The SER R Class 0-6-0T was the first of a series of 0-6-0 tanks provided for the SER by J. Stirling. Prior to this the SER had been the only line of its size in Britain not using tank locomotives of this wheel arrangement, although three had been trialled many years earlier on the Folkestone Harbour branch. Principally built for shunting, the R Class was rarely seen in London being used in the main in Kent for such duties, also some passenger trains on the Whitstable branch and the Elham Valley line. Built with round-top cabs they were the only Stirling locos so treated, all his other classes having the more usual square type of cab. The boiler was the same as on the Q Class and the frames were the same as on the O Class tender locomotive.
Starting in 1910 Wainwright then rebuilt another thirteen locos as class R1 with his domed boiler and 'Pagoda' cab. Leading sandboxes under the footplate were provided on some of the locos, whilst those assigned for working the Folkestone Harbour branch had additional sandboxes in front of the driving wheels. This added to the confusion of class identities within the SECR as there had already been a SECR R1 Class in existence since 1900, being a larger version of the LCDR R Class locos!
The first loco to be withdrawn was No.341 as early as 1914, but no more were withdrawn until 1934. None of the R Class survived the war years, but all thirteen of the R1 Class survived into British Railways' ownership, with the last being withdrawn in March 1960. These locos had been particularly well known for their work on the Folkestone Harbour boat trains. It could take as many as four locos to lift a heavy train up the gradient from the Harbour station.
Poly counts: max 33810 at 0-20m, 4 LOD levels reducing to 524 at ca. 320m. Draw calls: max 17, min 3