South Eastern & Chatham Railway C-class No.592
The C-class, shunting at Horsted Keynes. Richard Salmon
The C-class, shunting at Horsted Keynes. Richard Salmon
After the amalgamation of the SER and the LCDR in 1899 it fell to Harry Wainwright to put some order into the locomotive designs the new company inherited. The C-class was his standard goods design, and 109 of them were built from 1900 through to 1908. They served the SECR, and in turn the SR and BR, well, with 106 (plus one rebuilt as a saddle tank) still extant at nationalisation in 1948, and 60 of them still in service in 1960. The steam powered reverser on this locomotive was most successful, and this design was to be found on goods and shunting engines built by the SECR and the SR for more than 40 years afterwards.
With the last three surviving in departmental service, the C-class Preservation Society was formed, and in 1964 was able to buy 592. Taken initially to Ashford Works, it moved to the Bluebell in 1970, and finally entered service in 1975 after work on its boiler and a badly damaged axle journal. Its 1994 overhaul at the hands of volunteers saw it returned to service with a spare overhauled tender which we had been fortunate enough to obtain. In 2006-7 we overhauled the spare boiler which we have for this locomotive, since the firebox of the existing boiler was deemed beyond repair. Mechanically the locomotive was in reasonable order, although the condition of the cylinders may determine how long it runs after overhaul; it is thought likely to require a new cylinder block at a subsequent overhaul. It returned to service on 8th October 2007.
This locomotive featured as "The Green Dragon" in the Carlton TV film of The Railway Children.
Class: C
Arrived on Bluebell: 16/8/70
Last major overhaul: 2007
Owners: the C Class Locomotive Preservation Society
Last update 10 October 2007 by Richard Salmon.