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LBSCR B2 / B3 / B2x 4-4-0

RJ Billinton's first express passenger engines for the LBSCR were the Class B2 4-4-0s, designed between 1893 and 1895 but not appearing until June 1895. Very curvaceous with reverse curve splashers over the bogie wheels and at each end of the footplate, they were attractive engines, but not particularly successful and when taking over the comparatively lightly loaded Portsmouth line trains from the Stroudley singles, were hard pressed to match the performance of their predecessors! The boiler, which was similar to that fitted to his C2 Class, was originally of 4' 3" diameter, but this was increased to 4' 5" diameter as production of the class progressed. The first three B2s were fitted with the same 2,420 gallon tender as that supplied with the C2 class, but the remainder had a larger one of some2,600 gallons capacity. During their earlier years they were referred to as "Duncannons", after the second of the class, although the loco crews of the day called them "Grasshoppers" on account of their rough riding!

All the engines were named after notable people, some connected with the LBSCR and some with the Institution of Civil Engineers. The name Goldsmid on Nº316 having been transferred from the first D3 (which was then re-named Havant) was that of Sir Julian Goldsmid of Hove, a director of the Railway and influential person in the locality.

 
206

B2x Nº206 Smeaton, one of only two of the class to be fitted with the second, top feed, dome. This was the locomotive that, as class B2, had the honour of initiating the 'Brighton in One Hour' service on 2 October 1898. She was also the engine involved in the Railway's worst disaster for many a year when she ran into the back of a Newhaven boat train in dense fog at Keymer Junction on 23 December 1899, resulting in six fatalities and much destruction of rolling stock. Most of the blame was apportioned to the driver who had run through the junction's up distant and home signals, though the Railway was also criticized for having no fogmen out and for using out-dated signalling practices.

photograph: Mike Morant collection
 

Despite the problems of the class, with careful driving they could perform adequately for most purposes and, as the numbers increased, they were also used on the heavier Brighton and Eastbourne line services.

In January 1898 a larger version was built, Nº213 Bessemer, with a 4' 8" diameter boiler which increased the heating area from 1,342.08 sq ft to 1,464.82 sq ft and grate area from 18.73 sq ft to 20.6 sq ft. These increases in size were considered sufficient re-classify the locomotive as the solitary member of class B3.

However, after Marsh had taken over at Brighton he decided to try to do something to cure their bad steaming and rebuilt them with larger boilers that were similar to his C3 goods engines, with an extended smokebox on a saddle, to become class B2x. They were also provided with smaller cylinders as well as larger cabs which made them a lot more "modern" by the standards of the day. The first, Nº 310, was rebuilt in 1907 and the last, Nº316, in 1916. As the locomotives were repainted in Marsh's umber livery so the names were removed. Two of the class, 206 and 319, were subsequently fitted with Lawson Billinton's double domed top feed boiler during 1921.

Despite the policy initiated by Marsh of abandoning names for engines, some survived and that of the B3 Bessemer was one. In addition, in 1906, Nº315 was given the name J Gay and Nº319 the name Leconfield, after Lord Leconfield at Petworth.
 

Technical Details

Introduced:
Driving Wheel:
Bogie Wheel:
Water Capacity:
Cylinders (2):
Boiler Pressure:
Tractive Effort:

B2 / B3

1895 / 1898
6 ft 9 in
3 ft 6 in
2,600 gals *
18in x 26in
160 lb sq in
16,600 lbs

B2x

1907
6 ft 9 in
3 ft 6 in
2,600 gals *
17½in x 26in
170 lb sq in
16,675 lbs
* Locos 314, 315 & 316 - 2,420 gals.
 

The LBSC was better than the other Southern Companies in keeping locomotive classes more or less in consecutive numbers, but they could issue these numbers somewhat randomly! The following table is set out in order of build:
LBSCR Nº Name Built Rebuilt as B2x Name SR Nº # Withdrawn
314 Charles C Macrae Jun 1895 Apr 1911 - 2314 Apr 1930
315 Duncannon Jun 1895 Mar 1909 J Gay 2315 Apr 1933
316 Goldsmid Jun 1895 Jul 1916 - 2316 ? 1930
317 Gerald Loder Jun 1896 Oct 1908 - 2317 Jun 1929
318 Rothschild Jun 1896 Jul 1910 - 2318 Jul 1930
319 John Fowler Sep 1896 Jun 1914 Leconfield 2319 Apr 1930
320 Rastrick Sep 1896 Jul 1910 - 2320 ? 1932
321 John Rennie Sep 1896 Oct 1907 - 2321 Sep 1930
322 GP Bidder Oct 1896 Sep 1908 - 2322 Jun 1931
323 William Cubitt Dec 1896 Sep 1908 - 2323 Nov 1932
324 John Hawkshaw Jan 1897 May 1913 - 2324 ? 1932
201 Rosebery Jan 1897 Jan 1909 - 2201 ? 1930
202 Trevithick Feb 1897 ? 1909 - 2203 Sep 1931
203 Henry Fletcher Mar 1897 Feb 1909 - 2203 Oct 1930
204 Telford Mar 1897 Mar 1911 - 2204 Jul 1929
205 Hackworth Apr 1897 Mar 1910 - 2205 Nov 1931
206 Smeaton Apr 1897 Jan 1909 - 2206 Mar 1933
207 Brunel Jun 1897 Jul 1909 - 2207 Oct 1931
171 Nevill Jun 1897 Aug 1910 - 2171 May 1931
208 Abercorn Aug 1897 Jan 1911 - 2208 Jun 1929
209 Wolfe Barry Sep 1897 Apr 1913 - 2209 Sep 1930
210 Fairbairn Oct 1897 Feb 1909 - 2210 Jul 1931
211 Whitworth Nov 1897 Jun 1910 - 2211 Oct 1930
212 Armstrong Jan 1898 Feb 1910 - 2212 Jul 1930
213 Bessemer Jan 1898 Nov 1908 Bessemer 2213 Apr 1932
# Between 1923 and 1928 SR numbers were the LBSCR numbers with the added prefix 'B'
although the new number may not have been applied until some time later, or even at all!

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This page was created 26 July 2003

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