LB&SCR B4 class

Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox Locomotive The B4 class were 4-4-0 steam locomotives built for express passenger work on the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. They were designed by R. J. Billinton and were built at Brighton works 1899–1902 and 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.

Construction

File:A London Brighton and South Coast Railway Brighton Belle Pullman express train.jpg

A postcard depicting a B4 heading the celebrated Pullman Brighton Belle

The performance of Robert Billinton's B2 class 4-4-0 locomotives of 1895–1897 had proved insufficient and they were unable to replace the earlier Stroudley B1 class 0-4-2 on the heaviest London to Brighton express trains. Billinton therefore sought authority to construct 25 larger and more powerful 4-4-0 B4 class locomotives. The first two, Nos. 52 and 53, were completed at Brighton works between December 1899 and January 1900, both of which performed well and showed the new design was sound. However, during the spring of 1900 a backlog of repair work at Brighton meant that the third (No. 54) was not completed until May of that year. The railway therefore approached Sharp, Stewart and Company to supply twenty-five further examples over the next twelve months. These were all delivered between June and October 1901. By 1901 Brighton had overcome the backlog of repair work and five further locomotive boilers were ordered from Sharp, Stewart and Company to be used on additional locomotives to be built at Brighton between June and September 1902.

Use

The B4 class successfully hauled the heaviest express trains on the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway until around 1912 when they were gradually replaced by the larger H1, H2, J1 and J2 classes. Thereafter they were regularly used on slower and lighter services. According to O. S. Nock, the B4 class "were among the finest passenger locomotives of their day".Template:Sfn

Rebuilds

File:2060 unknown location 1948.jpg

B4X No. 2060 formerly named Kimberley pictured in 1948

In 1918, No. 46 was rebuilt by Lawson Billinton with a new boiler including a Robinson superheater, but the resulting locomotive was not tested before he decided to rebuild other members of the class, using his K class superheated boiler. The rebuilt locomotives were classified B4X, but since the original frames could not be used (as the K class firebox was too long to fit between the axles, new frames, and new piston valve cylinders) they were virtually new engines.Template:Sfn However the original motion and motion plate was retained to save costs, which meant that the piston valves were in the constricted space below the cylinders at an angle to the axis of the cylinders. Only Template:Cvt-diameter valves could be fitted in, and combined with the restricted exhaust arrangement ensured they could not make full use of the K class boiler.

Acceleration from stops was very slow and they could only reach speeds up to Template:Convert while newly outshopped and with great difficulty in places, where the Atlantics, J class and Baltics could reach Template:Convert. Twelve members of the class were 'rebuilt' between August 1922 and January 1924, but further modifications were deferred by Southern Railway CME Richard Maunsell when it became clear their performance was not satisfactory. When Harold Holcroft was tasked by Maunsell to report on the post grouping loco stock, he found that the B4x were very expensive compared to the SECR rebuilds (D1/E1) and far less capable. It wasn't until 1929 that they could be transferred from express work to secondary duties.

The B4 and B4x classes remained in service, but thirteen examples were withdrawn between 1934 and 1939. Withdrawals paused with the outbreak of World War II and six B4s and twelve B4Xs passed to British Railways in 1948. All had been withdrawn and by 1951.

Locomotive summary

LB&SCR No.	Build Date	Builder	Rebuilt B4X	LBSCR Name	Renamed/date	1st SR No.	2nd SR No.	BR No.	Date withdrawn
42	Template:Dts	Brighton	—	His Majesty		B42	2042	–	Template:Dts
43	Template:Dts	Brighton	Template:Dts	Duchess of Fife		B43	2043	32043	Template:Dts
44	Template:Dts	Brighton	—	Cecil Rhodes		B44	2044	—	Template:Dts
45	Template:Dts	Brighton	Template:Dts	Bessborough		B45	2045	—	Template:Dts
46	Template:Dts	Brighton	—	Prince of Wales		B46	2046	—	Template:Dts
47	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	—	Canada		B47	2047	—	Template:Dts
48	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	—	Australia		B48	2048	—	Template:Dts
49	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	—	Queensland*	Duchess of Norfolk/1904	B49	2049	—	Template:Dts
50	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	Template:Dts	Tasmania		B50	2050	—	Template:Dts
51	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	—	Wolferton		B51	2051	—	Template:Dts
52	Template:Dts	Brighton	Template:Dts	Siemens	Sussex/1908	B52	2052	—	Template:Dts
53	Template:Dts	Brighton	—	Sirdar	Richmond/1906	B53	2053	—	Template:Dts
54	Template:Dts	Brighton	—	Empress	Princess Royal/1906	B54	2054	—	Template:Dts
55	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	Template:Dts	Emperor		B55	2055	—	Template:Dts
56	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	Template:Dts	Roberts		B56	2056	—	Template:Dts
57	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	—	Buller		B57	2057	—	Template:Dts
58	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	—	Kitchener		B58	2058	—	Template:Dts
59	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	—	Baden Powell		B59	2059	—	Template:Dts
60	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	Template:Dts	Kimberley		B60	2060	s2060	Template:Dts
61	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	—	Ladysmith		B61	2061	—	Template:Dts
62	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	—	Mafeking		B62	2062	—	Template:Dts
63	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	—	Pretoria		B63	2063	—	Template:Dts
64	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	—	Windsor	Norfolk/1908	B64	2064	—	Template:Dts
65	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	—	Sandringham		B65	2065	—	Template:Dts
66	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	—	Balmoral	Billinton/1906	B66	2066	—	Template:Dts
67	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	Template:Dts	Osborne		B67	2067	—	Template:Dts
68	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	—	Marlborough		B68	2068	—	Template:Dts
69	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	—	Bagshot		B69	2069	—	Template:Dts
70	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	Template:Dts	Holyrood	Devonshire/1907.03	B70	2070	—	Template:Dts
71	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	Template:Dts	Goodwood		B71	2071	32071	Template:Dts
72	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	Template:Dts	Sussex		B72	2072	32072	Template:Dts
73	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	Template:Dts	Westminster		B73	2073	—	Template:Dts
74	Template:Dts	Sharp, Stewart & Co.	—	Cornwall		B74	2074	—	Template:Dts

External links

• Rail UK database, B4
• Rail UK database, B4X
• LB&SCR online, B4 class