LB&SCR H1 class
Encyclopedia
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
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 & Co.
in 1905 and 1906
Prior to taking up office as the Locomotive Superintendent of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
in 1905, Douglas Earle Marsh
had worked for the Great Northern Railway
at Doncaster Works
. There he had been involved in the design of the Klondyke class designed by Henry Ivatt
in 1897. There was an urgent need for new large express passenger locomotives for the LB&SCR and so he obtained a set of drawings from Doncaster, and made only detailed amendments before ordering them from the manufacturer. He did however increase the boiler pressure from 175 to 200 psi (1.2 to 1.4 MPa).
The class soon proved to be successful working the London to Brighton express trains including the heavily loaded Pullman services the "Brighton Limited", and The Southern Belle, which the LB&SCR described as "the most luxurious train in the World".
In May 1920 L. B. Billinton
wished to install the Schmidt
superheater
to improve the efficiency of the class, but was refused permission to do so by the Brighton
Locomotive Committee. This modification was however carried out by Richard Maunsell
of the Southern Railway
during 1925–1926 after the "Grouping"
of 1923.
During 1925 and 1926 the H1 class were gradually replaced on the London-Brighton express trains by the "King Arthur"
and "River" classes, but there was still plenty of work for them on other express services, including the boat trains connecting with the Newhaven
-Dieppe
ferry service. At the same time they were all named after geographical features of the south coast.
Following the cessation of the cross-channel ferries after 1940, as a result of the Second World War the class were left with little work to do and several were put into store or else moved to miscellaneous duties in southern England, and the first members of the class were withdrawn in 1944.
In July 1947 No. 2039 was experimentally rebuilt with sleeve valves
by Oliver Bulleid
as a mobile test bed in preparation for his Leader class
locomotives. It was never returned to its original state and in common with the remainder of the class had been withdrawn by 1951. None have survived.
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...
H1 class was a class of 4-4-2
4-4-2 (locomotive)
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
steam locomotives for express passenger work. They were designed by 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:...
and were built by Messrs Kitson & Co.
Kitson & Co.
Kitson and Company was a locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Early history:The company started as James Kitson at the Airedale Foundry, off Pearson Street, Hunslet in 1835 with Charles Todd as a partner...
in 1905 and 1906
Prior to taking up office as the Locomotive Superintendent of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
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...
in 1905, Douglas Earle 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:...
had worked for the Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
at Doncaster Works
Doncaster Works
Doncaster railway works is in the town of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England.Always referred to as "the Plant", it was established by the Great Northern Railway in 1853, replacing the previous works in Boston and Peterborough...
. There he had been involved in the design of the Klondyke class designed by Henry Ivatt
Henry Ivatt
Henry Alfred Ivatt was the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Great Northern Railway from 1896 to 1911.- Biography :...
in 1897. There was an urgent need for new large express passenger locomotives for the LB&SCR and so he obtained a set of drawings from Doncaster, and made only detailed amendments before ordering them from the manufacturer. He did however increase the boiler pressure from 175 to 200 psi (1.2 to 1.4 MPa).
The class soon proved to be successful working the London to Brighton express trains including the heavily loaded Pullman services the "Brighton Limited", and The Southern Belle, which the LB&SCR described as "the most luxurious train in the World".
In May 1920 L. B. Billinton
L. B. Billinton
Lawson Boskovsky Billinton was the locomotive engineer of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway from 1912 for ten years until his retirement in 1922....
wished to install the Schmidt
Wilhelm Schmidt (engineer)
Wilhelm Schmidt, known as Hot Steam Schmidt was a German engineer and inventor who achieved the breakthrough in the development of superheated steam technology for steam engines....
superheater
Superheater
A superheater is a device used to convert saturated steam or wet steam into dry steam used for power generation or processes. There are three types of superheaters namely: radiant, convection, and separately fired...
to improve the efficiency of the class, but was refused permission to do so by the Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
Locomotive Committee. This modification was however carried out by Richard Maunsell
Richard Maunsell
Richard Edward Lloyd Maunsell held the post of Chief Mechanical Engineer of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway from 1913 until the 1923 Grouping and then the post of CME of the Southern Railway in England until 1937....
of the 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...
during 1925–1926 after the "Grouping"
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
of 1923.
During 1925 and 1926 the H1 class were gradually replaced on the London-Brighton express trains by the "King Arthur"
LSWR N15 Class
The LSWR N15 class was a British 2–cylinder 4-6-0 express passenger steam locomotive designed by Robert W. Urie. The class has a complex build history spanning three sub-classes and eight years of construction from 1919 to 1926...
and "River" classes, but there was still plenty of work for them on other express services, including the boat trains connecting with the Newhaven
Newhaven, East Sussex
Newhaven is a town in the Lewes District of East Sussex in England. It lies at the mouth of the River Ouse, on the English Channel coast, and is a ferry port for services to France.-Origins:...
-Dieppe
Dieppe, Seine-Maritime
Dieppe is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in France. In 1999, the population of the whole Dieppe urban area was 81,419.A port on the English Channel, famous for its scallops, and with a regular ferry service from the Gare Maritime to Newhaven in England, Dieppe also has a popular pebbled...
ferry service. At the same time they were all named after geographical features of the south coast.
Following the cessation of the cross-channel ferries after 1940, as a result of the Second World War the class were left with little work to do and several were put into store or else moved to miscellaneous duties in southern England, and the first members of the class were withdrawn in 1944.
In July 1947 No. 2039 was experimentally rebuilt with sleeve valves
Sleeve valve
The sleeve valve is a type of valve mechanism for piston engines, distinct from the usual poppet valve. Sleeve-valve engines saw use in a number of pre-World War II luxury cars and in USA in the Willys-Knight car and light truck...
by Oliver Bulleid
Oliver Bulleid
Oliver Vaughan Snell Bulleid was a British railway and mechanical engineer best known as the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern Railway between 1937 and the 1948 nationalisation, developing many well-known locomotives.- Early life and Great Northern Railway :He was born in Invercargill,...
as a mobile test bed in preparation for his Leader class
SR Leader Class
The Leader was a class of experimental 0-6-6-0T articulated steam locomotive, produced in the United Kingdom to the design of the innovative engineer Oliver Bulleid. The Leader was an attempt to extend the life of steam traction by eliminating many of the operational drawbacks associated with...
locomotives. It was never returned to its original state and in common with the remainder of the class had been withdrawn by 1951. None have survived.
Locomotive Summary
| LB&SC Number | Built | S.R. Number | Name | B.R. Number | Withdrawal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | 2037 | Selsey Bill Selsey Bill Selsey Bill is a headland into the English Channel on the south coast of England in the county of West Sussex.The southern most town in Sussex is Selsey which is at the end of the Selsey Peninsula and Selsey Bill is situated on the towns southerncoastline... |
32037 | ||
| 38 | 2038 | Portland Bill Portland Bill Portland Bill is a narrow promontory of Portland stone, which forms the most southerly part of Isle of Portland, and therefore also the county of Dorset, England.... |
32038 | ||
| 39 | 2039 | Hartland Point Hartland Point Hartland Point is a high rocky outcrop of land on the northwestern tip of the Devon coast in England. It is three miles north-west of the village of Hartland. The point marks the western limit of the Bristol Channel with the Atlantic Ocean continuing to the west... |
32039 | ||
| 40 | 2040 | St Catherine's Point St Catherine's Point St. Catherine's Point is the southernmost point on the Isle of Wight. It is located close to the village of Niton and the point where the Back of the Wight changes to the Undercliff of Ventnor.... |
— | ||
| 41 | 2041 | Peveril Point Peveril Point Peveril Point is a promontory forming the easternmost part of the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, England, and is part of the town of Swanage.It is located at OS Grid Ref: SZ 041 787.On top is a coastguard hut... |
— |
Sources
- Bradley, D.L. (1974) Locomotives of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway Part 3, Railway Correspondence and Travel Society.