James I'Anson Cudworth (12 January 1817 – 22 October 1899) was an English railway engineer, and was Locomotive Superintendent of the South Eastern Railway (SER). He served in this capacity from 1845 to 1876. He is notable for designing a successful method for burning coal in steam locomotives without significant emission of smoke, and for introducing the 0-4-4T wheel arrangement to English railways.
Early life Cudworth was born in Darlington, County Durham on 12 January 1817, the second of three children born to William Cudworth and Mary I'Anson (born 18 November 1785, Darlington). His parents were Quakers, and had married in 1810; William Cudworth was a grocer and druggist, whilst Mary I'Anson's family name was of Scandinavian origin. James Cudworth's elder brother William was a civil engineer, and worked for the Stockton and Darlington Railway; William's son William John, also a civil engineer, worked for the North Eastern Railway.
Career Cudworth was apprenticed to Robert Stephenson & Co Ltd from March 1831. After completing his apprenticeship, he became a chargehand at Stephenson's, before being appointed Locomotive Superintendent of the Great North of England Railway in February 1840. On 22 May 1845, Cudworth was appointed Locomotive Superintendent to the South Eastern Railway, which was in the process of leaving the Brighton, Croydon and Dover Joint Committee; this committee (and its predecessor the Croydon and Dover Joint Committee) had handled all SER locomotive affairs since March 1842, as well as those of the London and Croydon Railway, and, since March 1844, the London and Brighton Railway. The committee had shared maintenance facilities for the three railways, but on its dissolution, the SER needed to provide its own workshops. Cudworth was given the task of establishing suitable facilities, his salary being increased from £350 to £500 per annum. Repair shops were built near the terminus at Bricklayers Arms, but the site was cramped. In February 1846, 185 acres (75 ha) of land were bought at Ashford, Kent, and in October 1847, Ashford railway works began repairing locomotives. In 1845, he built the 2-2-2 locomotive White Horse of Kent, which was constructed on the uniflow principle. Cudworth's early locomotives were on the Stephenson long-boilered principle. White Horse of Kent was not a success, being described by Daniel Gooch as unsafe. It was later converted to a 2-4-0. In 1850, Ashford Works completed a small locomotive which had been part-assembled at Bricklayers Arms, but the first engines entirely constructed at Ashford Works were 2-4-0s for the Hastings Line, which were placed in service during 1853–4. These engines were known as the 59 class. In 1847, the SER purchased a number of 4-2-0 Cramptons from Tulk & Ley, Whitehaven, Cumberland. In 1849, Cudworth converted four long-boilered 4-2-0s to Cramptons in an effort to improve their riding. By 1855, Cudworth started to introduce more conventional steam locomotives. Fifty three 0-6-0 goods engines were constructed at Ashford Works between 1855 and 1876. The engines were double framed, with 16" x 24" cylinders. A number of these engines were rebuilt twice, firstly by Cudworth and later by Stirling. The engines gave over 40 years service on the South Eastern Main Line. In 1857, Cudworth introduced a class of 2-4-0s. Forty eight were built by contractors, and 68 were built at Ashford Works between 1857 and 1875. Many of them were rebuilt by Stirling. These engines also gave many years service on the SER. In 1861, Cudworth introduced a class of 2-2-2 express passenger locomotives with 7 feet (2.13 m) diameter driving wheels. These engines gave over 20 years service on the boat trains serving Folkestone and Dover, finally being replaced in 1884 by Stirling's F Class 4-4-0s. Cudworth was also responsible for the introduction of the 0-4-4T wheel arrangement for steam locomotives to English railways, with his 235 class of 1866. Cudworth had three main achievements on the SER: he planned the layout of Ashford Works and brought it to such a standard that the company was able to begin production of its own locomotives in 1853; with two of his classes (the "Standard Goods" 0-6-0 of 1855 and the 118 class 2-4-0 of 1859), practised locomotive standardisation on a scale unheard of on other contemporary railways; and, at a time when coke (a smokeless fuel, but expensive) was normal for railways, designed a successful coal-burning firebox. In 1874, Cudworth was appointed Locomotive Engineer of the SER, with Alfred Watkin, son of SER chairman Sir Edward Watkin appointed Locomotive Superintendent at a salary of £500. Cudworth was not disposed to toe Watkin's line, which put a strain on their relationship. In 1876, Watkin persuaded John Ramsbottom of the London & North Western Railway (LNWR) to design several 2-4-0 passenger engines for the SER, unbeknown to Cudworth. Orders were placed with Sharp, Stewart of Manchester and Avonside of Bristol for ten engines each. The locomotives were very similar to the LNWR's Precedent Class locomotives. Known as the Ironclads, they replaced the Singles on the boat trains for a short time, but were quickly relegated to less prestige duties and the Singles resumed their former role. When Cudworth found out about the engines, he was furious and resigned. It was considered by many on the Board of the SER that Cudworth had been sacked.
Coal-burning firebox
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