LB&SCR E6 class
Encyclopedia
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
E6 Class is a class of 0-6-2Tside 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.
radial tanks
were useful on all but the heaviest freight trains in congested the London area, which required rapid acceleration from signals in order to avoid holding up other traffic. Robert Billinton
therefore produced a version of his successful E5 passenger tank
class with smaller 4 in 6 in (1.37 m) driving wheels for this purpose. Twelve locomotives were built by Brighton Works
between December 1904 and December 1905. The last two locomotives were originally intended to be built as 0-8-0
s for heavy shunting purposes but Billinton died in November 1904 before any were built and the order was subsequently changed by his successor D. E. Marsh
.
The E6s were successful goods locomotives, but in 1911 two examples were rebuilt with the larger C3 class
boiler and a C2X class
smokebox and were re-classified E6X. These two locomotives proved to be very powerful, but used significantly more fuel and no more examples were rebuilt.
All of the class survived the transfer to Southern Railway
ownership in 1923, and British Railways ownership in 1948. Withdrawal commenced in September 1957 and was completed by December 1962. No examples have been preserved.
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
E6 Class is a class of 0-6-2Tside tank steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
designed by Robert Billinton
R. J. Billinton
Robert John Billinton was the Locomotive, Carriage, Wagon and Marine Superintendent of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway from 1890 until his death.-Early career:...
. They were introduced in 1904 and were a development of the E5 class
LB&SCR E5 class
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway E5 Class is a class of 0-6-2Tside 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....
with smaller driving wheels intended for heavy short and medium-distance freight trains.
History
The E3 classLB&SCR E3 Class
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway E3 Class were 0-6-2Tside tank steam locomotives. Seventeen were built and they were designed by R. J. Billinton as a development of an earlier design by William Stroudley....
radial tanks
Radial axle
A radial axle is an axle on a railway locomotive or carriage which has been designed to move laterally when entering a curve in order to reduce the flange and rail wear....
were useful on all but the heaviest freight trains in congested the London area, which required rapid acceleration from signals in order to avoid holding up other traffic. Robert Billinton
R. J. Billinton
Robert John Billinton was the Locomotive, Carriage, Wagon and Marine Superintendent of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway from 1890 until his death.-Early career:...
therefore produced a version of his successful E5 passenger tank
LB&SCR E5 class
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway E5 Class is a class of 0-6-2Tside 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....
class with smaller 4 in 6 in (1.37 m) driving wheels for this purpose. Twelve locomotives were built by Brighton Works
Brighton railway works
Brighton railway works was one of the earliest railway-owned locomotive repair works, founded in 1840 by the London and Brighton Railway in Brighton, England, and thus pre-dating the more famous railway works at Crewe, Doncaster and Swindon...
between December 1904 and December 1905. The last two locomotives were originally intended to be built as 0-8-0
0-8-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels...
s for heavy shunting purposes but Billinton died in November 1904 before any were built and the order was subsequently changed by his successor D. E. Marsh
D. E. Marsh
Douglas Earle Marsh 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.-Early career:...
.
The E6s were successful goods locomotives, but in 1911 two examples were rebuilt with the larger C3 class
LB&SCR C3 class
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.-History:...
boiler and a C2X class
LB&SCR C2 Class
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway C2 class was a class of 0-6-0 steam locomotives, intended for heavy freight trains. Fifty-five were built by the Vulcan Foundry between 1893 and 1902 to the design of Robert J. Billinton.-History:...
smokebox and were re-classified E6X. These two locomotives proved to be very powerful, but used significantly more fuel and no more examples were rebuilt.
All of the class survived the transfer to Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
ownership in 1923, and British Railways ownership in 1948. Withdrawal commenced in September 1957 and was completed by December 1962. No examples have been preserved.
Numbering
British Railways (BR) numbers were 32407-32418. The E6X locomotives were 32407 and 32411.Sources
- Bradley, D.L. (1974) Locomotives of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway, Part 3. Railway Correspondence and Travel Society.