The LCDR Tiger class was a class of twenty-four steam locomotives. They were designed by Thomas Russell Crampton for the London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) as general purpose passenger locomotives.
Between 1859 and 1860, the LCDR board considered the need for new locomotives to operate lines then under construction. After consultation with various engineers, including Charles Patrick Stewart (of Sharp, Stewart and Company), Robert Sinclair (of the Eastern Counties Railway) and Crampton, they decided upon forty new locomotives: eight first class fast locomotives, seventeen general purpose passenger locomotives, and fifteen goods locomotives. After discussion with William Martley, the quantities needed for the two passenger types were revised to 5 and 24 respectively. Tenders were sought, and these were considered in July 1860, when orders were placed with several firms for what were to become the Echo, Tiger and Acis classes.
The Tiger class, comprising 24 general purpose passenger locomotives, were ordered from three firms: Peto, Brassey and Betts were to build ten at £3,280 each; Slaughter, Grüning & Co. were to build six at £3,300 each; and R. & W. Hawthorn & Co. would build eight at £3,415 each. As with the Echo and Acis classes, the locomotives were equipped with the Cudworth coal-burning firebox. They were delivered to the LCDR between August 1861 and August 1862.
Soon after entering service, problems began to occur: the drivers complained of difficulties when starting and also of unsteady running, some locomotives becoming derailed; whilst others developed distorted frames or broke down in other ways. The maintenance costs were found to be far in excess of other locomotives such as the Ruby and Brigand classes. The three manufacturers refused to accept responsibility, since they had been working to drawings and specifications supplied to them by the LCDR. Accordingly, during 1862–65, the Tiger class were rebuilt at Longhedge Railway Works with the wheel arrangement and modified frames, after which they became much more satisfactory in regard to acceleration, stability and maintenance costs.
Like other LCDR locomotives delivered prior to 1874, the locomotives had no numbers at first, being distinguished by name. In November 1875, William Kirtley (who had replaced Martley following the latter's death in 1874) allotted the class letter G. The locomotives were then given the numbers 3–26. Withdrawal began in January 1892, and by the time that the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR) was formed at the start of 1899, nine remained in service. Of these, four were transferred directly to the duplicate list and had their LCDR numbers suffixed with the letter A; four had their numbers increased by 459 to avoid duplication with former South Eastern Railway locomotives; and one was both increased by 459 and suffixed A. The last one was withdrawn in March 1907.
Name Builder Works no. Built Rebuilt LCDR Number SECR Number Withdrawn Falcon Peto, Brassey & Betts — 1863 3 — Vulture Peto, Brassey & Betts — 1862 4 4A Heron Peto, Brassey & Betts — 1864 5 — Stork Peto, Brassey & Betts — 1864 6 — Swift Peto, Brassey & Betts — 1862 7 — Dottrel Peto, Brassey & Betts — 1864 8 8A Swallow Peto, Brassey & Betts — 1863 9 9A Ostrich Peto, Brassey & Betts — 1863 10 10A Petrel Peto, Brassey & Betts — 1863 11 470 Pelican Peto, Brassey & Betts — 1865 12 — Lynx Slaughter, Grüning 446 1863 13 — Gorilla Slaughter, Grüning 447 1865 14 — Tiger Slaughter, Grüning 448 1863 16 — Leopard Slaughter, Grüning 449 1865 18 477 Jackall Slaughter, Grüning 450 1863 19 — Panther Slaughter, Grüning 451 1863 21 480 Cerberus Hawthorn 1120 1864 15 — Gorgon Hawthorn 1121 1864 17 — Harpy Hawthorn 1122 1864 20 — Pegasus Hawthorn 1123 1865 22 481 Satyr Hawthorn 1124 1865 23 — Lethe; later Sphynx Hawthorn 1125 1865 24 — Siren Hawthorn 1126 1865 25; 25A from July 1892 — Xanthus Hawthorn 1127 1864 26 485A Lethe was renamed Sphynx in August 1862, because the railway staff found the name difficult to pronounce.
Notes
References