Present your case
If there’s a locomotive that you think needs to be offered ready-to-run, here’s the place to voice your opinion…
Locomotive: SR ‘Z’ 0-8-0T
Gauge: ‘OO’
Proposed by: John Ruddy
What is it?
The Southern Railway was not notable for handling heavy freight traffic. Despite this, it did have a number of distinctive freight locomotives. While Robert Urie of the LSWR had designed the 4-8-0T ‘G16’ class for use in Feltham Hump yard, an order for a further four was placed on the eve of Grouping in 1922 for use as general shunting engines. However, this order was cancelled by the incoming CME, Richard Maunsell, who considered the firebox to be too large and the superheater unnecessary for such duties. He preferred an 0-8-0 wheel arrangement too.
All eight ‘Zs’ were built at Brighton works in 1929, with design work carried out at Ashford. A further batch of ten was also ordered, but suspended because of the Depression. By the time traffic had picked up again, Maunsell was experimenting with 0-6-0 diesel shunters, and no further ‘Zs’ were built.
In order to negotiate tight curves in shunting yards, the leading and trailing driving wheels had increased sideplay – a dodge used in many ‘OO’ gauge models! Combined with three cylinders and small 4ft 8in wheels, they were capable of some relatively quiet shunting, which was welcomed by neighbours. They were initially allocated across the Southern system, from Ashford and Gillingham in the east, to Norwood Junction and Hither Green in south London to Eastleigh, Salisbury and Exmouth Junction in the west. At first in black with red lining, they were eventually repainted in plain black.
During the 1950s, the introduction of diesel shunters displaced the ‘Zs’. As early as 1956, thoughts had turned to basing the entire class at Exmouth Junction for banking the trains up the 1-in-37 bank between Exeter St Davids and Exeter Central, replacing the ‘E1R’ 0-6-2Ts which were starting to show their age. Western Region objections were finally overcome in 1959, but they only lasted until 1962 when they were all withdrawn.
What would make it viable?
Many of the most successful models of recent years have been of quirky and unusual locomotives. What could be quirkier than a heavy-freight 0-8-0T from the Southern Railway? You have all the usual Southern and BR liveries to choose from, plus the fact that, during the Second World War, three worked at military depots in Scotland where they were apparently painted WD grey.
Can I see a real one?
Despite a rumoured preservation attempt of the last survivor, No. 30952 was scrapped by Cashmore’s of Newport in 1965.