Locomotive Trust
Forty Years of Preservation
Contents
40th ANNIVERSARY APPEAL
for USA TANK LOCO No 65, "MAUNSELL"
The Locomotive trust has been in existence for 40 years and has remained true to its aims of supporting the K&ESR through providing locomotives and rolling stock for use on the line. It is sobering to think that this year the line is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the opening from Rolvenden, Tenterden as then was, to Tenterden Town and for almost half that time it has been under preservation.
Many of you will be aware that No 65 has been stopped owing to the condition of its firebox. The locomotive department have now determined that there is no alternative but to replace the firebox. A quote for this has been obtained from Israel Newton, the same firm that constructed the new Terrier boilers recently.
The loco had run only 6 years since the last overhaul and thus the motion and other parts are in relatively good order. The estimated cost of a complete overhaul for a new 10 year ticket is broken down as follows:
New firebox £39,500
Boiler inspection fees covered by existing TRC agreements
Repairs to wheels and axleboxes £3,800
Cylinder valves £2,000
Lubricator overhauls £1,500
TOTAL £46,800
The Loco Trust committee have resolved to launch an appeal to the Trust membership and others to raise almost £40,000 for a new firebox. It is recognised that it is not good enough to simply raise the money and an agreement has been reached with TRC to establish how the full repair to 65 will be completed. In other words we are raising money to a specific timescale for a committed project with TRC as a fully committed partner. As TRC wish to progress No 65 this year it can be seen that the Trust must raise it’s part of the finance this year.
The matter is now in your hands or pockets. To complicate matters there are two alternative methods to provide funds. The usual Loco Trust donations will of course be very welcome but unfortunately these are not very tax efficient. The TRC accountant John Cobb will take donations specifically for 65 under the gift aid scheme. This means donations are in fact made to TRC but get the 28% tax back from the Chancellor. Given the size of the scheme this is obviously a useful, or indeed essential, extra. Please note that the gift aid scheme is only applicable to those paying income tax and a declaration to that effect is required.
For those that are not currently Trust members, but wish to become Loco Trust members, it will be necessary to donate at least £10 using the donations form. Any additional amount can then be donated, through a separate cheque, but more tax efficiently. Once you are a member there is a commitment to continue donating each year. Currently the minimum donation is £1 per year. A member has full voting rights at any general meeting. Members donations of less than £10 mean that you become an associate member, without voting rights, until you reach £10.
If anyone wishes to simply donate efficiently then please use the last, tax efficient, form. You contribution will be much valued.
Please send all donations, of either type, to Boris Perkins, KESLT Treasurer, to the address on the donation form. In this way we can monitor donations to TRC and ensure we get full value from them. Additionally if anyone wishes to contribute on a regular basis towards this appeal, say monthly, then again contact Boris for details.
Please help get Maunsell back into traffic – we cannot do it without YOUPLEASE CLICK HERE FOR DONATION FORM
Class USA Tanks DS238 Wainwright and No 65 Maunsell
DS 238 Wainwright working hard on the approach to Tenterden
Photo courtesy of Dave Parker
- These American built shunting locomotives were designed by Colonel Howard G. Hill in 1941 and some 450 were built for the United States Army Corps of Engineers for service overseas. During World War 2 the class saw service in England, North Africa, the Middle East, Italy and Western Europe after D-Day. Post-war, survivors were employed in a number of countries including France and Greece. In the former Yugoslavia a development of the class was built locally and an example is preserved on the Swanage Railway.
- After the war, those members of the class, which had been on lease-lend to the War Department, were placed in store at Newbury Racecourse station. 14 were purchased by the Southern Railway, at £2500 apiece, for use at Southampton Docks where their short wheelbase was well suited for working over the sharp curves around the dock lines. The SR found that several of the locomotives had not been steamed since their trial runs. The locomotives now on the K&ESR were War Department Nos. 1960 and 1968 and were put into service by the SR in April and November 1947 as Nos. 70 and 65 respectively.
- Various modifications including increased bunker capacity and the addition of carriage warming equipment, vacuum ejectors, SR pattern injectors and cylinder drain cocks. Roof top ventilators, new lookout windows, British style regulators and separate steam and vacuum brake controls were fitted. Despite these alterations the locomotives still had the appearance of typical American ‘switchers’ with bar frames, no running plates, stove-pipe chimneys and three domes. Outside valve gear and cylinders driving on to the rear axle were distinctive features.
- The USA tanks acquitted themselves well around Southampton Docks, their only major failing being a tendency to suffer hot bearings when running journeys of more than a few miles. Their dockside service lasted until 1962 when diesel shunters replaced them. The locomotives spent a while in store or were put on menial duties such as supplying steam to ships in dry-dock. In August 1963, however, No. 30070 was transferred to departmental stock, renumbered DS238 and sent to Ashford Wagon Works. It was painted green and named Wainwright after the SE&CR’s first locomotive superintendent.
- The journey from Eastleigh to Ashford took a month to complete because of the inevitable hot box trouble encountered en route. No. 30065 was similarly transferred to Ashford in November 1963 as DS237, also painted green and named Maunsell after the Southern Railway’s first Chief Mechanical Engineer.
- The pair were kept busy at Ashford until April 1967 when DS237 was laid aside followed two months later by DS238. In March 1968 they were sold to Woodham’s scrapyard at Barry in South Wales but, as usual, ran hot whilst under tow and didn’t get further than Tonbridge. There they remained on the site of the former locomotive shed until resold to the K&ESR in August 1968, arriving at Rolvenden a month later. DS238 became K&ESR No. 21 and DS 237 No. 22.
- No. 22 was the first large locomotive in service in 1974, proving itself very capable of hauling four coach trains up Tenterden bank. It was fitted with an extended bunker and mechanical lubricators to overcome its bearing problems. In 1978 it exchanged boilers with No. 21 and after overhaul re-entered service in April 1981 in black livery lined out in red. Various mechanical problems occurred and were overcome before the boiler certificate again expired and the locomotive was taken out of traffic at the end of the 1990 season.
- Another extensive overhaul followed, the locomotive re-entering service as Southern Railway No. 65 in the summer of 1997. Its original post-war livery of black with sunshine lettering is now carried. After many years out of use, restoration work to No. 21 began in 1988. Wainwright entered traffic in 1994 as DS 238. Although finished in a correct malachite green livery, extensive modifications to the cab and bunker have proved controversial. These have accentuated the slightly backward-leaning appearance of the USA’s and earned DS238 the nickname of ‘ Starship Wainwright’!
- TECHNICAL DATA
- Class: USA
- Weight: 46 tons 10 cwt
- Tractive effort: 21,600 lbs
- Cylinders (2) 16.5 ins. dia. x 24 ins. stroke
- Boiler pressure: 210 lbs.
- Tank Capacity: 1000 gals
- Wheels: 4ft. 6 ins. dia.
KESLT Treasurer,
Mr Boris Perkins
1 Pittlesden, Tenterden,
Kent,
TN30 6HJ
