Nº290, "Denbies", built June 1879, in full LB&SCR livery, location unknown.

photograph: Dave Searle collection

Built over thirteen years, the first, "Sydenham", appropriately bearing the number '1', appeared in November 1873 whilst the last, the 125th, was not built until December 1886. Initially built at Brighton, Some 35 examples were built by Nielson & Co of Glasgow, after which the remainder were once again Brighton-built.

With such a large class it is not surprising that there were a number of variations. Initially built with 150 lb sq in boilers, from 1892 RJ Billinton fitted 160 lb boilers whilst one, ex-"Carlshalton" of June 1873 (who carried no less than five numbers in LBSCR days) was rebuilt in 1910 as class D1x with a larger, 170 lb, boiler that made for a decidedly tubby looking locomotive! When Marsh took over at Brighton he replaced the 150 lb boilers with 170 lb ones. Although the increased boiler pressures led to a useful increase in performance, the D1x doesn't seem to have been much of a success and no more D1s were rebuilt. Considered unsteady at anything over 45 mph, the D1x worked her last years on the 'Cuckoo Line' between Eastbourne and Mayfield.

photograph: Dave Searle collection

The original series of Brighton-built locomotives had wooden brake blocks, but from the last of this series (Nº268 "Baynards") onwards, iron blocks were fitted. One odd thing to note about the Nielson engines was that the first was the last! Brighton works provided Nielsons with half a set of motion which they used in the first locomotive, Nº233 "Handcross", which was then used as a 'pattern engine', eventually leaving the works in March 1883, some four months after the penultimate locomotive.

Various of the class were the subject of accidents over the years, the most serious being on the 'Cuckoo Line' in 1897 when the Driver was killed, which raised questions about the use of front coupled locomotives. However, it was considered that the true cause of the accidents was the state of the permanent way, which left a lot to be desired around the turn of the century! As time progressed virtually all were re-boilered by either RJ Billinton or, later, Marsh who raised the pressure to 170 lb. Coal rails were fitted to increase coal capacity to 2 tons 15 cwt. During Southern Railway days four of the class had their bunkers cut down and side tank capacity reduced so that they could work the Lyme Regis branch, though the SR quickly learned (as Dugald Drummond had many years earlier) that you couldn't run rigid framed engines on that line! During the early 1940s engines 2215, 2220 2239, 2244, 2252, 2253, 2255, 2260 and 2357 were equipped for use as fire engines at big depots, able to throw four jets of water at a rate of a ton a minute. Also during WWII several D1s were sent to Scotland for branchline and shunting work resulting in the Highland Railway line seeing Stroudley locomotives at work some seven decades after the man himself had left Inverness for the south.

photograph: Mike Morant collection

photograph: Mike Morant collection