Bulleid WC/BB 'West Country' and 'Battle of Britain' class 4-6-2

Bulleid WC/BB 'West Country' and
'Battle of Britain' class 4-6-2

In the closing months of World War II, in response to a need for a fast and powerful mixed traffic engine with wide route availability, the Southern Railway introduced a new class of Pacific locomotive, able to traverse the restricted Hastings line and the "Withered Arm", and also to relieve the Southern's war-weary locomotive stock that had made such an outstanding contribution to Britain's war effort. Design work had started in 1943 and, after considering and rejecting a 4-6-0, the "Light Pacific" was born, copying as closely as possible the Merchant Navy class design but with the objective of retaining the maximum possible power, whilst at the same time keeping the engines' weight to a ceiling of 86 tons, with an axle load of no more than 19 tons. The MNs' bogie, coupled wheels, axleboxes and motion were all retained with just the trailing wheels, cylinders and pistons reduced in size. The boiler and firebox were scaled down which, with further applications of welding, saved weight, whilst disposal time was shortened through improvements to the grate and ashpans.

The first member of the class was weighed at Brighton Works on VE day, was found to be within the estimated weight and emerged in June 1945 resplendent in pre-war Malachite livery - in sharp contrast to the prevailing starkness of the wartime overall black livery. The somewhat unfortunate class name of "Lightweight Pacific" was replaced by "West Country" with, subsequently, engines built for the south-east (though, as it turned out, not necessarily used there) named as "Battle of Britain". The initial order was for a bold 70 locomotives and the build was subsequently extended through and after nationalisation to a total of 110.

34020 Seaton, in early BR livery and on foreign territory, working over GWR metals from Exeter to Plymouth. The photograph is undated but as the loco was re-painted in the later BR livery during a general overhaul that began on 30th May 1950 it is obviously between 1948 and then. 34020 never carried the 'S' prefix.

photograph: the Mike Morant collection

34062 17 Squadron thunders through an unknown station, quite possibly Ashford, with what appears to be a boat train. The livery, together with the smokebox number and lack of any owner's name on the tender would suggest this photograph was taken circa 1949.

photograph: Mike Morant collection

34081 92 Squadron is another member of the class that survived into preservation. Here she is seen, with the 'Cycling Lion' crest on the tender, at Victoria.

photograph by Mike Morant

One of the first batch of West Country locos of June 1945, 34004 Yeovil near Wilton in 1952.

photograph: Mike Morant collection

Recognising the Southern's close association with the west of England, and also that this class of locomotive would be able to serve the area comprehensively, some 66 were named after places and features in that area whilst some 44 were named after squadrons and other aspects associated with the Battle of Britain. These were referred to as the Battle of Britain "class" but it must be remembered that in all aspects other than the naming they were identical locos to the WC "class". Although the engines were prone to similar problems encountered with the MN class the Southern stole a march on the other railway companies and gained a considerable amount of public support by at the time introducing a bold forward looking design wearing a bright livery and by their naming policy honouring the war effort. Far, far from Waterloo, beyond Okehampton to Launceston and Padstow, from Barnstaple via the 1 in 36 Morthoe bank to Ilfracombe, over Meldon viaduct or along the GWR route to Plymouth, on the S&D line to Bath, the "West Country" pacifics were doing their stuff, and more than holding their own if rostered for a MN turn to Salisbury.

34048 Crediton photographed in the early 1950s near South Croydon station. Note that the train consists of Stanier stock, nearly all in blood & custard livery, so may well be an inter-regional working.

photograph: Mike Morant collection

All photographs are copyright

This page was last updated 12 May 2009