PortraitoftheSouthern Q1class CompiledbyHectorMaxwell
verticalaxisindependentlywithinthehornguides.
Twoviewsofthefirstengineonwheelsandwellonthewaytocompletion.Thewagonsheetsdrapedonthewallbehindareprobablytocreateapermanentblackoutandsoallowconstructionand maintenancetocontinuearoundtheclock. ThewheelsweretypicalBullied-Firth-Browndesignbutsufficientlydifferenttopreventroyaltiesneedingtobepaidelsewhere.At5ft1indiametertheywerethesamesizeaswouldbeusedlaterfor the‘Leaderclass,buthereanysimilarityendedasthelatterenginedidnotemploycrank-pinsonthewheels. Plansfortheoriginaldesignhadenvisagedatwo-cylinder2-6-0butthiswasrejectedonthegroundsofweight,adhesionandadditionaluseofmaterials.Visibleonthesideoftheframesarethe sandboxes.Thesewereeasytoaccessforfillingbutcrewswouldlatercomplainoftheirlimitedcapacitymeaninginpracticesandwasusedsparingly. Intheseviews,thecouplingrodisseenonthefloorreadytobeadded;notealsothejointjustbehindthecentrebearing,necessarytoallowflexibilityandforeachaxletobeabletomoveinthe
Lagging,aformoffibreglasshasalreadybeenaddedtotheboilerandfireboxwhilsttheclackvalves(throughwhichwaterisinjectedintotheboilerfromtheinjectorsandtheirassociateddelivery pipes)arevisiblebehindthesmokebox. Theblowerwascleverlylocatedwithintheexhaustcavityandwhichifopenedatthesametimeastheregulatorbeingshutpreventedsmokeboxgritandashbeingdrawnintothevalves.Allinallit wasawellthought-outdesign.
SouthernRailwayDays
Left(12):Wemightwellwonderthereactionoffatherandsontothismostunlikelylookingofallsteam engines.NoC3passingthroughwhatthensimplyFarnborough(nowadaysreferredtoas‘Farnborough main’)withadownfreightboundforEastleighorSouthampton.Notetoothatalreadytherearescorch marksatthebaseofthechimney.
Above(13):NoC17atEastleigh;thelocationidentified,just,bytheglassabovethesheddoors althoughthelatterwasreplacedinBRdays.By1948Eastleighhad12oftheclassallocated,inablock fromNos33014to33025.Withoutadateitisdifficulttopreciselysaywhenthisviewwastakenbutit couldevenbeinBRdaysastheenginewasnotrenumbereduntil30December1949. Tonoteisthatthe crankpinonthefrontnearsidedrivingwheelhasyettomodifiedtoprovidethetake-off forthe mechanicallubricator.Notallenginesweresubsequentlysofitted.
Thispage(48):Perhapspendingattention,No 33015alongsideHitherGreenshedon25April 1953.Theenginewasbasedhereforthreeyears between1951and1954.Mechanicallubricator fittedandaclearviewofaSouthernbulls-eye headlamp.
Opposite(49):BackinserviceatGuildford.The handrailontheleftwastoassistwhenplacinga lamponthecentrebracket.Thewaterfilleronthe rearappearstohavebeenleftopenandnotetoo theslidingshutteronthesideofthetender.A discardedfiringshovelisalsointhe‘sixfoot’.No 33015waswithdrawnfromGuildfordon15 November1964.
Thispage(55):Passengerduty atReadingSouthalongsideT9 No30337andfromtheidentical headcodes,withasimilar working.AgaintheWRstation isinthebackgroundatthe higherlevel.Thedateis3 November1956.
Oppositetop(56):And speakingoftheWR,hereisthe sameenginethreeyearsearlier bowlingalongthedownmain linepastTilehurstonitswayto Didcottocollectafreight boundfortheSouthern. We mighthaveexpectedalight engine,especiallyofthegoods type,toberoutedontherelief linesoperhapsthiswasa ‘hurry-up’job.Onecriticismof thetypewhichcouldnothave beenforeseenduringthe designstageswasthatthe enclosedcabwasverynoisy oftenactingasasounding board.
Oppositebottom(57):No33019 backatitsbirthplace,Ashford Workson14May1955.This enginereceivedaGeneral Overhaulherecommencingthe followingmonthsoitwas possibleithadalreadyarrived andwasstoredpendingwork starting.No33019wasdestined tobeanother1963casualty.
Inset(59): Water treatmenttriangle underthecabside number.
(60):The LocomotiveClubof GreatBritain‘Vectis Farewell’(farewellto isleofWightsteam) tourof3October 1965(theQ1didnot crosstotheIsland ofcourse). TwoQ1s wereusedontour, No33020and33027. Thespecialisseen hereonthesingle linefromLavant,the truncatedterminus oftheformerbranch toMidhurst,onthe waybackto Chichester,From Chichesterthetrain wenttoPortsmouth Harbourwherethe participants disembarkedforthe ferrytotheIsleof Wightandajourney overthetwo remaininglines there;RydeVentnor,andRydeCowes.Thefinalleg wasareturnfrom Portsmouthtothe originalstarting pointat Waterloo.
(68):Anotherduo,thistimeNo33026andO2No30132atNineElmson17July1955.DespitetheO2alreadybeingover50yearsolditwasdestinedtohaveafurthersevenyearsonthebooks. No 33026wasanotherFelthammachineatthetimeofthephotographbothseeminglyrecordedatwhatappearstobeaquiettimeattheLondondepot-withnotaBulleidtobeseen.
