SECR ‘T’ 0-6-0T

Before the war: William Kirtley designed two 0-6-0Ts in 1879 for the London, Chatham & Dover Railway, a constituent of the SECR. Classified ‘T’, they were followed by a further eight, built from 1890-93. These later locomotives were 6in longer than the first two in order to incorporate a larger cab and Westinghouse air brake equipment.

Call-up: All ten were sent to France in 1916 to replace SECR Wainwright ‘P’ 0-6-0Ts (see below) Boulogne; four were later sent to shunt depots

at Rouen.

Theatre of operations: All ten were employed to shunt the marshalling yards at Boulogne. However, not all ten were used at the same time and the locomotives were transferred to and from England.

Demobilisation: All ten ‘Ts’ passed into Southern Railway ownership where they became Nos. 1600-09. Withdrawals started in 1933 and three became BR property:

Nos. 31602 and 31604 were withdrawn from Reading in (1951 and 1950 respectively, while Meldon quarry shunter 500S was condemned in 1949. Survivors: None.

D. PRESTON/COLOUR RAIL ‘T’ No. 31604 at Stewarts Lane on May 22 1948. This locomotive shunted at Boulogne from spring 1915 until 1919 as ROD No. 5604.