SR Class Q
Encyclopedia
The Q Class, is a type of 0-6-0
steam locomotive
designed by Richard Maunsell
of the Southern Railway and constructed immediately prior to the Second World War, for use on medium-distance freight trains throughout network. Twenty locomotives were built by Maunsell's successor, Oliver Bulleid
, in 1938. The design was relatively old-fashioned and the class was soon afterwards eclipsed by Bulleid's own more powerful Q1 class
. Nevertheless the locomotives performed adequately and reliably on the tasks for which they were designed until their withdrawal in 1965. Only one has survived, and is preserved on the Bluebell Railway
.
and N and N1 classes, but there was a need for a smaller freight locomotive with high route availability
that could also undertake light passenger duties. This role had been performed by the ex-LSWR 'Jubilee' A12
0-4-2
, which were approaching the end of their useful lives.
During his last year as the Chief Mechanical Engineer
(CME) of the Southern Railway Richard Maunsell
decided on an inside-cylinder 0-6-0
tender locomotive
to undertake this role, in what was to become the Q Class of 1938. This was a relatively ‘old-fashioned’ design for the late 1930s, although each of Britain’s major railways built locomotives of this pattern until the 1940s. The class nevertheless contained several ‘modern’ features such as a Belpaire firebox
, superheater
, and a side-widow cab. It was the last Southern steam locomotive design before the Second World War, and represented the final design of Maunsell's career, as he retired due to ill-health in 1937.
, oversaw the building of twenty members of the class at Eastleigh railway works between January 1938 and September 1939. Bulleid is reported to have found the Q Class uninspiring, having been manufactured to traditional Victorian
principles of locomotive design, and is said to have stated that the order for the Q Class would have been cancelled if he had been appointed CME earlier. However, Bulleid had ample opportunity either to cancel the order or to build and test a single prototype, without incurring the expense of building twenty members of the class, if this was the case.
The class performed adequately and reliably on the tasks for which they were designed, but were less versatile than might have been hoped. When the requirement for modern freight locomotives on the Southern increased during the Second World War, Bulleid was faced with the options of continuing the production of the Q Class, or to design a completely new locomotive. Taking the latter option, Bulleid designed what was to become the highly utilitarian SR Class Q1
0-6-0 locomotives.
blast pipe in an attempt to improve their efficiency. This proved to be successful and the remainder of the class were so fitted between 1946 and 1949. During the 1950s further experiments were carried out on several locomotives by the fitting of British Railways Standard Class 4 plain blast pipes and stove pipe chimneys, resulting in further improvements in both steaming and fuel consumption.
British Railways was responsible for the class from 1948 and gave it a 4F power classification, F denoting a freight locomotive in power class 4. Withdrawals from service began during 1962 and were completed by 1965.
, no examples would have survived. Only one, number 541 (BR No. 30541), was rescued, and has operated on the Bluebell Railway
in Sussex
. However, it has not been steamed since 1993, though overhaul to working order started in 2011 due to the popularity and versatility of the locomotive. 541 has gained the nickname of the 'Q Boat' after the nickname of the SR U Class (U Boats), two of which are also preserved on the Bluebell. Known as "Doctor Noise" by Bluebell crews due to its exhaust bark.
system which refers to the number of leading, trailing and driving axles – in this case three. Under this system, this class would have had the prefix "C" before the numbers, such as C30. In the event, this form of numbering was granted to Bulleid's Q1 Class
locomotives of 1942.
0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
designed by Richard Maunsell
Richard Maunsell
Richard Edward Lloyd Maunsell held the post of Chief Mechanical Engineer of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway from 1913 until the 1923 Grouping and then the post of CME of the Southern Railway in England until 1937....
of the Southern Railway and constructed immediately prior to the Second World War, for use on medium-distance freight trains throughout network. Twenty locomotives were built by Maunsell's successor, Oliver Bulleid
Oliver Bulleid
Oliver Vaughan Snell Bulleid was a British railway and mechanical engineer best known as the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern Railway between 1937 and the 1948 nationalisation, developing many well-known locomotives.- Early life and Great Northern Railway :He was born in Invercargill,...
, in 1938. The design was relatively old-fashioned and the class was soon afterwards eclipsed by Bulleid's own more powerful Q1 class
SR Class Q1
The SR Q1 class is a type of austerity steam locomotive constructed during the Second World War. The class was designed by Oliver Bulleid for use on the intensive freight turns experienced during wartime on the Southern Railway network. A total of 40 locomotives were built. Bulleid...
. Nevertheless the locomotives performed adequately and reliably on the tasks for which they were designed until their withdrawal in 1965. Only one has survived, and is preserved on the Bluebell Railway
Bluebell Railway
The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East and West Sussex, England. Steam trains are operated between and , with an intermediate station at .The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers...
.
Background
The Southern Railway was primarily a passenger-carrying railway which úsed most of its resources to extend its electrified lines. There was a continuing need for steam freight locomotives however, although the Traffic Department preferred mixed traffic designs which could also haul passenger trains on the remaining non-electrified lines at peak periods. By the late 1930s the Southern Railway was adequately served with powerful mixed traffic locomotives of the S15LSWR Class S15
The LSWR S15 class was a British 2-cylinder 4-6-0 freight steam locomotive designed by Robert W. Urie, based on his H15 class and N15 class locomotives. The class had a complex build history, spanning several years of construction from 1920 to 1936...
and N and N1 classes, but there was a need for a smaller freight locomotive with high route availability
Route availability
Route Availability is the system by which the permanent way and supporting works of the National Rail network of Great Britain are graded. All routes are allocated an RA number between 1 and 10....
that could also undertake light passenger duties. This role had been performed by the ex-LSWR 'Jubilee' A12
LSWR A12 Class
The A12 locomotives of the London and South Western Railway were built between the years 1887 and 1895 to the design of William Adams. Ninety of the locomotives were built; numbered 527-556 ; 607-646 The A12 locomotives of the London and South Western Railway were built between the years 1887 and...
0-4-2
0-4-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement with no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
, which were approaching the end of their useful lives.
During his last year as the Chief Mechanical Engineer
Chief Mechanical Engineer
Chief Mechanical Engineer and Locomotive Superintendent are titles applied by British, Australian, and New Zealand railway companies to the person ultimately responsible to the board of the company for the building and maintaining of the locomotives and rolling stock...
(CME) of the Southern Railway Richard Maunsell
Richard Maunsell
Richard Edward Lloyd Maunsell held the post of Chief Mechanical Engineer of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway from 1913 until the 1923 Grouping and then the post of CME of the Southern Railway in England until 1937....
decided on an inside-cylinder 0-6-0
0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
tender locomotive
Tender locomotive
A tender or coal-car is a special rail vehicle hauled by a steam locomotive containing the locomotive's fuel and water. Steam locomotives consume large quantities of water compared to the quantity of fuel, so tenders are necessary to keep the locomotive running over long distances. A locomotive...
to undertake this role, in what was to become the Q Class of 1938. This was a relatively ‘old-fashioned’ design for the late 1930s, although each of Britain’s major railways built locomotives of this pattern until the 1940s. The class nevertheless contained several ‘modern’ features such as a Belpaire firebox
Belpaire firebox
The Belpaire firebox is a type of firebox used on steam locomotives. It was invented by Alfred Belpaire of Belgium. It has a greater surface area at the top of the firebox, improving heat transfer and steam production...
, superheater
Superheater
A superheater is a device used to convert saturated steam or wet steam into dry steam used for power generation or processes. There are three types of superheaters namely: radiant, convection, and separately fired...
, and a side-widow cab. It was the last Southern steam locomotive design before the Second World War, and represented the final design of Maunsell's career, as he retired due to ill-health in 1937.
Construction history
Maunsell’'s successor, Oliver BulleidOliver Bulleid
Oliver Vaughan Snell Bulleid was a British railway and mechanical engineer best known as the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern Railway between 1937 and the 1948 nationalisation, developing many well-known locomotives.- Early life and Great Northern Railway :He was born in Invercargill,...
, oversaw the building of twenty members of the class at Eastleigh railway works between January 1938 and September 1939. Bulleid is reported to have found the Q Class uninspiring, having been manufactured to traditional Victorian
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
principles of locomotive design, and is said to have stated that the order for the Q Class would have been cancelled if he had been appointed CME earlier. However, Bulleid had ample opportunity either to cancel the order or to build and test a single prototype, without incurring the expense of building twenty members of the class, if this was the case.
The class performed adequately and reliably on the tasks for which they were designed, but were less versatile than might have been hoped. When the requirement for modern freight locomotives on the Southern increased during the Second World War, Bulleid was faced with the options of continuing the production of the Q Class, or to design a completely new locomotive. Taking the latter option, Bulleid designed what was to become the highly utilitarian SR Class Q1
SR Class Q1
The SR Q1 class is a type of austerity steam locomotive constructed during the Second World War. The class was designed by Oliver Bulleid for use on the intensive freight turns experienced during wartime on the Southern Railway network. A total of 40 locomotives were built. Bulleid...
0-6-0 locomotives.
Modifications
In common with most Maunsell designs, the Q class locomotives were reliable, but there were complaints of poor steaming when used on main-line trains (for which they were never designed). In 1940 Bulleid fitted one member of the class with a LemaîtreJean Lemaître
Jean Lemaître was a mechanical engineer from the Nord Belge Railway, who developed a Steam locomotive exhaust system.The Lemaître Exhaust featured 5 nozzles in a circular pattern exhausting up a large-diameter stack, with a variable area nozzle exhausting up the center, and improved efficiency by...
blast pipe in an attempt to improve their efficiency. This proved to be successful and the remainder of the class were so fitted between 1946 and 1949. During the 1950s further experiments were carried out on several locomotives by the fitting of British Railways Standard Class 4 plain blast pipes and stove pipe chimneys, resulting in further improvements in both steaming and fuel consumption.
Operational details and preservation
The locomotives were adequate and reliable on secondary services throughout their working lives, their utility compounded by their light weight and steady handling. They were however disappointing on main line traffic until the draughting was improved after the war. They were fitted with steam carriage heating, and despite being primarily a freight design, they periodically deputised in this duty.British Railways was responsible for the class from 1948 and gave it a 4F power classification, F denoting a freight locomotive in power class 4. Withdrawals from service began during 1962 and were completed by 1965.
Preservation
The class was not considered sufficiently important for official preservation and had it not been for Woodham Brothers's scrapyard in Barry, South WalesSouth Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
, no examples would have survived. Only one, number 541 (BR No. 30541), was rescued, and has operated on the Bluebell Railway
Bluebell Railway
The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East and West Sussex, England. Steam trains are operated between and , with an intermediate station at .The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers...
in Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
. However, it has not been steamed since 1993, though overhaul to working order started in 2011 due to the popularity and versatility of the locomotive. 541 has gained the nickname of the 'Q Boat' after the nickname of the SR U Class (U Boats), two of which are also preserved on the Bluebell. Known as "Doctor Noise" by Bluebell crews due to its exhaust bark.
Southern Railway
Due to its primary role as a freight locomotive, the Q Class carried the Southern Black livery. Locomotive number and "Southern" were located on the tender, and were painted in Sunshine Yellow. The numbering of the locomotives under the Southern Railway ranged from 530–549. Even though they were built under the tenure of Bulleid, the locomotives never followed his adaptation of the UIC classificationUIC classification
The UIC classification of locomotive axle arrangements describes the wheel arrangement of locomotives, multiple units and trams. It is set out in the International Union of Railways "Leaflet 650 - Standard designation of axle arrangement on locomotives and multiple-unit sets". It is used in much...
system which refers to the number of leading, trailing and driving axles – in this case three. Under this system, this class would have had the prefix "C" before the numbers, such as C30. In the event, this form of numbering was granted to Bulleid's Q1 Class
SR Class Q1
The SR Q1 class is a type of austerity steam locomotive constructed during the Second World War. The class was designed by Oliver Bulleid for use on the intensive freight turns experienced during wartime on the Southern Railway network. A total of 40 locomotives were built. Bulleid...
locomotives of 1942.
Post-1948 (nationalisation)
Early livery included the temporary retention of the Southern number, and remained black, although in certain cases "British Railways" was applied to the tender in place of "Southern", in Sunshine Yellow. Under British Railways, the class was granted the power classification 4F. Immediately after nationalisation, the Q Class was given a temporary "S" prefix to the original Southern Railway number. As overhauls and re-paints became due, the class was eventually re-numbered within the British Railways standard numbering system and the livery was changed to British Railways goods plain black with the crest on the tender and numbering on the side of the cab. These locomotive numbers ranged between 30530 and 30549.Locomotive Summary
| SR No. | BR No. | Date Built | Date Withdrawn |
|---|---|---|---|
| 530 | 30530 | ||
| 531 | 30531 | ||
| 532 | 30532 | ||
| 533 | 30533 | ||
| 534 | 30534 | ||
| 535 | 30535 | ||
| 536 | 30536 | ||
| 537 | 30537 | ||
| 538 | 30538 | ||
| 539 | 30539 | ||
| 540 | 30540 | ||
| 541 | 30541 | ||
| 542 | 30542 | ||
| 543 | 30543 | ||
| 544 | 30544 | ||
| 545 | 30545 | ||
| 546 | 30546 | ||
| 547 | 30547 | ||
| 548 | 30548 | ||
| 549 | 30549 | ||