At the turn of the 20th century, the 4-4-0 was the most popular wheel arrangement for passenger work, so it was natural that when the South Eastern & Chatham Railway was looking to upgrade its fleet it opted for some, with the resulting ‘D’ class amongst the most handsome locomotives of the period, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES describes.
Above: The ornate SECR lined green livery suited the Wainwright ‘D’ class design perfectly. 488 stands at Charing Cross station in 1903 at just one year old. Rail Archive Stephenson/Rail Online.
THE amalgamation of what had been two bitter rivals, the South Eastern Railway and the London Chatham & Dover Railway, in 1899 brought two fleets of locomotives together under the control of noted engineer Harry Wainwright. Both companies had invested heavily in modern express engines but at the expense of lesser types, many of which would need replacement in the near future. To overcome this shortage, Wainwright proposed two different designs, a 4-4-0 for general main line work and the other a 4-4-2 to be used purely for expresses. The construction of these would allow older engines to be cascaded to less arduous duties.
Wainwright’s idea for an outside-cylinder 4-4-2 for exp…
