWII as a result of badly cracked frames, when it was more useful to use the components as spares for the rest of the class, rather than repair them. However the remaining 64 of the class were taken into British Railway stock, once again renumbered with 30000 added to their numbers. All but four of them received the BR standard lined black livery, used for light passenger locomotives. With the electrification of Kent Coast lines in the 1959 and 1962, together with the loss of most of the branch lines both on the South Eastern and Central sections of BR(S) in the 1950s and 1960s, the need for these tank locomotives disappeared, especially as the area was well served by now with numbers of LMS designed and BR standard tank locomotives. A few withdrawals had taken place in 1951 and 1953 but mass withdrawals started in 1959 and within a few years all had gone.

But not quite. N°31263, formerly N°263, built in 1905, had been working the Three Bridges to East Grinstead line right up to its closure in January 1964. A group of preservationists formed the H Class Trust and purchased the locomotive from British Railways. The locomotive was located at Robertsbridge, initially, then moved to the SE Steam Centre at Ashford. But in 1975 it was relocated to the Bluebell Railway - click here for a picture - where it has continued in use over the years, although at the time of writing it is out of use awaiting overhaul.

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  • 1319
    Addison Rd
    N°1319 at Addison Road, Kensington heading for Clapham Junction.
    Photograph: Mike Morant collection.
  • 31319
    Warehorne
    Working duty N°366 many years after the previous photo, as N°31319, 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.
  • 31522
    Oxted
    N°31522 arriving at Oxted from Tunbridge Wells West with Maunsell Push Pull set N°605. Note the tandem point in the foreground and the yellow shunt signal which indicates to the driver that to make a movement to the right, staying in the sidings, he does not need the dummy to be off.
    Photograph by Keith Harwood.
  • 31551
    Nr Hurst Green
    N°31551, carrying one lamp and one headcode disc near Hurst Green with set N°605.
    Photograph by Keith Harwood.
  • 31193
    Gillingham
    N°31193 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.
  • 31517
    Sharnal Street
    January sunlight captures this scene at Sharnal Street on the Allhallows branch to perfection on 9th January 1960. N°31517 is in push mode and crimson liveried pre-grouping coach N°S4758S is the one vehicle of the P-P set N°733 visible.
    Photograph: C. J. Gammell/Mike Morant collection.
  • 31278
    Edenbridge
    N°31278 at Edenbridge on 9th September 1961, also with the 8:20 a.m. Hawkhurst to Paddock Wood service.
    Photograph: A. E. Durrant/Mike Morant collection.
  • 31263
    Three Bridges
    N°31263, one of the last three remaining members of the class, is seen here on 15th April 1963 - there being less than a year before the Three Bridges to East Grinstead line, on which it spent its last days, was closed.
    Photograph by Alan Robinson.
  • 31263
    Rowfant
    N°31263 arriving at Rowfant on a Three Bridges-bound service.
    Photograph by Keith Harwood.
  • 31263
    Tunbridge WW
    A further view of N°31263 on shed at Tunbridge Wells West with N°31551 behind.
    Photograph by John Bradbeer.
  • 31544
    Withyham
    N°31544 at Withyham with a push-pull set from Tunbridge Wells West to Three Bridges.
    Photograph by Keith Harwood.
  • 31518
    Three Bridges
    N°31518 on shed at Three Bridges.
    Photograph by Keith Harwood.
  • 31308
    Newington
    N°31308 at Newington on an unkown date.
    Photograph: Mike Morant collection.
  • 31263
    East Grinstead
    N°31263 arriving at East Grinstead with a train from Three Bridges.
    Photograph by Keith Harwood.
  • 31263
    East Grinstead
    N°31263 departing East Grinstead with a train for Three Bridges.
    Photograph by Keith Harwood.
  • 31551
    Oxted
    N°31551 at Oxted.
    Photograph by Keith Harwood.
  • 31263 & 31551
    Tunbridge WW
    A tale of two Hs!
    H class 0-4-4Ts N°31263 and N°31551, outside Tunbridge Wells West shed in 1964, are both fully prepared and ready for their next turns of duty on push and pull services. N°31263 will be working the afternoon through service from Tunbridge Wells West to Three Bridges via East Grinstead.
    Photograph by Keith Harwood.
  • 31263 & 31551
    Tunbridge WW
    Another view of the pair of H class 0-4-4Ts, this time taken from inside the shed. A very neat coaling job has been done and it is difficult to see how N°31551's bunker could hold a single lump more! Note the main signalbox to the left of the picture and the yard cabin in the middle distance between the locomotives.
    Photograph by Keith Harwood.
  • 31263
    Front ¾ view
    A front end view of N°31263.
    Photograph by Keith Harwood.
  • 31551
    Rear ¾ view
    N°31551 with that huge mound of coal from the side view.
    Photograph by Keith Harwood.
  • 31005
    Oxted viaduct
    N°31005 in push mode crossing Oxted viaduct on 15th June 1963.
    Photograph: Mike Morant collection.
  • 31263
    Tunbridge WW
    N°31263 on shed at Tunbridge Wells West in August 1963.
    Photograph by John Bradbeer.
  • 31005
    Three Bridges

     
    Here N°31005 was the next turn at Three Bridges during August 1963.
    Photograph by John Bradbury.
  • Maker's
    Plate
    The SECR maker's plate of H class 263 pictured at Sheffield Park on the 21st July 2001. Polishing the brass is not good for the paintwork!
    Photograph by Colin Duff.

Technical Details

Introduced:
Driving Wheel:
Trailing Wheel:
Length:
Total Weight:
Water Capacity:
Cylinders (2):
Boiler Pressure:
Tractive Effort:
Coal Capacity:
BR Power Classification:
1904
5 ft 6 ins
3 ft 7 ins
33 ft
54 tons 8 cwt
1,150 to 1,350 gals *
18 in x 26 in
160 lb sq in
17,360 lb
1 ton 10 cwt to 2 ton 10 cwt *
1-P

* Capacities when built:-
1,350 gals, 1 ton 10 cwt :-
   16, 158, 161, 162, 164, 177, 182, 184, 193, 239, 279, 295, 319, 322, 512, 517-523, 543, 548, 554
1,150 gals, 2 ton 10 cwt :-
   540-542, 544, 546, 550-553
1,200 gals, 2 ton 5 cwt :-
   5, 259, 261, 263-6, 269, 274, 276, 278, 305-310, 311-312, 320-321, 324, 326-327, 328-329, 500, 503, 530-533

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 H Class was no exception! The following table is set out in order of build:
SECR N° SR N° # BR N° Built Withdrawn
540 1540 31540 Nov 1904 Apr 1960
541 1541 31541 Nov 1904 Apr 1951
542 1542 31542 Nov 1904 Nov 1962
544 1544 31544 Nov 1904 Sep 1963
546 1546 31546 Nov 1904 Jan 1951
550 1550 31550 Nov 1904 Feb 1961
548 1548 31548 Dec 1904 Aug 1959
551 1551 31551 Dec 1904 Jan 1964
552 1552 31552 Dec 1904 Nov 1961
553 1553 31553 Feb 1905 Jun 1961
263 1263 31263 May 1905 Jan 1964 *
264 1264 - May 1905 Jul 1944
265 1265 31265 May 1905 Aug 1960
266 1266 31266 May 1905 Oct 1960
274 1274 31274 Jun 1905 Nov 1957
276 1276 31276 Jun 1905 Feb 1961
278 1278 31278 Jul 1905 Feb 1961
530 1530 31530 Jul 1905 Mar 1962
531 1531 31531 Jul 1905 Mar 1955
532 1532 31532 Jul 1905 Mar 1951
533 1533 31533 Jul 1905 Sep 1962
259 1259 31259 Nov 1905 Nov 1959
261 1261 31261 Nov 1905 Oct 1961
269 1269 31269 Nov 1905 Dec 1959
500 1500 31500 Nov 1905 Jun 1961
503 1503 31503 Dec 1905 Aug 1959
305 1305 31305 May 1906 Nov 1962
306 1306 31306 May 1906 Dec 1961
308 1308 31308 Jun 1906 Dec 1962
309 1309 31309 Jun 1906 May 1955
310 1310 31310 Jun 1906 Jun 1960
312 1312 - Jun 1906 Aug 1944
307 1307 31307 Dec 1906 Aug 1961
321 1321 31321 Dec 1906 Nov 1957
326 1326 31326 Dec 1906 Oct 1961
328 1328 31328 Dec 1906 Feb 1961
329 1329 31329 Dec 1906 Nov 1959
5 1005 31005 May 1907 Sep 1963
311 1311 31311 May 1907 Nov 1954
320 1320 31320 May 1907 Dec 1955
324 1324 31324 May 1907 Jul 1962
327 1327 31327 Jun 1907 Nov 1959
518 1518 31518 Jul 1908 Jan 1964
519 1519 31519 Jul 1908 Feb 1961
520 1520 31520 Aug 1908 Sep 1960
522 1522 31522 Aug 1908 Jan 1963
523 1523 31523 Sep 1908 Jan 1959
164 1164 31164 Feb 1909 Oct 1959
162 1162 31162 Mar 1909 Jul 1961
177 1177 31177 Mar 1909 Oct 1961
161 1161 31161 Jun 1909 Nov 1961
182 1182 31182 Jun 1909 Jul 1951
322 1322 31322 Jun 1909 Apr 1961
239 1239 31239 Nov 1909 Jan 1960
279 1279 31279 Nov 1909 Sep 1959
158 1158 31158 Dec 1909 Apr 1955
193 1193 31193 Dec 1909 Mar 1961
295 1295 31295 Dec 1909 May 1959
319 1319 31319 Dec 1909 Jan 1960
512 1512 31512 Jan 1910 Sep 1961
517 1517 31517 Jan 1910 May 1961
543 1543 31543 Jan 1910 Jul 1963
554 1554 31554 Dec 1910 May 1959
184 1184 31184 Apr 1915 Mar 1958
16 1016 31016 Jul 1915 Jul 1951
# 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
* Preserved on the Bluebell Railway

This page was last updated 24 April 2011

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