SER 235 class

Until 1864 the South Eastern Railway had very few tank locomotives.{{sfn|Bradley|1985|p=119}} In that year the 205 class 0-4-2T locomotives were introduced, for use on the London suburban passenger services. They were designed by James I. Cudworth, the company's locomotive superintendent.{{sfn|Bradley|1985|p=119}} They performed well, but their capabilities were restricted by their small fuel and water capacities,{{sfn|Bradley|1985|p=122}} so after twelve were built, Cudworth produced an enlarged version of the design.

With the fuel capacity raised from {{convert|0.75|LT|kg|lk=on}} to {{convert|1.25|LT|kg|abbr=on}} and the water capacity raised from {{convert|690|impgal|L}} to {{convert|850|impgal|abbr=on|L}}, the extra weight and length needed behind the cab required adding an extra trailing axle, producing an 0-4-4T - the first of that wheel arrangement to be built for an English railway (the first Scottish railway to use the 0-4-4T wheel arrangement was the Caledonian Railway, in 1873).{{sfn|Ahrons|1987|p=172}}{{sfn|Bradley|1985|p=122}}{{sfn|Grant|1959|p=10}} There were compensating levers to equalise the weight between the coupled axles, and the outside-framed bogie also had compensating levers;{{sfn|Ahrons|1987|p=172}} it carried about a third of the locomotive's weight.{{sfn|Bradley|1985|p=122}} Like the 205 class, they burned coke for fuel.{{sfn|Bradley|1985|p=120,122}}

At first, they were mainly used on services to {{stnlnk|Greenwich}}.{{sfn|Bradley|1985|p=122}} Only one batch (of seven) was built in 1866;{{sfn|Bradley|1985|pp=122-123}} there were troubles with the bogie, and so when more were required Cudworth once more used the 0-4-2T type, producing the 73 class. However, the 235 class continued to be used and all were given new boilers between 1877 and 1883.{{sfn|Bradley|1985|p=123}} Under Stirling's locomotive classification scheme of September 1879, they formed Class J.{{sfn|Bradley|1985|p=15}} They were withdrawn and scrapped between 1887 and 1893.{{sfn|Bradley|1985|p=123}}

{{reflist|colwidth=20em}}

• {{cite book |last=Ahrons |first=E.L. |title=The British Steam Railway Locomotive 1825-1925 |year=1987 |orig-date=1927 |publisher=Bracken Books |location=London |isbn=1-85170-103-6 }}
• {{cite book |last=Bradley |first=D.L. |title=The Locomotive History of the South Eastern Railway |edition=2nd |date=September 1985 |orig-date=1963 |publisher=RCTS |location=London |isbn=0-901115-48-7 }}
• {{cite magazine |last=Grant |first=John W. |editor-first=B.W.C. |editor-last=Cooke |date=January 1959 |title=Scottish 0-4-4 Tank Engines |journal=The Railway Magazine |volume=105 |issue=693 |publisher=Tothill Press |location=Westminster }}

{{SECR locomotives}}

235

Category:0-4-4T locomotives

Category:Railway locomotives introduced in 1866

Category:Scrapped locomotives

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