LCDR R class

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LCDR R class locomotives

The LCDR R class was a group of 18 steam tank locomotives built in 1891 for the London, Chatham and Dover Railway. Designed by William Kirtley as a development of his A2 class, they were built by Sharp, Stewart & Co and fitted with condensing gear to work on the Widened Lines.

Key facts
- Configuration: 0-4-4T; gauge 4 ft 8 1/2 in; driver diameter 5 ft 6 in; wheelbase 21 ft 6 in
- Weight and capacity: 49.75 long tons; fuel 2 long tons; water 1,100 imperial gallons
- Firebox and boiler: grate area 16.25 sq ft; boiler pressure 150 psi; heating surface 1,071 sq ft
- Cylinders: two inside, 17 in × 24 in; brakes: Westinghouse

Operators and numbers
- LCDR numbers 199–216; SECR 658–675 (from 1899); SR 1658–1675 (from 1931); BR 31658–31675 (from 1948)
- Class nickname: Bobtails

Withdrawal and fate
- Three locomotives (Nos. 1664, 1668 and 1669) were withdrawn in 1940 to provide spares
- The rest were withdrawn between 1949 and 1955; all were scrapped
- Notably, No. 207 (later BR 31666) was the last former LCDR locomotive to be withdrawn from service