Maunsell 2-6-0 designs for the SECR & S.R.

I have added a lot of new photos of Maunsells U Class locos
This first part deals with the River Tank rebuilds
K class rebuilds
The rebuilding programme that followed the derailment of K class No. A800 "River Cray" at Sevenoaks began at Ashford works in June 1928. The work involved in converting a 2-6-4 tank engine to a 2-6-0 tender locomotive included the removal of the side water tanks, rear coal bunker and trailing axles, although the 6 ft (1.83 m) driving wheels, right-hand drive and N class–type boiler were retained. The aesthetic aspects inherited from the K class were the former Midland Railway engineer James Clayton’s contributions to the design, creating a simple, functional locomotive similar to the N class.
The rebuilt locomotives were given a tender and a re-designed cab that bore a strong resemblance to those featured on designs by Henry Fowler. Two designs of Maunsell tender were used, the straight-sided 3,500 imperial gallons (15,911 l) variety, and the larger 4,000-imperial-gallon (18,184 l) design used on later batches of the N class with inward-sloping raves to prevent coal spillage. The first rebuild was No. A805 River Camel, which also became the first U class locomotive into service in March 1928, three months before the first production locomotive under construction at Brighton. The rapid turnaround was achieved as design work was already in place, and the rebuilding of existing locomotives was cheaper than building from scratch.
No. A805 was put on performance trials prior to work commencing on rebuilding of the rest of the class at Brighton and Eastleigh works. The rebuilds lost their names because of the bad publicity attached to the "River" class after the 1927 crash, and the heavily damaged No. A800 was the last member of the K class to be rebuilt to U class configuration in December 1928. The unique 3-cylinder "River" tank, K1 class No. A890 River Frome was also rebuilt to the general U class specification, becoming the prototype of Maunsell's 3-cylinder U1 class derivative in June 1928.

Including this photo of a K Class rebuild and a new U Class built loco
31791 & 31639 pass Woking with a RCTS Longmoor Rail Tour 30th April 1966
https://tinyurl.com/ypx2hspb
New photos start here with
31790
https://tinyurl.com/4mc4b33v
to
31795
https://tinyurl.com/b4z45rxh
to
31808
https://tinyurl.com/m4y56d5j

Neil

 

I have added Pt 2 of the Maunsell U Class locos
This collection features the locos in the S.R. era
Including this photo of
629 at Eastbourne 21st February 1932 fitted for pulverised fuel!! (according to notes on rear of photo)
https://tinyurl.com/r7kdhdab
Full collection of over 25 photos starts here with
631
https://tinyurl.com/3jahezsx
to
1809
https://tinyurl.com/fuw3bc8w
to
1919
https://tinyurl.com/75ppaju

Neil
https://tinyurl.com/r7kdhdab

 

I have added Pt 3 of the Maunsell U Class locos
This collection features the locos in the B.R. era
Including this photo of
31639 & 33006 at Rugby with Home Counties Railway Society Six Counties Railtour 7th March 1965
https://tinyurl.com/33zwsfmj
Full collection of over 35 new photos starts here with
31615 Barnstaple 18th May 1964
https://tinyurl.com/9bthza9v
to
31621 Ashford 4th October 1952
https://tinyurl.com/zkz2sr7u
to
31639 Guildford station
https://tinyurl.com/ndskefe5

Neil

 

Hi Neil,

71/102 31619 West Weybridge / Byfleet & New Haw renamed around 1961/1962?
74/102 31620 Weybridge, Addlestone line in the background
79/102 31622 Ash Jn ( Tongham branch)
94/102 31639 Evercreech Jn?
100/102 31639 Fareham.

Cheers, Neil

 

Definately Evercreech Junction

Peter

 

The SR U1 class were three-cylinder 2-6-0 ('mogul') steam locomotives designed by Richard Maunsell for passenger duties on the Southern Railway. The fifth member of the Maunsell "family" of standardised moguls and 2-6-4 locomotives, the U1 was the final development of the Maunsell mogul, and marked a continuation of the basic principles established by CME George Jackson Churchward for the GWR. Developed from Maunsell's previous SR U class design, the U1 class shared characteristics with Churchward's GWR 4300 Class.
The U1 prototype was a rebuild of the unique 3-cylinder SR K1 ("River") class 2-6-4 tank locomotive, becoming operational in June 1928. The design was part of a drive to create a standard fleet of locomotives using parts interchangeable with other Maunsell-designed classes. The three smaller cylinders increased their route availability over the 2-cylinder U class. The K1 rebuild featured a variant of the Gresley conjugated valve gear, previously trialled on the SR N1 class prototype, designed by one of Maunsell's assistants, ex-GWR engineer Harold Holcroft.
The class was to supersede the production of N1 class locomotives because of its good performance, which amounted to an order for 20 more U1 locomotives in 1931. Production was halted at 21 locomotives, the class gaining a good reputation amongst crews, and all were transferred to British Railways (BR) ownership following nationalisation in 1948. They continued to give valuable service until the Kentish main line electrification scheme was completed in the early 1960s. The entire U1 class was withdrawn from service by 1963,
Work started on the conversion of the solitary 3-cylinder K1 class No. A890 to a 2-6-0 tender locomotive design at Ashford works in early 1928. The retention of the cylinder arrangement and valve gear lowered conversion costs, and meant that the locomotive could readily meet the route availability specification.[12] Because of Holcroft's position as one of Maunsell's assistants, the new locomotive displayed many Swindon influences, making them similar to Churchward's 4300 class. The Swindon ideas had also been used on the N, K, N1, U and K1 class designs, which included the Belpaire firebox and conical boilers

31890 unknown location Munsell U-1 class rebuilt from K1 Class 2-6-4T of 1925.
https://tinyurl.com/z7r2hpwu
https://tinyurl.com/3k4hez28

New photos of production U1 locos start here
with S.R. era
https://tinyurl.com/hwdw29p9
B.R. era
https://tinyurl.com/29ewx46j
to
https://tinyurl.com/s9emubs8

Neil

 

The SECR N class was a type of 2-6-0 ("mogul") steam locomotive designed in 1914 by Richard Maunsell for mixed-traffic duties on the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR). Built between 1917 and 1934, it was the first non-Great Western Railway (GWR) type to use and improve upon the basic design principles established by GWR Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) George Jackson Churchward. The N class was based on the GWR 4300 Class design, improved with Midland Railway concepts.
The N class was mechanically similar to the SECR K class 2-6-4 passenger tank engine, also by Maunsell. It influenced future 2-6-0 development in Britain and provided the basis for the 3 cylinder N1 class of 1922. Production was delayed by the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, and the first N class rolled out of Ashford Works in 1917, three years after design work was completed. The class replaced obsolete 0-6-0s as part of the SECR's fleet standardisation, as they used parts interchangeable with those of other classes.
Eighty N class locomotives were built in three batches between the First and Second World Wars. Fifty were assembled from kits of parts made at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, giving rise to the nickname of "Woolworths". They worked over most of the Southern Railway (SR) network, and were used by the Southern Region of British Railways (BR) until the last was withdrawn in 1966.
This first collection features the locos in the S.R. era
Starting here with
873
https://tinyurl.com/2apvyuyk
to
1860
https://tinyurl.com/f3w3sr3s

Neil

 

This collection of 65 new photos features the locos in the B.R. era
Including this photo of a ex S.R./GWR pairing
31849 pilots a Churchward Mogul Ilfracombe 4th July 1963
https://tinyurl.com/huv5fe3h
new photos start here
31401
https://tinyurl.com/y7a3734e
to
31411
https://tinyurl.com/47pkdke8
31816
https://tinyurl.com/4wrmuhs7
to
31834
https://tinyurl.com/sz2rc6kj
to
31866
https://tinyurl.com/5crtpa5h

Neil

 

Hi Neil,

Three possible locations
188/221 31814 could be Ashford (Kent) the SB has South Eastern style weatherboarding and sash windows and the gantry doesn't match Eastleigh.
201/221 31854 Probably Tonbridge
208/22 31862 Possibly Chilworth judging by the shape of the tile hung building.
(Snip from Google Street view.


Cheers, Neil

 

187/221 31827 = Redhill shed

Peter