Southern Railway by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: TRANSPORTATION / Railroads / General
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2018-10-30T00:00:00+00:00

Fortunately, the tank engines had not been constructed before the decision was made to rebuild the ‘K’ tank engines as tender moguls, but Ashford Works had already cut twenty frames and cast all the cylinders. They were therefore constructed as ‘U’ class moguls from scratch in 1928 and 1929. A610-A619 were built at Brighton Works and A620-A629 were built at Ashford, but the proposed names were never applied, although enthusiasts and railwaymen knew both the 16xx and 1790-1809 series of moguls as ‘Rivers’ in the 1930s. A further ten ‘U’s were ordered in March 1929 to be built at Ashford and these, A630-A639, which were never allocated names, were completed between February and May 1931. The A610-639 series varied slightly in outward appearance from the rebuilt ‘K’s by having slightly higher running plates, reducing the size of the splashers, two lookout windows instead of four and platform steps ahead of the cylinders. The engines were renumbered 1610-1639 and 1790-1809 in mid-1931.

A629 was built with German-designed equipment for burning pulverised fuel. A large enclosed hopper in the tender replaced the coal area. The fuel was fed to the fire by two large delivery screws and an auxiliary one in the centre. The revised tender arrangement cut the water capacity to 3,300 gallons. The firebox was brick-lined and there were no firebars. Tests were conducted in the Ashford area until 1930 and it was later transferred to Eastbourne for comparative trials with A627. A629 proved unreliable, although it did manage some passenger services correctly. However, the amount of coal dust exhausted and deposited on the line (and adjoining gardens, not to mention hanging washing) caused severe complaints, and also caused a large number of lineside fires. A629 ran just under 3,500 miles in this form. Any savings in fuel costs were offset by compensation claims that had to be made to farmers for burnt crops. A629 (now numbered 1629) was returned to standard coal burning arrangement in October 1932.

A620 at Salisbury, c1929. (F. Moore/MLS Collection)

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