The First Series

As built:
Nos 3251-3320
5 tons coal, 4,500 gallons water
Weight: 42 tons 12 cwt fully laden.
Wheelbase: 6 ft 6 in + 6 ft 6 in
Built: 1945-7

Based on the Merchant Navy tenders, the Light Pacific tenders were smaller and fitted with four rather than three vacuum reservoir cylinders, mounted on top of the tender behind the coal. The front was connected to the engine's cab with flexible sheeting. As is mentioned above, each tender had the raves that had been a feature of the Merchant Navy tenders, but these caused problems when coaling and watering whilst water could collect behind them which accelerated the onset of rust and corrosion. To counter-act this three tenders had the raves cut down in 1952, which was deemed a great success (though not for aesthetics) but despite this, no more were so treated until the modifying programme began in 1957.
All these tenders gave a lot of trouble and suffered from split welds, bulging plating and buckled washplates as well as the corrosion mentioned above. Most had repairs and strengthening but three had to be modified, at which time their width was increased to 9', the water capacity was increased to 5,250 gallons and the fully laden weight to 46 tons 16 cwt. In addition, when 9' wide tender number 3354 was similarly modified, the tank was re-used on tender 3271, thus giving it a water capacity of 5,500 gallons.
Bearing in mind the problems associated with this first series is is interesting to note that the first tender, N°3251, lasted until the end of Southern Steam in July 1967.

Modified tenders:
Nos 3261 (Feb 1959), 3273 (Mar 1960) and 3313 (Jan 1959)
5 tons coal, 5,250 gallons water
Weight: 46 tons 16 cwt fully laden.
Rebodied tender:
No 3271 (Mar 1959)
5 tons coal, 5,500 gallons water
Weight: ?

These were easily recognisable from the remainder of the first series cut down tenders as, apart from the 9' tank they had higher side plating, rectangular manhole covers, BR pattern lockers, more robust rear ladders and carried their oval number plate on the opposite side from the original Bulleid tenders.

First series, 4,500 gallon, modified 8' 6" wide tender N°3286 attached to N°34033 Chard and photographed at Eastleigh during 1965. photograph by Keith Harwood

The Second Series

As built:
Nos 3321-3340 and 3351-3370 *
5 tons coal, 5,500 gallons water
47 tons 15 cwt fully laden
Wheelbase: 6 ft 6 in + 6 ft 6 in
* the 'missing' ten numbers were given to Merchant Navy tenders.

The decision not to use the Light Pacifics on the Tonbridge-Hastings route allowed the remaining locomotives to be built a little wider at 9', so the tenders followed suit. The extra width allowed for an increase in water capacity to 5,500 gallons. Subsequent tender swaps led to cases of 8' 6" wide locos with 9' wide tenders, and vice versa.
These second series tenders did not give as many problems as the first and only one, 3354, was modified. The original water tank, though, must have been in good condition as it was re-used on 8' 6" wide tender number 3271, as detailed above. All bar one of the second series were modified with cut-down raves, as with the first series of 8' 6" tenders above.

Modified tender
No 3354 (Nov 1958)
5 tons coal, 5,250 gallons water
Weight: 46 tons 16 cwt fully laden.

photograph by Dave Mant Second series, 5,500 gallon, modified 9' wide tender N°3352 attached to N°34040 Crewkerne and photographed at the Salisbury coal stage on 19th March 1966.

photograph by Dave Mant A rather grainy picture, but..... On the right is 34040 on Salisbury turntable on 19th March 1966 and the characteristics of the 9' wide, 5,500 gallon, cut-down tender can be seen. The raised section of the tank is clearly visible, and the correpondingly high vacuum cylinders with the cover almost as high as the top of the coal space. On the left is a cut-down 4,500 gallon tender which has a flat top where the tank does not rise as high, and the cover over the vacuum cylinders can be seen to be appreciably lower when compared with the coal space than on the 5,500 gallon tender.

Between Autumn 1948 and summer 1949 five of the Light Pacific tenders were loaned to new Merchant Navy class locomotives whose tenders were not yet built.
Some locomotives kept the same tender for the whole of their lives whilst others had as many as seven attached. Towards the end of Southern steam it is quite possible that there were more tender swaps that were not officially recorded, which would have a bearing on the information below:

Please note, this article only touches on the complexity of this subject and for more in-depth information you are recommended to read one of the many excellent books on the subject,
e.g.The Book of the West Country and Battle of Britain Pacifics, Richard Derry, Irwell Press ISBN 1-903266-23-8
Locomotives of the Southern Railway, Part 2, D L Bradley, ISBN 0-9011115-31-2.