SR Class Q1
Encyclopedia
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 incorporated many innovations and weight-saving concepts to produce a highly functional design. The class lasted in service until July 1966, and the first member of the class, number C1, has been preserved by the National Railway Museum
.
The highly unusual and controversial design represents the ultimate development of the British 0-6-0
freight engine, capable of hauling trains that were usually allocated to much larger locomotives on other railways. Among other nicknames, the class were known as "Coffee Pots" and "Charlies".
of the Second World War with a severe lack of modern freight handling capability. The newest freight design was the Q Class
0-6-0 of 1938, the last locomotive designed by Richard Maunsell
, built to essentially Victorian era
principles; these had been designed as replacements for many of the older 0-6-0s inherited by the Southern Railway in 1923, and entered service in January 1938, Maunsell having retired at the end of October 1937 to be replaced by Bulleid.
The Southern Railway became an essential strategic war asset because of its proximity to continental Europe, and needed to equip itself with adequate freight handling capability to transport the vast quantities of supplies and troops required for the conflict. The brief stipulated a high route availability and high tractive effort.
, Oliver Bulleid in the shape of the Q1. Using the minimum amount of raw materials, and with all superfluous features stripped away, he produced in 1942 the most powerful 0-6-0 steam locomotive ever to run on Britain's railways. The first twenty locomotives were constructed at Brighton works and the remaining twenty at Ashford
. Powerful and light, the Q1s formed the backbone of the Southern's heavy freight capability. The engine weighed less than 90 tons (90.6 tonnes) so could be used over more than 97% of the Southern Railway's route mileage.
and SR West Country and Battle of Britain classes, they could be simply driven through a coach-washer for cleaning at a time when manpower for this time-consuming chore could not be spared.
The unusual shape was also dictated by the use of materials; the lagging was made of a material known as 'idaglass', which, although cheap and plentiful during the war years, could not support any weight, and therefore the boiler rings had to be adapted to lend the lagging the support needed. A copper, rather than steel, firebox was utilised, unlike Bulleid's Pacific
designs. The wheels were smaller, 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m) adaptations of the Bulleid-Firth-Brown
type utilised on the Pacifics. The locomotive had two cylinders with Stephenson link outside admission piston valves, and was provided with a five-nozzle blast-pipe.
and LMS Ivatt Class 4
Moguls all had a 2-6-0
wheel arrangement; the 0-6-0 wheel arrangement was not used again in the BR Standard designs of locomotive.
BR classified the Q1 class in the power classification 5F. This represented a rarity, as few other 0-6-0s exceeded the classification of 4F, with notable exceptions being the LNER Class J20 (5F), LNER Class J39
(4P5F) and LNER Class J38
(6F).
The Q1's route availability meant that although they were primarily freight locomotives, they also frequently deputised on secondary passenger services. However, the class gained a reputation for poor braking on unfitted freight trains due to the light construction of the tender braking system.
The Q1s thrived on their intended duties during World War II, where the class had proved that they were an indispensable addition to the Southern locomotive fleet. This was achieved to such an extent that they all remained in service until the 1960s, long after they were intended to cease operation as an "austerity" design. Withdrawals began in 1963, during the implementation of the BR Modernisation Plan which saw the end of steam operations on Britain's railways, the last example of the class being withdrawn in 1966.
system where "C" refers to the number of coupled driving axles – in this case three. All these locomotives therefore carried numbers which started "C" followed by the individual identifier from C1 to C40.
in York
, where it carries its original SR livery and number. Before its return to York in 2004, the locomotive worked on the Bluebell Railway
in East Sussex.
Polly Model Engineering market the castings etc. to make the Nick Feast -designed 3" gauge live steam
model.
Austerity
In economics, austerity is a policy of deficit-cutting, lower spending, and a reduction in the amount of benefits and public services provided. Austerity policies are often used by governments to reduce their deficit spending while sometimes coupled with increases in taxes to pay back creditors to...
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...
constructed during the Second World War. The class was designed by 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,...
for use on the intensive freight turns experienced during wartime on the Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
network. A total of 40 locomotives were built. Bulleid incorporated many innovations and weight-saving concepts to produce a highly functional design. The class lasted in service until July 1966, and the first member of the class, number C1, has been preserved by the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
.
The highly unusual and controversial design represents the ultimate development of the British 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...
freight engine, capable of hauling trains that were usually allocated to much larger locomotives on other railways. Among other nicknames, the class were known as "Coffee Pots" and "Charlies".
Background
In late 1939, the Southern Railway, until then primarily a high-density commuter railway serving London and South-East England, found itself on the British front lineFront line
A front line is the farthest-most forward position of an armed force's personnel and equipment - generally in respect of maritime or land forces. Forward Line of Own Troops , or Forward Edge of Battle Area are technical terms used by all branches of the armed services...
of the Second World War with a severe lack of modern freight handling capability. The newest freight design was the Q Class
SR Class Q
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...
0-6-0 of 1938, the last locomotive 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....
, built to essentially Victorian era
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; these had been designed as replacements for many of the older 0-6-0s inherited by the Southern Railway in 1923, and entered service in January 1938, Maunsell having retired at the end of October 1937 to be replaced by Bulleid.
The Southern Railway became an essential strategic war asset because of its proximity to continental Europe, and needed to equip itself with adequate freight handling capability to transport the vast quantities of supplies and troops required for the conflict. The brief stipulated a high route availability and high tractive effort.
Construction history
The answer to this problem came from the drawing board of the Southern Railway's innovative Chief Mechanical EngineerChief 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...
, Oliver Bulleid in the shape of the Q1. Using the minimum amount of raw materials, and with all superfluous features stripped away, he produced in 1942 the most powerful 0-6-0 steam locomotive ever to run on Britain's railways. The first twenty locomotives were constructed at Brighton works and the remaining twenty at Ashford
Ashford railway works
Ashford railway works was in the town of Ashford in the county of Kent in England.-South Eastern Railway:Ashford locomotive works was built by the South Eastern Railway on a new site in 1847, replacing an earlier locomotive repair facility at New Cross in London...
. Powerful and light, the Q1s formed the backbone of the Southern's heavy freight capability. The engine weighed less than 90 tons (90.6 tonnes) so could be used over more than 97% of the Southern Railway's route mileage.
Design
The class was one of several built under the wartime austerity regime, which stressed pure functionality above any considerations of style or decoration. This austere approach to the design explains its functional appearance. One aspect of their shape was that, like Bulleid's SR Merchant Navy classSR Merchant Navy class
The SR Merchant Navy class , was a class of air-smoothed 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotives designed for the Southern Railway of the United Kingdom by Oliver Bulleid...
and SR West Country and Battle of Britain classes, they could be simply driven through a coach-washer for cleaning at a time when manpower for this time-consuming chore could not be spared.
The unusual shape was also dictated by the use of materials; the lagging was made of a material known as 'idaglass', which, although cheap and plentiful during the war years, could not support any weight, and therefore the boiler rings had to be adapted to lend the lagging the support needed. A copper, rather than steel, firebox was utilised, unlike Bulleid's Pacific
4-6-2
4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
designs. The wheels were smaller, 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m) adaptations of the Bulleid-Firth-Brown
Boxpok
A Boxpok is a steam locomotive wheel that gains its strength through being made of a number of box sections rather than having traditional solid spokes . Being hollow, they allow better counterbalancing than conventional drivers, which is important for fast locomotives...
type utilised on the Pacifics. The locomotive had two cylinders with Stephenson link outside admission piston valves, and was provided with a five-nozzle blast-pipe.
Operational details
The Q1 represented the final development of the British 0-6-0 main line steam locomotive. Later designs of medium-powered freight locomotives, such as the LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0LMS Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway Ivatt Class 2 2-6-0 is a class of steam locomotive designed for light mixed traffic.-Design:...
and LMS Ivatt Class 4
LMS Ivatt Class 4
The LMS Ivatt Class 4 2-6-0 is a class of steam locomotive primarily designed for medium freight work but also widely used on secondary passenger services. The London Midland and Scottish Railway built 162 of this type between 1947 and 1952, but only three were built by the LMS before...
Moguls all had a 2-6-0
2-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul...
wheel arrangement; the 0-6-0 wheel arrangement was not used again in the BR Standard designs of locomotive.
BR classified the Q1 class in the power classification 5F. This represented a rarity, as few other 0-6-0s exceeded the classification of 4F, with notable exceptions being the LNER Class J20 (5F), LNER Class J39
LNER Class J39
The London and North Eastern Railway Class J39 was a class of 0-6-0 steam locomotive designed for freight work. They were based on the previous Class J38 but with larger driving wheels....
(4P5F) and LNER Class J38
LNER Class J38
The London and North Eastern Railway Class J38 was a class of steam locomotive designed for freight work. They were designed by Nigel Gresley and introduced in 1926. A total of 35 were built and they were used in Scotland...
(6F).
The Q1's route availability meant that although they were primarily freight locomotives, they also frequently deputised on secondary passenger services. However, the class gained a reputation for poor braking on unfitted freight trains due to the light construction of the tender braking system.
The Q1s thrived on their intended duties during World War II, where the class had proved that they were an indispensable addition to the Southern locomotive fleet. This was achieved to such an extent that they all remained in service until the 1960s, long after they were intended to cease operation as an "austerity" design. Withdrawals began in 1963, during the implementation of the BR Modernisation Plan which saw the end of steam operations on Britain's railways, the last example of the class being withdrawn in 1966.
Southern Railway and Bulleid numbering system
Livery of the Q1 Class was plain freight black, with Sunshine Yellow numbering on the cabside, and "Southern" lettering on the tender, shaded in green. Bulleid advocated a continental style of locomotive nomenclature, based upon his experiences at the French branch of Westinghouse Electric before the First World War, and those of his tenure in the rail operating department during that conflict. The Southern Railway number followed an 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 where "C" refers to the number of coupled driving axles – in this case three. All these locomotives therefore carried numbers which started "C" followed by the individual identifier from C1 to C40.
Post-1948 (nationalisation)
After nationalisation, the original Southern livery was in continued use, although with "British Railways" on the tender in Sunshine Yellow. From 1950 onwards, livery remained plain, although in the guise of British Railways Freight Black without lining of any description. The British Railways crest was located on the tender side. Given the British Railways power classification 5F, the locomotives were also renumbered to the British Railways' standard numbering system as 33001–33040.Preservation
Only one locomotive of the class survived into preservation. First-of-class 33001 (C1) has been preserved, and now resides at the National Railway MuseumNational Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
in York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, where it carries its original SR livery and number. Before its return to York in 2004, the locomotive worked 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 East Sussex.
In fiction
The locomotive Neville in the Thomas and Friends children's television series is based on the Q1 class.Models
In 2004 Hornby introduced a 00 gauge model of the Q1.Polly Model Engineering market the castings etc. to make the Nick Feast -designed 3" gauge live steam
Live steam
Live steam is steam under pressure, obtained by heating water in a boiler. The steam is used to operate stationary or moving equipment.A live steam machine or device is one powered by steam, but the term is usually reserved for those that are replicas, scale models, toys, or otherwise used for...
model.