The LCDR ''Acis'' class was a class of fourteen 0-6-0 steam locomotives designed by

William Martley William Martley (4 January 1824 – 6 February 1874) was the locomotive superintendent of the London Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR) in England from 1860 until his death. Biography William was born in Ballyfallon, in County Meath, Ireland, in 1 ...

for the

London, Chatham and Dover Railway The London, Chatham and Dover Railway (LCDR or LC&DR) was a railway company in south-eastern England created on 1 August 1859, when the East Kent Railway was given parliamentary approval to change its name. Its lines ran through London and no ...

(LCDR) to haul goods trains. 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 Sharp, Stewart and Company was a steam locomotive manufacturer, initially located in Manchester, England. The company was formed in 1843 upon the demise of Sharp, Roberts & Co.. It moved to Glasgow, Scotland, in 1888, eventually amalgamating wit ...

), Robert Sinclair (of the

Eastern Counties Railway The Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) was an English railway company incorporated in 1836 intended to link London with Ipswich via Colchester, and then extend to Norwich and Yarmouth. Construction began in 1837 on the first nine miles at the Lond ...

) and

Thomas Russell Crampton Thomas Russell Crampton, MICE, MIMechE (6 August 1816 – 19 April 1888) was an English engineer born at Broadstairs, Kent, and trained on Brunel's Great Western Railway. He is best known for designing the Crampton locomotive but had many eng ...

, they decided upon forty new locomotives: eight 1st class fast locomotives, seventeen general purpose passenger locomotives, and fifteen goods locomotives. After discussion with

, the quantities needed for the two passenger types were revised to five 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 ''Acis'' class, intended to comprise 15 goods locomotives, were ordered from two firms: eight were ordered in July 1860 from

Robert Stephenson and Company Robert Stephenson and Company was a locomotive manufacturing company founded in 1823 in Forth Street, Newcastle upon Tyne in England. It was the first company in the world created specifically to build railway engines. Famous early locomoti ...

at £3,320 each; and after negotiations with various firms concerning prices and delivery dates, a further seven were ordered in August 1860 from

at £3,284 each. As with the ''Echo'' and ''Tiger'' classes, the locomotives were equipped with the Cudworth coal-burning firebox. They were delivered to the LCDR between September 1861 and December 1862, but the Sharp Stewart order was reduced from seven to six in June 1862, and that firm was given an order for an additional locomotive of the ''Dawn'' class instead. 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 H. The locomotives were then given the numbers 113–126. All were still in service when the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SECR) was formed at the start of 1899: their numbers were increased by 459 to avoid duplication with former South Eastern Railway locomotives, and so they became SECR nos. 572–585. Four (nos. 574/5/9/85 were transferred to the duplicate list in 1903 and 1907 when their numbers were needed for new locomotives, and their numbers were suffixed with the letter "A". Withdrawal occurred between June 1903 and December 1908. The cancelled Sharp, Stewart locomotive was to have been named ''

Sphynx The Sphynx cat (pronounced , ) also known as the Canadian Sphynx, is a breed of cat known for its lack of fur. Hairlessness in cats is a naturally occurring genetic mutation, and the Sphynx was developed through selective breeding of these ani ...

'', and this name was used for one of the ''Tiger'' class in August 1862.

Notes

References

* * {{DISPLAYTITLE:LCDR ''Acis'' class Acis 0-6-0 locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 1861 Sharp Stewart locomotives Robert Stephenson and Company locomotives Scrapped locomotives Standard gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain