Southern 0-6-0 Locomotives in Great_Britain

Class Q (Locobase 3135)

Data from O V S Bulleid, "Locomotives I Have Known" Journal of Mechanical Engineering (1946). p. 351,retrieved from [], p.351. See also "Maunsell Q class 0-6-0", Southern Railway E-Group at [], last accessed 17 September 2018.

REL Maunsell produced these engines for freight work on the Southern in 1938-1939, according to the Southern E-Group's website (originally visited November 2002). The engine design, though old-fashioned to some, was "an inexpensive and useful type with a wide route availability which fulfilled its intentionally modest remit well." says the site. SEMG adds that the Q's 61" drivers allowed the freight hauler to handle light passenger trains quite readily. A large Belpaire firebox provided plenty of direct heating surface area .

Glover (1967) describes the design as a "neat inside-cylinder 0-6-0." But, says the Maunsell Society's web site, the Qs steamed poorly, which OVS (Oliver Vaughan Snell) Bulleid fixed "...in his usual way, with a wide bore Lemaitre chimney and multiple jet blastpipe. This did nothing for the loco's looks ...but it did work."

The Q's post-revenue career stud consisted of 541, which was rescued from the Barry scrapyard in 1973 and re-entered service as a museum locomotive in November 1983. In 1992, the 541 went cold for a ten-year service overhaul that ended in its return to action on 28 April, 2015.

Class Q1 (Locobase 2367)

Designed by Oliver Vaughan Snell (OVS Bulleid), this small class of sturdy freight engines stands in strong contrast to the novel, and troublesome, Merchant Navy Pacifics of the year before. 20 were built at the Ashford shops, 20 at Eastleight.

Glover (1967) notes that the boiler came from the Lord Nelson class 4-6-0s and measured 5' 9" (69") in diameter. A 5-jet Le Maitre blast pipe provided a the strong draft needed to serve a relatively large grate.

The illustration in OS Nock (RWC VI, plate 18) shows just how ugly these engines were. Ahead of the Belpaire firebox was the slab-side boiler, also apparently of square section , and a horsecollar smokebox. All this rode on Boxpok drivers. Though not particularly handsome, these were powerful and successful locomotives, serviceable even as passenger engines. Southern E-Group's website at [] (visited November 2002) notes one difficulty in the latter role, however. If it was raining, the lack of splashers and running plate meant such a spray at speed that the crew would only lean out a window if it was absolutely necessary.