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 Side-view builder's photo of LB&SCR I2 class 4-4-2T. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The LBSCR I2 class was a class of 4-4-2 steam tank locomotives designed by D. E. Marsh for suburban passenger service on the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. The I4 class were of the same design but incorporated a superheated boiler.
In 1907, following the failure of his I1 class, Douglas Earle Marsh sought to remedy some of the faults with a new design of 4-4-2T with a longer wheelbase, larger boiler and detailed changes to the front end. [1] In the original order, five of the locomotives would incorporate a superheated boiler, to be supplied by the North British Locomotive Company, and the remainder traditional saturated steam boilers from Brighton Works. [1] In the event, the superheated boilers were delayed in construction and so all ten I2 locomotives had traditional boilers. [1]
When the superheated boilers eventually arrived they were used for five further locomotives of the same design as the I2, but these were classified as I4. [1]
Unfortunately neither the I2 nor I4 class addressed the fundamental problems with the I1 class, which was a firebox that was far too small. [2] As a result, the two classes had relatively short lives working lightly loaded secondary services, and the Stroudley D1 class, and Billinton E4 class, which they had been designed to replace, continued working.
LB&SCR numbers were 11-20 and 31-35. The Southern Railway, which acquired the locomotives in 1923, initially numbered them B11-B20, B31-35 and later 2011-2020, 2031-2035.
All the I2 were withdrawn between 1933 and 1939 [3] but two locomotives, numbers 2013 and 2019, saw further service on the Longmoor Military Railway where they survived until at least 1947. At Longmoor, they were numbered 2400 and 2401 respectively. These numbers were later changed to 72400 and 72401. [4] The I4 class were withdrawn between 1936 and 1940. No examples of either class have been preserved.
| LB&SC Number | Built | S.R. Number | Withdrawal | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | December 1907 | 2011 | January 1933 | I2 |
| 12 | March 1908 | 2012 | March 1935 | I2 |
| 13 | April 1908 | 2013 | January 1939 | I2, became W.D. 72400 Earl Roberts |
| 14 | April 1908 | 2014 | February 1933 | I2 |
| 15 | May 1908 | 2015 | January 1936 | I2 |
| 16 | June 1908 | 2016 | September 1933 | I2 |
| 17 | July 1908 | 2017 | January 1938 | I2 |
| 18 | July 1908 | 2018 | April 1936 | I2 |
| 19 | July 1908 | 2019 | November 1937 | I2, became W.D. 72401 |
| 20 | August 1908 | 2020 | February 1936 | I2 |
| 31 | September 1908 | 2031 | January 1936 | I4 |
| 32 | November 1908 | 2032 | July 1937 | I4 |
| 33 | November 1908 | 2033 | July 1937 | I4 |
| 34 | December 1908 | 2034 | May 1940 | I4 |
| 35 | January 1909 | 2035 | February 1937 | I4 |
The Southern Railway took a key role in expanding the 660 V DC third rail electrified network begun by the London & South Western Railway. As a result of this, and its smaller operating area, its steam locomotive stock was the smallest of the 'Big Four' companies.
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, 4-4-2 represents a configuration of a four-wheeled leading bogie, four powered and coupled driving wheels, and two trailing wheels supporting part of the weight of the boiler and firebox. This allows a larger firebox and boiler than the 4-4-0 configuration.
A superheater is a device used to convert saturated steam or wet steam into superheated steam or dry steam. Superheated steam is used in steam turbines for electricity generation, in some steam engines, and in processes such as steam reforming. There are three types of superheaters: radiant, convection, and separately fired. A superheater can vary in size from a few tens of feet to several hundred feet.
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Class 27 is a class of 0-6-0 steam locomotive designed for freight work on the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (L&YR).
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway E4 class is a class of 0-6-2T side tank steam locomotive designed by Robert Billinton. They were introduced in 1897 and were essentially a larger version of the E3 Class. The cylinder diameter was reduced from 18 to 17.5 inches by the Southern Railway.
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) E2 class was a class of 0-6-0T steam locomotives designed by Lawson Billinton, intended for shunting and short distance goods trains. Ten examples were built between 1913 and 1916. Some of these tank engines were trialled on push-pull passenger trains in which they were proven to be unworthy due to their roughness at speed and inadequate coal bunker capacity. All were withdrawn from service and scrapped between 1961 and 1963.
The B4 class were 4-4-0 steam locomotives for express passenger work on the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. They were designed by R. J. Billinton and were either built at Brighton works 1899–1902 or else by Messrs Sharp, Stewart and Company in 1901. Twelve members of the class were rebuilt from 1922 to 1924 by L. B. Billinton with a larger boiler, cylinders and a superheater. The rebuilt locomotives were classified B4X.
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway E3 class were 0-6-2T side tank steam locomotives. One prototype was designed by William Stroudley shortly before his death, but was completed by R. J. Billinton, who later built sixteen further locomotives.
The LB&SCR K class were powerful 2-6-0 mixed traffic locomotives designed by L. B. Billinton for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) in 1913. They appeared shortly before the First World War and the first ten examples of the class did prodigious work during that conflict on munitions, supply and troop trains. Further examples were built after the war, and the class was used as a test bed for various items of specialised equipment. However, after the formation of the Southern Railway in 1923 the remaining three locomotives on order were not completed and the seventeen members of the class led relatively quiet yet reliable lives over their traditional lines. The locomotives proved their usefulness once again during the Second World War, and continued to provide reliable service until the 1960s. The entire class was eventually withdrawn in 1962 for 'bookkeeping' rather than 'operational' reasons.
Douglas Earle Marsh (1862–1933) was an English railway engineer, and was the Locomotive, Carriage and Wagon Superintendent of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway from November 1904 until his early retirement on health grounds in July 1911.
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway E1 Class were 0-6-0T steam locomotives designed by William Stroudley in 1874 for short-distance goods and piloting duties. They were originally classified E, and generally known as "E-tanks"; They were reclassified E1 in the time of D. E. Marsh.
The LB&SCR I1 class was a class of 4-4-2 steam tank locomotives designed by D. E. Marsh for suburban passenger service on the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway.
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway E5 class was a class of 0-6-2T side tank steam locomotive designed by Robert Billinton. They were introduced in 1902 and were a larger version of the E4 Class intended for semi-fast secondary passenger work.
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway E6 class was a class of 0-6-2T side tank steam locomotive designed by Robert Billinton. They were introduced in 1904 and were a development of the E5 class with smaller driving wheels intended for heavy short and medium-distance freight trains.
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway C3 class was a class of 0-6-0 steam locomotives, intended for heavy freight trains. Ten were built by Brighton railway works in 1906 to the design of Douglas Earle Marsh.
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) H1 class was a class of 4-4-2 steam locomotives for express passenger work. They were designed by D. E. Marsh and were built by Messrs Kitson and Company in 1905 and 1906.
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway H2 class was a class of 4-4-2 steam locomotives for express passenger work. They were designed when D. E. Marsh was officially Locomotive Superintendent, and were built at Brighton Works in 1911 and 1912. As Marsh had worked on the Great Northern Railway as Chief Assistant to Henry Ivatt, the design closely followed that of the GNR Class C1. The entire class was scrapped by British Railways, but a replica entered service on the Bluebell Railway in 2024.
The LB&SCR I3 class was a class of 4-4-2 steam tank locomotives designed by D. E. Marsh for suburban passenger service on the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway.
The LB&SCR J1 and J2 classes were 4-6-2 steam tank locomotives designed by D. E. Marsh for express passenger services on the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway.
The North Staffordshire Railway (NSR) New L Class was a class of 0-6-2T steam locomotives designed by John H. Adams, third son of William Adams. They were designed as a development as the previous L Class, adding a boiler common to the M Class and differed from the L Class with, amongst other things higher bunker sides and new cab roofs, and the abandonment of the cast safety valve cover. 28 were built between 1908 and 1923, with the final four constructed under the auspices of the newly formed LMS with the whole class withdrawn by the end of 1937. There is one survivor.