James Cudworth
Encyclopedia
James I'Anson Cudworth was Locomotive Superintendent of the South Eastern Railway (SER). He served in this capacity from 1845–76. 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.
, Co. Durham
on 12 January 1817, the second of three children born to William Cudworth and Mary I'Anson (born 18 November 1785, Darlington). His parents were Quakers
, and had married in 1810; William Cudworth was a grocer
and druggist, whilst Mary I'Anson's family name was of Scandinavia
n origin. James Cudworth's elder brother William was a civil engineer, and worked for the Stockton & Darlington Railway
; William's son William John, also a civil engineer, worked for the North Eastern Railway
.
James Cudworth married Priscilla Poulter on 15 May 1848, at the Friends Meeting House
, Dover
, Kent
but they had no children. After Cudworth's retirement, the couple moved to Reigate
, Surrey
in about 1879, where he died on 22 October 1899.
from March 1831. After completing his apprenticeship, he became a chargehand at Stephenson's, before being appointed Locomotive Superintendent of the Great North of England Railway
in February 1840.
On 22 May 1845, Cudworth was appointed Locomotive Superintendent to the South Eastern Railway
, which was in the process of leaving the Brighton, Croydon and Dover Joint Committee; this committee (and its predecessor the Croydon and Dover Joint Committee) had handled all SER locomotive affairs since March 1842, as well as those of the London & Croydon Railway
, and, since March 1844, the London & Brighton Railway
.
The committee had shared maintenance facilities for the three railways, but on its dissolution, it was necessary for the SER to provide its own workshops. Cudworth was given the task of establishing suitable facilities, his salary being increased from £350 to £500 per annum. Repair shops were built near the terminus at Bricklayers' Arms, but the site was cramped. In February 1846, 185 acres (74.9 ha) of land were bought at Ashford, Kent
, and in October 1847, Ashford railway works
began repairing locomotives.
In 1845, he built the 2-2-2
locomotive White Horse of Kent, which was constructed on the uniflow
principle. Cudworth's early locomotives were on the Stephenson long-boilered principle. White Horse of Kent was not a success, being described by Daniel Gooch
as unsafe. It was later converted to a 2-4-0
. In 1850, Ashford Works completed a small locomotive which had been part-assembled at Bricklayers' Arms, but the first engines entirely constructed at Ashford Works were 2-4-0s for the Hastings Line
, which were placed in service during 1853-4. These engines were known as the 59 class. In 1847, the SER purchased a number of 4-2-0
Cramptons
from Tulk & Ley
, Whitehaven
, Cumberland
. In 1849, Cudworth converted four long-boilered 4-2-0s to Cramptons in an effort to improve their riding.
By 1855, Cudworth started to introduce more conventional steam locomotives. Fifty three 0-6-0
goods engines were constructed at Ashford Works between 1855 and 1876. The engines were double framed, with 16" x 24" cylinders. A number of these engines were rebuilt twice, firstly by Cudworth and later by Stirling. The engines gave over 40 years service on the South Eastern Main Line. In 1857, Cudworth introduced a class of 2-4-0s. Forty eight were built by contractors, and 68 were built at Ashford Works between 1857 and 1875. Many of them were rebuilt by Stirling. These engines also gave many years service on the SER.
In 1861, Cudworth introduced a class of 2-2-2 express passenger locomotives with 7 feet (2.13 m) diameter driving wheels. These engines gave over 20 years service on the boat trains serving Folkestone
and Dover
, finally being replaced in 1884 by Stirling's F class 4-4-0
s. Cudworth was also responsible for the introduction of the 0-4-4T
wheel arrangement for steam locomotives to English railways, with his 235 class
of 1866.
Cudworth had three main achievements on the SER: he planned the layout of Ashford Works and brought it to such a standard that the company was able to begin production of its own locomotives in 1853; with two of his classes (the "Standard Goods" 0-6-0 of 1855 and the 118 class 2-4-0 of 1859), practiced locomotive standardisation on a scale unheard of on other contemporary railways; and, at a time when coke (a smokeless fuel, but expensive) was normal for railways, designed a successful coal-burning firebox.
In 1874, Cudworth was appointed Locomotive Engineer of the SER, with Alfred Watkin, son of SER Chairman Sir Edward Watkin
appointed Locomotive Superintendent at a salary of £500. Cudworth was not one who was disposed to toe Watkin's line, which put a strain on their relationship. In 1876, Watkin persuaded John Ramsbottom
of the London & North Western Railway
(LNWR) to design a number of 2-4-0 passenger engines for the SER, unbeknown to Cudworth. Orders were placed with Sharp, Stewart of Manchester
and Avonside
of Bristol
for ten engines each. The locomotives were very similar to the LNWR's Precedent Class locomotives. Known as the Ironclads, they replaced the Singles on the boat trains for a short time, but were quickly relegated to less prestige duties and the Singles resumed their former role. When Cudworth found out about the engines, he was furious and resigned. It was considered by many on the Board of the SER that Cudworth had been sacked.
in 1829, it had been appreciated that the smoke emitted by burning coal
was a nuisance. Railway companies accepted the need to burn coke
(a smokeless fuel) in their locomotives, but this was much more expensive than coal, and several locomotive engineers sought an effective method by which coal could be burned smokelessly. Cudworth was one of these; he designed a firebox which was able to burn coal with little smoke, patenting it in 1857. The main feature of this firebox was a longitudinal water-filled vertical partition (known as a mid-feather), which required two firedoors to be provided; the grate was also longer and steeper than normal. The idea was that when one side had burnt down, it could be stoked whilst the other side was at peak temperature and consuming its smoke. The mid-feather terminated towards the front of the firebox, so that the gases from the fresh coal in the cooler side of the firebox could be completely burned by the heat given off by the hotter side. It worked well, and when independently tested (by D. K. Clark) against the designs of Joseph Beattie
and James McConnell
, was more efficient, burning less coal than the other two types for the same amount of work done. Unfortunately it was expensive both to construct and to maintain, which was to prove its downfall. When other engineers later produced cheaper solutions, Cudworth preferred to stick with his own design rather than change.
Few other railways adopted this firebox; but the South Eastern's close neighbour, the London, Chatham & Dover Railway
(LCDR), used it between 1861 and 1869 for 68 of their engines, whilst it was also used by their other neighbour, the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway
. The LCDR also found the firebox expensive: some locomotives ordered in July 1860 were costed at £150 extra (£ as of ) for the Cudworth firebox with 8 feet (2.4 m) grate; and when a revised order was prepared in February 1861, with a 6 feet (1.8 m) grate, the firebox was costed at £20 less (£ as of ) than the 1860 order. In February 1868, the LCDR's Locomotive Superintendent, William Martley, replaced the Cudworth firebox of one locomotive with a different design of coal-burning firebox (one with a brick arch and deflector plate, which had been developed by the Midland Railway
), which had fewer complicated joints. In April 1869, he reported that the Cudworth type cost £23-2-3d per year (£ as of ) in maintenance, whilst the type with a brick arch cost £4-18-6d (£ as of ), and as a result, he gave instructions for the replacement of all Cudworth fireboxes when the locomotives next became due for heavy repairs. Between 1869 and 1876, all LCDR locomotives which had been fitted with the Cudworth firebox had these replaced by the brick-arch type, which was not only cheaper to maintain, but had lower first cost.
The class letters were allotted by James Stirling in September 1879. Classes without such a letter were either extinct, or in the process of withdrawal at that date.
Personal life
Cudworth was born in DarlingtonDarlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
, Co. Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
on 12 January 1817, the second of three children born to William Cudworth and Mary I'Anson (born 18 November 1785, Darlington). His parents were Quakers
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
, and had married in 1810; William Cudworth was a grocer
Grocer
A grocer is a bulk seller of food. Beginning as early as the 14th century, a grocer was a dealer in comestible dry goods such as spices, pepper, sugar, and cocoa, tea and coffee...
and druggist, whilst Mary I'Anson's family name was of Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n origin. James Cudworth's elder brother William was a civil engineer, and worked for the Stockton & Darlington Railway
Stockton and Darlington Railway
The Stockton and Darlington Railway , which opened in 1825, was the world's first publicly subscribed passenger railway. It was 26 miles long, and was built in north-eastern England between Witton Park and Stockton-on-Tees via Darlington, and connected to several collieries near Shildon...
; William's son William John, also a civil engineer, worked for the North Eastern Railway
North Eastern Railway (UK)
The North Eastern Railway , was an English railway company. It was incorporated in 1854, when four existing companies were combined, and was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923...
.
James Cudworth married Priscilla Poulter on 15 May 1848, at the Friends Meeting House
Friends meeting house
A Friends meeting house is a meeting house of the Religious Society of Friends , where meeting for worship may be held.-History:Quakers do not believe that meeting for worship should take place in any special place. They believe that "where two or three meet together in my name, I am there among...
, Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
but they had no children. After Cudworth's retirement, the couple moved to Reigate
Reigate
Reigate is a historic market town in Surrey, England, at the foot of the North Downs, and in the London commuter belt. It is one of the main constituents of the Borough of Reigate and Banstead...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
in about 1879, where he died on 22 October 1899.
Career
Cudworth was apprenticed to Robert Stephenson & Co LtdRobert Stephenson and Company
Robert Stephenson and Company was a locomotive manufacturing company founded in 1823. It was the first company set up specifically to build railway engines.- Foundation and early success :...
from March 1831. After completing his apprenticeship, he became a chargehand at Stephenson's, before being appointed Locomotive Superintendent of the Great North of England Railway
Great North of England Railway
The Great North of England Railway was an early British railway company. Its main line, opened in 1841 was between York and Darlington, and originally it was planned to extend to Newcastle. In 1850 it was absorbed by the North Eastern Railway ....
in February 1840.
On 22 May 1845, Cudworth was appointed Locomotive Superintendent to the South Eastern Railway
South Eastern Railway (UK)
The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
, which was in the process of leaving the Brighton, Croydon and Dover Joint Committee; this committee (and its predecessor the Croydon and Dover Joint Committee) had handled all SER locomotive affairs since March 1842, as well as those of the London & Croydon Railway
London and Croydon Railway
The London and Croydon Railway was an early railway which operated between London and Croydon in England. It was opened in 1839 and in July 1846 it merged with other railways to form a part of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway ....
, and, since March 1844, the London & Brighton Railway
London and Brighton Railway
The London and Brighton Railway was a railway company in England which was incorporated in 1837 and survived until 1846. Its railway runs from a junction with the London & Croydon Railway at Norwood - which gives it access from London Bridge, just south of the River Thames in central London...
.
The committee had shared maintenance facilities for the three railways, but on its dissolution, it was necessary for the SER to provide its own workshops. Cudworth was given the task of establishing suitable facilities, his salary being increased from £350 to £500 per annum. Repair shops were built near the terminus at Bricklayers' Arms, but the site was cramped. In February 1846, 185 acres (74.9 ha) of land were bought at Ashford, Kent
Ashford, Kent
Ashford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
, and in October 1847, Ashford railway works
Ashford railway works
Ashford railway works was in the town of Ashford in the county of Kent in England.-South Eastern Railway:Ashford locomotive works was built by the South Eastern Railway on a new site in 1847, replacing an earlier locomotive repair facility at New Cross in London...
began repairing locomotives.
In 1845, he built the 2-2-2
2-2-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-2-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle two powered driving wheels on one axle, and two trailing wheels on one axle. The wheel arrangement both provided more stability and enabled a larger firebox...
locomotive White Horse of Kent, which was constructed on the uniflow
Uniflow steam engine
The uniflow type of steam engine uses steam that flows in one direction only in each half of the cylinder. Thermal efficiency is increased in the compound and multiple expansion types of steam engine by separating expansion into steps in separate cylinders; in the uniflow design, thermal efficiency...
principle. Cudworth's early locomotives were on the Stephenson long-boilered principle. White Horse of Kent was not a success, being described by Daniel Gooch
Daniel Gooch
Sir Daniel Gooch, 1st Baronet was an English railway and transatlantic cable engineer and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1885...
as unsafe. It was later converted to a 2-4-0
2-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels....
. In 1850, Ashford Works completed a small locomotive which had been part-assembled at Bricklayers' Arms, but the first engines entirely constructed at Ashford Works were 2-4-0s for the Hastings Line
Hastings Line
The Hastings Line is a railway line in Kent and East Sussex linking Hastings with the main town of Tunbridge Wells, and from there into London via Sevenoaks.-Openings:The line was opened by the South Eastern Railway in main three stages: – :...
, which were placed in service during 1853-4. These engines were known as the 59 class. In 1847, the SER purchased a number of 4-2-0
4-2-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-2-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, two powered and coupled driving wheels on one axle, and no trailing wheels...
Cramptons
Crampton locomotive
A Crampton locomotive is a type of steam locomotive designed by Thomas Russell Crampton and built by various firms from 1846. The main British builders were Tulk and Ley and Robert Stephenson and Company....
from Tulk & Ley
Tulk and Ley
Tulk and Ley was a 19th century iron mining company in west Cumbria which also ran an engineering works at Lowca near Whitehaven.-Overview:Established on the Lowca site in 1800 as "Heslops, Milward, Johnston & Co."- the engineering and ironfounding expertise coming from the brothers Adam, Thomas &...
, Whitehaven
Whitehaven
Whitehaven is a small town and port on the coast of Cumbria, England, which lies equidistant between the county's two largest settlements, Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness, and is served by the Cumbrian Coast Line and the A595 road...
, Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
. In 1849, Cudworth converted four long-boilered 4-2-0s to Cramptons in an effort to improve their riding.
By 1855, Cudworth started to introduce more conventional steam locomotives. Fifty three 0-6-0
0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
goods engines were constructed at Ashford Works between 1855 and 1876. The engines were double framed, with 16" x 24" cylinders. A number of these engines were rebuilt twice, firstly by Cudworth and later by Stirling. The engines gave over 40 years service on the South Eastern Main Line. In 1857, Cudworth introduced a class of 2-4-0s. Forty eight were built by contractors, and 68 were built at Ashford Works between 1857 and 1875. Many of them were rebuilt by Stirling. These engines also gave many years service on the SER.
In 1861, Cudworth introduced a class of 2-2-2 express passenger locomotives with 7 feet (2.13 m) diameter driving wheels. These engines gave over 20 years service on the boat trains serving Folkestone
Folkestone
Folkestone is the principal town in the Shepway District of Kent, England. Its original site was in a valley in the sea cliffs and it developed through fishing and its closeness to the Continent as a landing place and trading port. The coming of the railways, the building of a ferry port, and its...
and Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, finally being replaced in 1884 by Stirling's F class 4-4-0
4-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels...
s. Cudworth was also responsible for the introduction of the 0-4-4T
0-4-4
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-4 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles...
wheel arrangement for steam locomotives to English railways, with his 235 class
SER 235 class
The SER 235 class was a class of 0-4-4T steam locomotives on the South Eastern Railway. Introduced in 1866, they were the first locomotives of this wheel arrangement to be built for an English railway.-History:...
of 1866.
Cudworth had three main achievements on the SER: he planned the layout of Ashford Works and brought it to such a standard that the company was able to begin production of its own locomotives in 1853; with two of his classes (the "Standard Goods" 0-6-0 of 1855 and the 118 class 2-4-0 of 1859), practiced locomotive standardisation on a scale unheard of on other contemporary railways; and, at a time when coke (a smokeless fuel, but expensive) was normal for railways, designed a successful coal-burning firebox.
In 1874, Cudworth was appointed Locomotive Engineer of the SER, with Alfred Watkin, son of SER Chairman Sir Edward Watkin
Edward Watkin
Sir Edward William Watkin, 1st Baronet was an English railway chairman and politician.- Biography :Watkin was born in Salford, Lancashire, the son of a wealthy cotton merchant, Absalom Watkin who was noted for his involvement in the Anti-corn Law League.After a private education, he returned to...
appointed Locomotive Superintendent at a salary of £500. Cudworth was not one who was disposed to toe Watkin's line, which put a strain on their relationship. In 1876, Watkin persuaded John Ramsbottom
John Ramsbottom (engineer)
John Ramsbottom was an English mechanical engineer who created many inventions for railways, including the piston ring, the Ramsbottom safety valve, the displacement lubricator, and the water trough.- Biography :...
of the London & North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
(LNWR) to design a number of 2-4-0 passenger engines for the SER, unbeknown to Cudworth. Orders were placed with Sharp, Stewart of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and Avonside
Avonside Engine Company
The Avonside Engine Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Avon Street, St. Philip's, Bristol, England between 1864 and 1934. However the business originated with an earlier enterprise Henry Stothert and Company.-Origins:...
of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
for ten engines each. The locomotives were very similar to the LNWR's Precedent Class locomotives. Known as the Ironclads, they replaced the Singles on the boat trains for a short time, but were quickly relegated to less prestige duties and the Singles resumed their former role. When Cudworth found out about the engines, he was furious and resigned. It was considered by many on the Board of the SER that Cudworth had been sacked.
Coal-burning firebox
Since the Rainhill TrialsRainhill Trials
The Rainhill Trials were an important competition in the early days of steam locomotive railways, run in October 1829 in Rainhill, Lancashire for the nearly completed Liverpool and Manchester Railway....
in 1829, it had been appreciated that the smoke emitted by burning coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
was a nuisance. Railway companies accepted the need to burn coke
Coke (fuel)
Coke is the solid carbonaceous material derived from destructive distillation of low-ash, low-sulfur bituminous coal. Cokes from coal are grey, hard, and porous. While coke can be formed naturally, the commonly used form is man-made.- History :...
(a smokeless fuel) in their locomotives, but this was much more expensive than coal, and several locomotive engineers sought an effective method by which coal could be burned smokelessly. Cudworth was one of these; he designed a firebox which was able to burn coal with little smoke, patenting it in 1857. The main feature of this firebox was a longitudinal water-filled vertical partition (known as a mid-feather), which required two firedoors to be provided; the grate was also longer and steeper than normal. The idea was that when one side had burnt down, it could be stoked whilst the other side was at peak temperature and consuming its smoke. The mid-feather terminated towards the front of the firebox, so that the gases from the fresh coal in the cooler side of the firebox could be completely burned by the heat given off by the hotter side. It worked well, and when independently tested (by D. K. Clark) against the designs of Joseph Beattie
Joseph Hamilton Beattie
Joseph Hamilton Beattie was a locomotive engineer with the London and South Western Railway.Beattie was a highly innovative engineer, introducing the country's first successful 2-4-0 locomotive, pioneering coal-burning fireboxes, feedwater heating and balanced slide valves. His locomotives were...
and James McConnell
James McConnell
James Edward McConnell was one of the first locomotive engineers of the London and North Western Railway . He was Locomotive Superintendent of the LNWR's Southern Division at Wolverton railway works from 1847 to 1862 and oversaw the design of the "Bloomer" and "Patent" locomotives...
, was more efficient, burning less coal than the other two types for the same amount of work done. Unfortunately it was expensive both to construct and to maintain, which was to prove its downfall. When other engineers later produced cheaper solutions, Cudworth preferred to stick with his own design rather than change.
Few other railways adopted this firebox; but the South Eastern's close neighbour, the London, Chatham & Dover Railway
London, Chatham and Dover Railway
The London, Chatham and Dover Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1859 until the 1923 grouping which united it with other companies to form the Southern Railway. Its lines ran through London and northern and eastern Kent to form a significant part of the Greater London...
(LCDR), used it between 1861 and 1869 for 68 of their engines, whilst it was also used by their other neighbour, the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
. The LCDR also found the firebox expensive: some locomotives ordered in July 1860 were costed at £150 extra (£ as of ) for the Cudworth firebox with 8 feet (2.4 m) grate; and when a revised order was prepared in February 1861, with a 6 feet (1.8 m) grate, the firebox was costed at £20 less (£ as of ) than the 1860 order. In February 1868, the LCDR's Locomotive Superintendent, William Martley, replaced the Cudworth firebox of one locomotive with a different design of coal-burning firebox (one with a brick arch and deflector plate, which had been developed by the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
), which had fewer complicated joints. In April 1869, he reported that the Cudworth type cost £23-2-3d per year (£ as of ) in maintenance, whilst the type with a brick arch cost £4-18-6d (£ as of ), and as a result, he gave instructions for the replacement of all Cudworth fireboxes when the locomotives next became due for heavy repairs. Between 1869 and 1876, all LCDR locomotives which had been fitted with the Cudworth firebox had these replaced by the brick-arch type, which was not only cheaper to maintain, but had lower first cost.
Locomotive classes
| Class | class | Wheel arrangement |
Built | Builder | Total | Withdrawn | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cudworth rebuilds of pre-1845 locomotives | ||||||||
| White Horse of Kent | 2-2-2 | 1844 | R. Stephenson | 1 | 1867 | rebuilt 1847 as a 2-4-0 | ||
| Locomotives built new to Cudworth's order | ||||||||
| (no. 88 etc.) | 2-2-2 | 1845–47 | Nasmyth, Gaskell Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company, originally called The Bridgewater Foundry, specialised in the production of heavy machine tools and locomotives. It was located in Patricroft, in Salford England, close to the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the Bridgewater Canal and the Manchester Ship Canal... |
9 | 1855–1865 | long-boiler; rebuilt 1847–1849; one as Crampton 4-2-0; three as 2-2-2WT; five as 2-4-0 | ||
| (nos. 46–51) | 2-4-0 | 1845–46 | George Forrester George Forrester and Company George Forrester and Company was a British locomotive manufacturer at Vauxhall Foundry in Liverpool.The company had opened in 1827 as iron founders and commenced building locomotives in 1834.... |
6 | 1867–75 | long-boiler | ||
| (nos. 1–4) | 2-2-2 | 1845–46 | Benjamin Hick Benjamin Hick and Sons B. Hick and Sons, later known as Hick, Hargreaves & Co, was a British engineering company, based at the Soho Ironworks in Bolton, England.... |
4 | 1857–67 | Rebuilt 1847–49 as 2-4-0 | ||
| (nos. 119–122) (nos. 95–100) |
F |
0-6-0 | 1845 1846 |
Charles Tayleur Nasmyth, Gaskell |
4 6 |
1883 1866–74 |
long-boiler | |
| (nos. 6–8) | 2-4-0 | 1847 | Benjamin Hick | 3 | 1865–67 | long-boiler | ||
| (no. 21 etc.) | 2-4-0 | 1847–48 | George Forrester | 15 | 1859–73 | one rebuilt 1863 as 2-4-0WT | ||
| (no. 68 etc.) | 4-2-0 | 1847 | Bury, Curtis & Kennedy Bury, Curtis, and Kennedy Bury, Curtis and Kennedy was a steam locomotive manufacturer in Liverpool, England.Edward Bury set up his works in 1826, under the name of Edward Bury and Company. He employed James Kennedy, who had gained experience of locomotive production under Robert Stephenson and Mather, Dixon and Company,... |
6 | 1865–1875 | Four rebuilt to Crampton type Crampton locomotive A Crampton locomotive is a type of steam locomotive designed by Thomas Russell Crampton and built by various firms from 1846. The main British builders were Tulk and Ley and Robert Stephenson and Company.... 1848–49; all rebuilt as normal 2-4-0 in 1852–56 |
||
| (no. 81 etc.) | 4-2-0 | 1850 | Tulk & Ley Tulk and Ley Tulk and Ley was a 19th century iron mining company in west Cumbria which also ran an engineering works at Lowca near Whitehaven.-Overview:Established on the Lowca site in 1800 as "Heslops, Milward, Johnston & Co."- the engineering and ironfounding expertise coming from the brothers Adam, Thomas &... |
3 | 1865–66 | Crampton type | ||
| "Coffee Pot" | 0-4-0T | 1850 | Ashford Works Ashford railway works Ashford railway works was in the town of Ashford in the county of Kent in England.-South Eastern Railway:Ashford locomotive works was built by the South Eastern Railway on a new site in 1847, replacing an earlier locomotive repair facility at New Cross in London... , SER |
1 | 1866 | First loco completed at Ashford. Vertical boiler | ||
| "Folkstone" class | C | 4-2-0 | 1851 | Robert Stephenson Robert Stephenson and Company Robert Stephenson and Company was a locomotive manufacturing company founded in 1823. It was the first company set up specifically to build railway engines.- Foundation and early success :... |
10 | 1875–92 | Crampton type with intermediate crankshaft. Nine rebuilt 1868–9 as normal 2-4-0 | |
| "Little Mails" | 2-2-2 | 1851 1856–57 |
Sharp Bros Ashford |
8 6 |
1875–1881 | |||
| "Bulldogs" | 0-4-0T | 1851 | Robert Stephenson | 5 | 1869–77 | Crampton type with intermediate crankshaft. Rebuilt 1859 as normal 0-6-0T | ||
| "Hastings" class | 2-4-0 | 1853–54 | Ashford (10); R. Stephenson (4) | 14 | 1868–81 | First locos entirely built at Ashford. | ||
| "Standard goods" | I | 0-6-0 | 1855–76 | Ashford | 53 | 1884–1904 | ||
| (nos. 179–184) | D | 2-4-0 | 1857 | E.B. Wilson & Co E. B. Wilson and Company E.B.Wilson and Company was a locomotive manufacturing company at the Railway Foundry in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Origins:When Todd left Todd, Kitson & Laird in 1838, he joined Shepherd in setting up the Railway Foundry as Shepherd and Todd... |
6 | 1880–84 | ||
| "Little Sharps" | 2-4-0 | 1858–59 | Ashford | 6 | 1879–84 | some parts from old Sharp, Roberts engines | ||
| Coupled Express or 118 class | E | 2-4-0 | 1859–75 | 68 Ashford; 42 contractors | 110 | 1885–1905 | ||
| "Mail Singles" | B P |
2-2-2 | 1861–62 1865–66 |
8 Ashford; 8 contractors | 10 6 |
1882–90 1885–90 |
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| 205 class | G | 0-4-2WT | 1863–64 | Ashford (2); Avonside Engine Co Avonside Engine Company The Avonside Engine Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Avon Street, St. Philip's, Bristol, England between 1864 and 1934. However the business originated with an earlier enterprise Henry Stothert and Company.-Origins:... (10) |
12 | 1883–88 | one rebuilt as 0-4-4WT in 1876 | |
| 235 class SER 235 class The SER 235 class was a class of 0-4-4T steam locomotives on the South Eastern Railway. Introduced in 1866, they were the first locomotives of this wheel arrangement to be built for an English railway.-History:... |
J | 0-4-4WT | 1866 | Brassey & Co | 7 | 1887–93 | The first use of this wheel arrangement in England. | |
| 73 class | H | 0-4-2WT | 1867–69 | Ashford | 6 | 1887–93 | ||
The class letters were allotted by James Stirling in September 1879. Classes without such a letter were either extinct, or in the process of withdrawal at that date.