Locomotives of the Southern Railway

The Southern Railway took a key role in expanding the 660 V DC third rail electrified network begun by the London & South Western Railway. As a result of this, and its smaller operating area, its steam locomotive stock was the smallest of the 'Big Four' companies. Yet its locomotives were unique and of great interest. For an explanation of numbering and classification, see British Rail locomotive and multiple unit numbering and classification.

Background

Post-Nationalisation

British Railways completed construction of the 'West Country' and 'Merchant Navy' locomotive designs, but did not build any further orders. It abandoned the 'Leader' class experiments, and Bulleid left the UK to carry forward his unusual locomotive designs in Ireland.

Withdrawal

Withdrawal of ex-SR locomotives happened mainly towards the end of steam on the Southern Region (in 1967), the pre-Grouping designs having gone before then as electrification spread across the region.

Locomotives of SR Design

With the heavy emphasis on electrification for the London Suburban area and the Brighton main line there was little need for new steam locomotive designs. The main steam tasks were boat trains (Dover, Folkestone and Newhaven), West of England and Kent services and freight.

The designers had some interesting constraints.

Due to the hangover from SE&CR days most of the lines in Kent were of fairly light construction and would not take the weight of a modern express locomotive until well into the 1930s. Hence the extensive rebuilding (and new construction) of 4-4-0 designs at a time when other lines were busily building pacifics or heavy 4-6-0s.

The ex-SER lines also had the problem of the narrow Mountfield and Bo-Peep tunnels on the Hastings line, requiring locomotive and rolling stock rather narrower than permitted elsewhere. This problem persisted into BR days until eventually the tunnels were single tracked, giving clearance for normal stock.

Services for west of Southampton and Salisbury had a different set of problems as neither the Southern nor its constituents installed water troughs, thus leading to large tenders with greater water capacity than those fitted to similar locomotives on other railways.

New designs were:

Richard E. L. Maunsell (1923–1937)

* Class L1
* Class LN "Lord Nelson": 850–865
* Class V "Schools": 900–939
* Class Q: 530–549
* Classes U and U1: 1610–1639; 1710–1809; 1890–1910
* Class W 1911–1925
* Class Z 950–957

Maunsell also rebuilt, modified or continued the new construction of earlier classes

* SECR Class B1
* LBSCR Class C2X
* SECR Class D1
* Class E1/R
* Class I1X
* LSWR Class M7
* LSWR Class H15
* SECR Classes N and N1: 1400–1414; 1810–1821; 1823–1875 for class N and 1822; 1876–1880 for Class N1
* LSWR Class N15
* Class N15X
* SECR Class O1
* LSWR Class S15
* LSWR Class T9
* LSWR 700 Class

O. V. S. Bulleid (1937–1949)

* Class Q1: C1–C40
* Merchant Navy Class: 21C1–21C20 (+10 more built by British Railways)
* West Country/Battle of Britain Class: 21C101–21C170 (+40 more built by British Railways)
* Leader Class: appeared after nationalisation as British Railways 36001–36003

Bulleid was also responsible for the mechanical part of the three electric locomotives (CC1–CC3, later British Railways Class 70) built at Ashford Works in 1941 (CC1) and 1948 (CC2, CC3). The electrical part was the responsibility of the SR Chief Electrical Engineer, Raworth.

Bulleid was also responsible for the design of a 500hp 0-6-0 diesel mechanical shunter powered by a Davey Paxman power unit and built at Ashford Works. This was not introduced until 1950, when it emerged as BR no. 11001.

Locomotives of Constituent Companies

London and South Western Railway

"See also North Devon Railway

Joseph Hamilton Beattie (1850–1871)

*LSWR 0298 Class 2-4-0WT

William George Beattie (1871–1878)

*LSWR 282 class 0-6-0 "Ilfracombe Goods"

=William Adams (1878–1895)=

*LSWR 46 class 4-4-0T
*LSWR 135 class 4-4-0
*LSWR 380 class 4-4-0
*LSWR 395 class 0-6-0
*LSWR 415 class 4-4-2T "Radial tank"
*LSWR 445 class 4-4-0
*LSWR 460 class 4-4-0
*LSWR A12 class 0-4-2
*LSWR T1 class 0-4-4T
*LSWR O2 class 0-4-4T
*LSWR X2 class 4-4-0
*LSWR T3 class 4-4-0
*LSWR B4 class 0-4-0T
*LSWR O4 class 0-4-2
*LSWR F6 class 0-4-4T
*LSWR G6 class 0-6-0T
*LSWR T6 class 4-4-0
*LSWR X6 class 4-4-0

Dugald Drummond (1895–1912)

* LSWR 700 class 0-6-0 "Black Motor"
* LSWR T7 class 4-2-2-0
* LSWR M7 class 0-4-4T "Motor tank"
* LSWR C8 class 4-4-0
* LSWR F9 class 4-2-4T "The Bug"
* LSWR T9 class 4-4-0 "Greyhound"
* LSWR E10 class 4-2-2-0
* LSWR K10 class 4-4-0 "Small Hopper"
* LSWR L11 class 4-4-0 "Large Hopper"
* LSWR S11 class 4-4-0
* LSWR L12 class 4-4-0 "Bulldog"
* LSWR C14 class 2-2-0T "Potato Can"
* LSWR E14 class 4-6-0 "The Turkey"
* LSWR F14 class 4-6-0
* LSWR G14 class 4-6-0
* LSWR K14 class 0-4-0T
* LSWR P14 class 4-6-0
* LSWR T14 class 4-6-0 "Paddlebox" or "Paddleboat"
* LSWR D15 class 4-4-0

Robert W. Urie (1912–1922)

* LSWR H15 class 4-6-0
* LSWR N15 class 4-6-0
* LSWR S15 class 4-6-0
* LSWR G16 class 4-8-0T
* LSWR H16 class 4-6-2T

=South Eastern Railway=

B. Cubitt (1842-1845)

J. Cudworth (1845-1876)

A. M. Watkin (1876)

=R. Mansell (1877-1878)=

J. Stirling (1878-1898)

* SER O Class 0-6-0 introduced 1878
* SER A Class 4-4-0 introduced 1879
* SER Q Class 0-4-4T introduced 1881
* SER F Class 4-4-0 introduced 1883
* SER R Class 0-6-0T introduced 1888
* SER B Class 4-4-0 introduced 1898

London, Chatham and Dover Railway

W. Cubitt (1853-1860)

W. Martley (1860-1874)

W. Kirtley (1874-1898)

* LCDR A Class 0-4-4T introduced 1875
* LCDR B/B1 Class 0-6-0 introduced 1876
* LCDR M1 Class 4-4-0 introduced 1877
* LCDR T Class 0-6-0T introduced 1879
* LCDR A1 Class 0-4-4T introduced 1880
* LCDR M2 Class 4-4-0 introduced 1880
* LCDR A2 Class 0-4-4T introduced 1883
* LCDR B2 Class 0-6-0 introduced 1891
* LCDR R Class 0-4-4T introduced 1891
* LCDR M3 Class 4-4-0 introduced 1892

South Eastern and Chatham Railway

Before 1899, both the South Eastern Railway and the London, Chatham and Dover Railway had some Crampton locomotives built by Robert Stephenson and Company. The SER also had some Cramptons built by Tulk and Ley.

H. S. Wainwright (1899–1913)

* SECR B1 Class 4-4-0 introduced 1900 rebuild of SER B Class
* SECR C Class 0-6-0 introduced 1900
* SECR R1 Class 0-4-4T introduced 1900 rebuild of LCD R Class
* SECR D Class 4-4-0 introduced 1901
* SECR F1 Class 4-4-0 introduced 1903 rebuild of SER F Class
* SECR O1 Class 0-6-0 introduced 1903 rebuild of SER O Class
* SECR H Class 0-4-4T introduced 1904
* SECR E Class 4-4-0 introduced 1905
* SECR P Class 0-6-0T introduced 1909
* SECR R1 Class 0-6-0T introduced 1910 rebuild of SER R Class
* SECR J Class 0-6-4T introduced 1913
* SECR K Class 2-6-4T introduced 1913, rebuilt into Southern Railway U Class
* SECR L Class 4-4-0 introduced 1914

R.E.L.Maunsell (1913–1922)

* SECR N Class 2-6-0 introduced 1917
* SECR S Class 0-6-0ST introduced 1917 rebuild of C Class
* SECR E1 Class 4-4-0 introduced 1919 rebuild of E Class
* SECR D1 Class 4-4-0 introduced 1921 rebuild of D Class
* SECR N1 Class 2-6-0 introduced 1922 3-cylinder version of N Class

London, Brighton and South Coast Railway

William Stroudley (1870–1889)

* LB&SCR C1 class 0-6-0 introduced 1871
* LB&SCR A1 class 0-6-0T introduced 1872
* LB&SCR D1 class 0-4-2T introduced 1873
* LB&SCR E1 class 0-6-0T introduced 1874
* LB&SCR B1 class 0-4-2 introduced 1882

R. J. Billinton (1890–1904)

* LB&SCR D3 class 0-4-4T introduced 1892
* LB&SCR C2 class 0-6-0 introduced 1893
* LB&SCR E3 class 0-6-2T introduced 1894
* LB&SCR B2 class 4-4-0 introduced 1895
* LB&SCR E4 class 0-6-2T introduced 1897
* LB&SCR B4 class 4-4-0 introduced 1899
* LB&SCR E5 class 0-6-2T introduced 1902
* LB&SCR E6 class 0-6-2T introduced 1904

= D. Earle Marsh (1905–1911) =

* LB&SCR H1 class 4-4-2 introduced 1905
* LB&SCR I1 class 4-4-2T introduced 1906
* LB&SCR C3 class 0-6-0 introduced 1906
* LB&SCR I2 class 4-4-2T introduced 1907
* LB&SCR B2X class 4-4-0 introduced 1907 rebuild of B2
* LB&SCR I3 class 4-4-2T introduced 1907
* LB&SCR I4 class 4-4-2T introduced 1908
* LB&SCR C2X class 0-6-0 introduced 1908 rebuild of C2
* LB&SCR E4X class 0-6-2T introduced 1909 rebuild of E4
* LB&SCR J1 class 4-6-2T introduced 1910
* LB&SCR A1X class 0-6-0T introduced 1911 rebuild of A1
* LB&SCR E5X class 0-6-2T introduced 1911 rebuild of E5
* LB&SCR E6X class 0-6-2T introduced 1911 rebuild of E6
* LB&SCR H2 class 4-4-2 introduced 1911
* LB&SCR J2 class 4-6-2T introduced 1912

L. B. Billinton (1911–1922)

* LB&SCR E2 class 0-6-0T introduced 1913
* LB&SCR K class 2-6-0 introduced 1913
* LB&SCR L class 4-6-4T introduced 1914
* LB&SCR B4X class 4-4-0 introduced 1922 rebuild of B4
* LB&SCR I1X class 4-4-2T introduced 1923 rebuild of I1

Diesel and electric locomotives

Diesel shunters

* The Southern Railway built three diesel shunters in 1937, numbered 1–3. These became British Rail 15201–15203, and were later classified as British Rail Class D3/12.
* Twenty-six similar locomotives were built in 1949–1951 after nationalisation. They were numbered 15211–15236, and were later classified as British Rail Class 12.

Mainline diesels

* The Southern designed a prototype class of mainline diesel-electric locomotive. Three were built, although none were finished before nationalisation. They were numbered 10201–10203, and later classified as British Rail Class D16/2.

Mainline electric

*The Southern Railway also built two mainline electric locomotives numbered CC1 and CC2. They were renumbered 20001 and 20002 after nationalisation. A third locomotive, 20003, was built in 1948. They were later classified as British Rail Class 70