role as a freight locomotive, the Q Class carried the Southern Black livery. The locomotive number and "Southern" were located on the tender, and were painted in Sunshine Yellow. The numbering of the locomotives under the Southern Railway ranged from 530 to 549. Even though they were built under the tenure of Bulleid, the locomotives never followed his adaptation of the UIC classification system which refers to the number of leading, trailing and driving axles – in this case three. Under this system, this class would have had the prefix "C" before the numbers, such as C30. In the event this form of numbering was applied to Bulleid's Q1 Class locomotives of 1942. Post-1948 (nationalisation) Early livery included the temporary retention of the Southern number and remained black, although in certain cases "British Railways" was applied to the tender in place of "Southern", in Sunshine Yellow. Under British Railways the class was given the power classification 4F. Immediately after nationalisation the Q Class was given a temporary "S" prefix to the original Southern Railway number. As overhauls and re-paints became due, the class was eventually re-numbered within the British Railways standard numbering system and the livery was changed to British Railways goods plain black with the crest on the tender and numbering on the side of the cab. These locomotive numbers ranged from 30530 to 30549. Locomotive summary References Notes Bibliography External links Class Q Details at Rail UK Maunsell Society page on 541 Kent Rail - Tunbridge Wells West. Includes a rare photograph of solitary stovepipe Q Class no.549 Q 0-6-0 locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 1938 Freight locomotives Standard gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain