LCDR Enigma class

Last updated

LCDR L class (also known as Enigma class)
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
Designer William Martley
Builder Longhedge
Build date1869-1870
Total produced3
Specifications
Configuration:
   Whyte 2-4-0
Gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Leading dia. 4 ft 7 in (1.397 m)
Driver dia.6 ft (1.829 m) and 6 ft 6 in (1.981 m)
Loco weight66 long tons 16 cwt (67.9 t)
Fuel typeCoal
Water cap.1,400 imp gal (6,364.5 l; 1,681.3 US gal) later 2,400 imp gal (10,910.6 l; 2,882.3 US gal)
Boiler pressure120 psi (0.83 MPa)
Cylinders Two
Cylinder size 16 in × 24 in (406 mm × 610 mm) later 17 in × 24 in (432 mm × 610 mm)
Valve gear Stephenson
Career
Operators
Class L
NicknamesEnigma
Withdrawn1905–1906
DispositionAll scrapped

The LCDR L class or Enigma Class was a class of 2-4-0 steam locomotives of the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR). The class was designed by William Martley and introduced in 1869, intended for services between London and Dover. [1]

Contents

History

Martley received authority to build three 0-6-0 shunting locomotives in November 1865, but the company's Longhedge workshops were unable to undertake the order due to other commitments. By the time they were able to do so, in October 1867, there was a more pressing need for 2-4-0 passenger engines and so the order was changed. [2] Further delays meant that the first locomotive was not completed until March 1869, and had a second-hand 1,400 imp gal (6,364.5 l; 1,681.3 US gal) tender. It was intended to call the locomotive Premier but following a remark from Martley that "it was a complete enigma to him how completion was ever achieved," the chairman proposed the name Enigma which was used for the whole class. [2]

The original locomotive was used on express goods trains. Two further very similar locomotives with larger 6 ft 6 in (1.981 m) driving wheels, making them more suited to passenger duties were constructed between May 1869 and June/September 1870, which were regarded as being of the same class. [2] These were named Mermaid and Lothair.

The three locomotives performed well and during 1882 Martley's successor William Kirtley, fitted new boilers and larger 17 in × 24 in (432 mm × 610 mm) cylinders. He also provided larger 2,400 imp gal (10,910.6 l; 2,882.3 US gal) tenders. At this time the class became LCDR L class, the names were removed and the locomotives numbered 50–52. [3] These numbers were increased by 459 to become 509–511 following the amalgamation of the LCDR and SER to become the South Eastern and Chatham Railway in 1899.

Withdrawal

The class began to be withdrawn and scrapped from 1905 and all were gone by August 1906. The first two examples had accumulated one million miles at the time of withdrawal.

Related Research Articles

Harry Smith Wainwright was an English railway engineer, and was the Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Superintendent of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway from 1899 to 1913. He is best known for a series of simple but competent locomotives produced under his direction at the company's Ashford railway works in the early years of the twentieth century. Many of these survived in service until the end of steam traction in Britain in 1968, and are regarded as some of the most elegant designs of the period.

Longhedge railway works was a locomotive and carriage works built by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway in the borough of Battersea, South London to serve their new London terminus at Victoria. The facility existed between 1862 until the mid-1950s.

SECR L class

The SECR L class was a class of 4-4-0 steam tender locomotive built for express passenger service on the South Eastern and Chatham Railway. Although designed by Harry Wainwright, they were built during the Maunsell era.

SECR K and SR K1 classes Two classes of 20 two-cylinder (K) and 1 three-cylinder (K1) 2-6-4T locomotives

The SECR K class was a type of 2-6-4 tank locomotive designed in 1914 by Richard Maunsell for express passenger duties on the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR), which operated between London and south-east England. The Southern Railway (SR) K1 class was a three-cylinder variant of the K class, designed in 1925 to suit a narrower loading gauge. They were among the first non-Great Western Railway (GWR) types to use and improve upon the basic design principles of power and standardisation established by GWR Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) George Jackson Churchward. The locomotives were based on the GWR 4300 class, improved by the Midland Railway's ideals of simplicity and ease of maintenance.

William Kirtley was an English railway engineer, and was the Locomotive Superintendent of the London Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) in England from 1874 until the merger to form the South Eastern and Chatham Railway at the end of 1898.

SECR E class

The SECR E class was a class of 4-4-0 tender locomotives designed by Harry Wainwright for express passenger trains on the South Eastern and Chatham Railway. It was a larger version of the D class incorporating a Belpaire firebox

James I'Anson Cudworth was an English railway engineer, and was Locomotive Superintendent of the South Eastern Railway (SER). He served in this capacity from 1845 to 1876. He is notable for designing a successful method for burning coal in steam locomotives without significant emission of smoke, and for introducing the 0-4-4T wheel arrangement to English railways.

LCDR R class

The LCDR R class was a class of 0-4-4T locomotives on the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR). No. 207 is notable as being the last former LCDR locomotive to be withdrawn from service. The whole class was fitted with condensing apparatus for working on the Widened Lines.

LCDR R1 class

The LCDR R1 class was a class of 0-4-4T locomotives on the South Eastern and Chatham Railway, which were based on an existing London, Chatham and Dover Railway design.

The LCDR A class was a class of 0-4-4T steam locomotives of the London, Chatham and Dover Railway. The class was designed by William Kirtley and introduced in 1884. The A1 and A2 classes were similar, but had larger driving wheels. The differences between the A1 and A2 classes were minor: in particular, the A2 class had a larger heating surface.

The LCDR M class was a class of 4-4-0 steam locomotives of the London, Chatham and Dover Railway. The class was designed by William Kirtley and introduced in 1877, intended for the heaviest express services between London and Dover.

William Martley was the locomotive superintendent of the London Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) in England from 1860 until his death.

The LCDR M1 class was a class of 4-4-0 steam locomotives of the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR), very similar to the earlier M class but with steel frames, larger tenders and other detailed differences. The class was designed by William Kirtley and introduced in 1880.

LCDR Europa class

The LCDR C class or Europa Class was a class of 2-4-0 steam locomotives of the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR). The class was designed by William Martley and introduced in 1873, intended for the heaviest express services between London and Dover.

The LCDR Second Sondes class was a class of six 2-4-0T steam locomotives. They were designed by William Martley for the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR), and built at the LCDR's Longhedge works during 1865, using components from the Sondes class 4-4-0ST locomotives, including the boilers.

The LCDR Aeolus class was a class of four 4-4-0 steam locomotives. They were supplied to the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) by R. & W. Hawthorn & Co. acting as agents for Robert Stephenson & Co. which built the locomotives, but had subcontracted some components to Hawthorn. They were delivered to the LCDR between September 1860 and April 1861. They were all renewed by William Martley as 2-4-0T at the LCDR's Longhedge works in 1872–73, using components from the original locomotives, including the boilers.

The LCDR Brigand class was a pair of steam locomotives of the 0-4-2 wheel arrangement supplied to the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR). They were designed by Patrick Stirling for the Glasgow and South Western Railway (GSWR), which ordered twenty in 1860 from Sharp, Stewart & Co.. At this time, the LCDR needed more locomotives but had little money available, so their locomotive superintendent, William Martley, visited various manufacturers to find out what was available quickly and cheaply. He arranged for two of the locomotives ordered by the GSWR to be delivered instead to the LCDR – they arrived in August 1861, two more being ordered from Sharp, Stewart for the GSWR as replacements.

LCDR <i>Tiger</i> class

The LCDR Tiger class was a class of twenty-four steam 4-4-0 locomotives. They were designed by Thomas Russell Crampton for the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) as general purpose passenger locomotives.

The LCDR Echo class was a class of five steam locomotives, initially of the 4-2-0 wheel arrangement. They were designed by Thomas Russell Crampton for the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) as "1st class fast passenger" locomotives.

The LCDR Acis class was a class of fourteen steam locomotives of the 0-6-0 wheel arrangement. They were designed by William Martley for the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) as goods locomotives.

References

  1. Bradley 1979, pp. 68–72.
  2. 1 2 3 Bradley 1979, p. 66.
  3. Bradley 1979, p. 67.