SER ‘CRAMPTON’ 4-2-0 No. 81
If you’ve not heard of the Crampton Locomotive Trust or its desire to build a replica of one of Thomas Crampton’s distinctive ‘single drivers’, that’s because it has been busy working under the radar to lay the foundations of its ambitious project.
It is still very early days for this embryonic new-build scheme, but the fact that they’ve already raised £55,000 to employ Graham Morris and David Potter – two well-respected engineers
– to create a complete set of drawings for the ‘Crampton’ is encouraging, and suggests that their quiet and cautious approach could bear fruit.
The ‘Crampton’ is vastly different to not only its contemporary new-build projects, but also every other operational preserved locomotive in Britain, and it has the potential to be an exciting and unique addition to our preservation scene. But what’s so special about a ‘Crampton’?
Thomas Crampton was one of Daniel Gooch’s assistants at Swindon during the broad gauge era, and he wondered whether broad gauge principles could be applied to standard gauge locomotives.
CLT spokesman Mike Pease says: “He designed a revolutionary new type of locomotive with a boiler down between the frames to lower the centre of gravity; a greatly increased number of small boiler tubes to increase the heating surface area; a much larger firebox grate; internal streamlining of all steam passages; external valve gear for ease of maintenance, and a large single driving axle under the footplate.”
The result was arguably the first true high-speed express passenger locomotive built to run on standard gauge. Sadly, the ‘Cramptons’ never really caught on in Britain; they found greater success in continental Europe and especially France, where the word ‘Crampton’ became synonymous with ‘express’, in the same way that Biro and Hoover are with ballpoint pens and vacuum cleaners.
Mike says: “The ‘Cramptons’ had their greatest success in Britain hauling boat train expresses between London and Dover. The South Eastern Railway’s Redhill-Tonbridge and Tonbridge-Ashford lines were straight, level and well maintained, and they enabled the ‘Cramptons’ to regularly beat GWR speeds on these stretches, and to reach Dover in record time.”
It is one of these – No. 81, the first of three built in 1847 for the SER by Tulk & Ley of Whitehaven, Cumbria – that the CLT plans to recreate. “It will follow the original design very closely, except where modern health and safety and operating regulations dictate changes,” says Mike. “Most importantly, it will operate just like the original.
“No. 81 will be air-braked to run with restored four and six-wheel stock at preserved railways. Ideally, a short train of six or seven such vehicles on a reasonably straight, level stretch of track would be ideal, and runs at up to 60mph would recreate the locomotive’s original ‘habitat’.”
So far, the team has set up the trust, registered it as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, raised £55,000 through private donations, and engaged Graham Morris Engineering Ltd to research the design of the locomotive and produce a complete set of engineering drawings to enable modern firms to produce all the necessary components.
Mike says: “After several years of painstaking work, Graham and David have almost finished the drawings, which will include a comprehensive, numbered list of all components. It will then be time for a complete overhaul of our organisation to enable it to manage the actual construction project.”
The next steps will be to present the drawings to the National Railway Museum, the Library of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the South Eastern & Chatham Railway Association, Cité du Train in Mulhouse (home of the sole preserved original ‘Crampton’, 1852-built Le Continent) and the DB Museum in Nuremburg (home of the 1920s-built replica ‘Crampton’, Die Pfalz).
There is no set date for No. 81’s completion because, says Mike: “We want to do the job properly and take no shortcuts, so we’re not allowing ourselves to be put under any pressure. Having said that, we’ll be working hard to raise the capital to get the job done as soon as we can.”
To raise the estimated £750,000, the CLT plans to attract corporate sponsorship and funding from appropriate charitable trusts, as well as launch component sponsorship ‘clubs’, approach individuals for donations/ patronage and apply to government funding initiatives.
This is not your typical new-build project. The CLT’s meticulous and almost academic approach has hitherto produced results, and sourcing £55,000 for a project which not only has arguably limited enthusiast appeal, but is also not well publicised, should be admired.
That said, the real litmus test will come when it begins actively fundraising to build the locomotive, but a project as unusual as this has the scope to attract more interest and finance from outside the enthusiast market. Having the likes of Graham Morris and David Potter on board is definitely advantageous, but the CLT needs someone with marketing, publicity and fund-raising nous to take the ‘Crampton’ project from the drawing board and into reality.
It is still early days yet, but the ‘Crampton’ is definitely one to watch.