LB&SCR E4 class
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 No. 32473, formerly named Birch Grove, at Stewart's Lane in 1960. This engine was subsequently preserved. |
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| Power type | Steam |
|---|---|
| Designer | R. J. Billinton |
| Build date | 1897 |
| Total production | 70 |
| Configuration | 0-6-2T |
| Gauge | 4' 8½" |
| Driver size | 5' 0" |
| Locomotive weight | E4: 56 tons 15 cwt to 57 tons 10 cwt E4X: 59 tons 5 cwt |
| Fuel type | coal |
| Boiler pressure | E4: 160 psi or 170 psi E4X: 170 psi |
| Cylinders | two inside |
| Cylinder size | 17½" x 26" |
| Tractive effort | E4: 18,050 lbf or 19,175 lbf E4X: 19,175 lbf |
| Class | 2MT |
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway E4 Class is a class of 0-6-2T steam locomotive designed by Robert Billinton. They were introduced in 1897 and were essentially a larger version of the E3 Class. Cylinder diameter was reduced from 18" to 17½" by the Southern Railway.
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[edit] Overview
The E4 class were powerful for their size and were stalwarts of local passenger, freight and branch work for much of their lives. However, with the arrival of Diesel Multiple Units on the few branch lines to survive the Beeching Axe, the locomotives became surplus to operationl requirements in their traditional haunts. However, they were found new jobs as station pilots, most famously at London Waterloo, where they brought empty carriage rakes into the station from the yards at Clapham Junction. They were also used on services such as the locally famous Lancing Belle, which ran from Brighton to the Lancing Carriage Works of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, often double-headed with members of the same class or the larger E6 class.
[edit] Numbering
British Railways (BR) numbers were 32463-32520, 32556-32566 and 32577-32582.
[edit] E4X class
In 1909, four locomotives were rebuilt by D. E. Marsh with larger boilers and designated E4X. These became BR numbers 32466, 32477, 32478 and 32489.
[edit] Preservation
Most of the class were withdrawn between 1958 and 1964, and one of the last in 1963 was no.32473. This was purchased by a group of preservationists and brought to the Bluebell Railway in East Sussex, where it has remained ever since, except for visits to other lines such as the Severn Valley Railway and Isle of Wight Steam Railway. The engine was withdrawn from traffic in 1971 and dismantled. Work however did not start in earnest until the 1980s and following a long overhaul, she returned to traffic in 1997 to celebrate her centenary in 1998. She was painted in the completely non-standard LBSC Marsh Umber livery with the name Birch Grove on the side tanks. In 2005 she was repainted into British Railways lined black passenger livery. She is currently out of service awaiting an overhaul after retiring in May 2008.
[edit] Sources
- Ian Allan ABC of British Railways Locomotives, 1949, part 2, page 35
[edit] External links
- E4 Class (SEMG gallery)
- Railuk database, E4
- Railuk database, E4X
- Bluebell Railway page on Birch Grove
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