British Railways
What operated SECR C class in May 1953?
SECR C class The South Eastern and Chatham Railway ( SECR ) C Class is a class of 0-6-0 steam locomotive , designed by Harry Wainwright and built between 1900 and 1908 . They were designed for freight duties , although occasionally used for passenger trains . They operated over the lines of the railway in London and south-east England until the early 1960s . One example was rebuilt as an S Class saddle tank . History . The SECR held trials in November 1898 to decide on a standard freight locomotive design . Two existing 0-6-0 locomotives were tested : former London , Chatham and Dover Railway B2 class No . 194 designed by William Kirtley ; and former South Eastern Railway O class No . 436 designed by James Stirling . The Kirtley design proved superior and a new order for 40 locomotives based on it was placed . These new locomotives were designed by Harry Wainwright , the new Chief Mechanical Engineer of the railway , and formed the first of the C class . The first fifteen locomotives were constructed by Neilson , Reid and Company and delivered in June 1900 , followed by a further fifteen from Sharp , Stewart and Company . The remainder were built by the SECR workshops at Ashford ( 70 examples 1900–1908 ) and Longhedge Works ( 9 examples 1903–4 ) . Operational use . The locomotives were used on freight services and occasional passenger excursion trains ( such as hop-picking specials ) , throughout the SER between Reading railway station and the Kent Coast . The last twelve locomotives were fitted with steam carriage heating equipment to enable them to be used to haul and prepare empty stock for express trains . The remainder of the class were also so equipped by the Southern Railway after 1923 . Accidents . - In March 1904 , a passenger train hauled by No . 294 derailed at , Surrey . - At 03:40 hrs on 5 May 1919 , a goods train from Bricklayers Arms to Margate Sands , Kent overran signals and ran into the back of another goods train just to the west of station , Kent . The Margate train was hauled by C class No . 721 . It consisted of 50 goods vehicles including three brake vans . The other train was hauled by C class No . 61 . The fireman of this train was killed in the accident . Although the main cause of the accident was the driver of the Margate train failing to obey signals , the signalman at East signal box was also censured for failure to give the driver adequate warning that although the train had been accepted by the signalman at Paddock Wood , the line was not clear . The signalman at Paddock Wood had accepted the train under Regulation No 5 - Section clear but station or junction blocked . - On 18 February 1948 , locomotive 1225 was wrongly routed into the north sidings at Goudhurst , Kent and derailed . - On 4 July 1958 , an electric multiple unit overran signals and collided with an empty stock train hauled by locomotive No . 31461 at , London . Forty-five people were injured . S class conversion . In 1917 one example , no . 685 was converted into an S class 0-6-0ST for use as a heavy-duty shunter at Richborough port which was then being used to ship locomotives and armoured equipment to the Western Front . After the War it was used as a shunter at Bricklayers Arms until 1951 . Withdrawal . In common with other freight locomotives in Southern England , the class was very heavily used during the Second World War and repairs and maintenance deferred . As a result , one locomotive had to be withdrawn in December 1947 , but the remaining 107 examples entered service with British Railways in 1948 . Withdrawals of the remainder of the class began in 1953 , but accelerated after the Kent Coast electrification in 1959–1960 . However , three examples ( 31271 , 31280 , 31592 ) remained in Departmental stock as shunters at Ashford Works until 1966 . Preservation . One , No . 592 ( Southern Railway 1592 , BR 31592 ) , has been preserved on the Bluebell Railway . In 2016 , the locomotive was featured in the film , Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them . Models . Bachmann Branchlines produce several versions of the C class in OO gauge with the initial release in 2013 , they include the preserved example , as well as liveries from the Southern Railway and British Railways . Bachmann announced on 8 January 2017 that an N Gauge C Class would form part of their 2017 Graham Farish catalogue range . This is to be produced as SE&CR No . 271 in SE&CR plain green , as well as No . 1294 in Southern Railway Black and No . 31227 in British Railways Black with early British Railways emblem . External links . - Wainwright C class 0-6-0 Southern E-Group - Class C details Railuk - South Eastern & Chatham Railway C-class No.592 Bluebell Railway