LB&SCR H2 class
Encyclopedia
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
was on leave of absence due to sickness, and his assistant Lawson Billinton
was granted authority to construct a further six 4-4-2
'Atlantic' locomotives similar to the Marsh H1 class
but incorporating the Schmidt
superheater
.
and introduced between June 1911 and January 1912. They were an immediate success and shared with the H1 class
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".
As with the non-superheated class they were gradually replaced on the London-Brighton express trains in 1925/6 by the "King Arthur"
and "River" classes, but there was still plenty of work for them on other express services, including 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. The H2 class however returned to the boat trains after the end of the war and continued until the mid-1950s.
announced its intention to reconstruct a Brighton H2 Atlantic based on SR/BR period Beachy Head. At the time of writing many surviving locomotive parts had been assembled.http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/locos/atlantic/
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...
H2 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 when 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:...
was officially Locomotive Superintendent, and were built at 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...
in 1911 and 1912
Background
During 1911 D. E. MarshD. 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:...
was on leave of absence due to sickness, and his assistant Lawson 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....
was granted authority to construct a further six 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...
'Atlantic' locomotives similar to the Marsh H1 class
LB&SCR H1 class
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...
but incorporating 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...
.
Construction and use
The new H2 class locomotives built by Brighton railway worksBrighton 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...
and introduced between June 1911 and January 1912. They were an immediate success and shared with the H1 class
LB&SCR H1 class
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...
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".
As with the non-superheated class they were gradually replaced on the London-Brighton express trains in 1925/6 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 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. The H2 class however returned to the boat trains after the end of the war and continued until the mid-1950s.
Withdrawal
One member of the class was withdrawn in 1949, but the remainder continued in regular use until 1956. The last survivor was withdrawn in April 1958.Preservation
No examples of the H2 class were preserved, but on 29 October 2000 the Bluebell RailwayBluebell Railway
The Bluebell Railway is a heritage line running for nine miles along the border between East and West Sussex, England. Steam trains are operated between and , with an intermediate station at .The railway is managed and run largely by volunteers...
announced its intention to reconstruct a Brighton H2 Atlantic based on SR/BR period Beachy Head. At the time of writing many surviving locomotive parts had been assembled.http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/locos/atlantic/
Locomotive Summary
| LB&SC Number | Built | S.R. Number | Name | B.R. Number | Withdrawal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 421 | 2421 | South Foreland South Foreland South Foreland is a chalk headland on the Kent coast of southeast England. It presents a bold cliff to the sea, and commands views over the Strait of Dover. It is northeast of Dover and 15 miles south of North Foreland... |
32421 | ||
| 422 | 2422 | North Foreland North Foreland North Foreland is a chalk headland on the Kent coast of southeast England.North Foreland forms the eastern end of the Isle of Thanet. It presents a bold cliff to the sea, and commands views over the southern North Sea.-Lighthouse:... |
32422 | ||
| 423 | 2423 | The Needles The Needles The Needles is a row of three distinctive stacks of chalk that rise out of the sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight, England, close to Alum Bay. The Needles lighthouse stands at the end of the formation... |
32423 | ||
| 424 | 2424 | Beachy Head Beachy Head Beachy Head is a chalk headland on the south coast of England, close to the town of Eastbourne in the county of East Sussex, immediately east of the Seven Sisters. The cliff there is the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain, rising to 162 m above sea level. The peak allows views of the south... |
32424 | ||
| 425 | 2425 | Trevose Head Trevose Head Trevose Head is a headland on the Atlantic coast of north Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated approximately west of Padstow. The South West Coast Path runs around the whole promontory and is within the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Trevose Head Heritage Coast... |
32425 | ||
| 426 | 2426 | St. Alban's Head | 32426 |
Sources
- Bradley, D.L. (1974) Locomotives of the London Brighton and South Coast Railway Part 3, Railway Correspondence and Travel Society.
