No. 53 rebuilt as 2-4-0 passenger engine

Bradley: Locomotives of the London Brighton & South Coast Railway. Part 1

No. 49 rebuilt as 0-6-0T

Locomotive Magazine, July 1907

No. 56 rebuilt as Crampton

Locomotive Magazine, August 1910

No. 58 rebuilt as 2-4-0T

Locomotive Magazine, June 1896

From 1846, John Gray had twelve 2-2-2 express locomotives built for the LB&SCR, which are considered the forerunners of the Jenny Lind type. Although they had outer and inner frames, the driving axle with the six-foot wheels was only mounted on the inner frame. They already had a firebox with a round, raised ceiling, on which sat a second steam dome. They were said to be able to easily reach a speed of 40 mph with the train weights that were common at the time. Under Craven, all were converted to a different wheel arrangement in order to collect experiences with the properties of the different types and the respective suitability for different areas of application.

During the first conversion in 1853, four examples were converted into freight locomotives with a 2-4-0 wheel arrangement. The diameter of the coupled wheels was now four feet and nine inches. Later, three of them were converted into tank locomotives with 0-6-0 wheel arrangement by exchanging the leading axle for another coupled axle with the same wheel diameter. 

Between 1853 and 1855, six other engines were converted into passenger locomotives, which, like the freight locomotives, had 2-4-0 wheel arrangement. However, these had a coupling wheel diameter of five and a half feet. The fact that none of these were rebuilt again and remained in use until the 1870s suggests that they were considered successful in this form.

The other two locomotives were converted to the Crampton design, which was a special design with a crankshaft. At the front end, the two carrying axles sat a short distance apart in the frame and behind the firebox was the driving axle, the wheels of which were still six feet in diameter but clad in a wooden wheel disc with no visible spokes. The internal cylinders worked on a crankshaft and drove external coupling rods. Both locomotives only ran in this form for about two years and were converted into 2-4-0 freight locomotives in 1855. One of these two was converted into a tank locomotive with the same wheel arrangement in 1858 and remained in service until 1875.

The name “Jenny Lind” stands for three meanings at the same time: a single locomotive with this given name, the type that it founded and the wheel arrangement 2-2-2 is also called that, especially in Britain. The sponsor for the name was the Swedish opera singer Johanna Maria “Jenny” Lind, who was born in 1820 and achieved international fame in the 1840s. The locomotive that bears her name was the first of a series of ten express locomotives built from 1847 by E.B. Wilson and Company of Leeds for the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. Other operators also ordered the same basic model with slightly different dimensions and no longer had each locomotive manufactured individually according to their special requirements. The “Jenny Lind” can thus be described as one of the first series-built locomotives, being available at the time for a base price of £2,500.

Although there were already several locomotives with the 2-2-2 wheel arrangement in the early days, this was chosen here in particular for its running characteristics. Since the wrought-iron coupling rods of the time still had problems with durability at higher speeds, a single driven axle with large wheels was used for use as an express locomotive. At that time, most locomotives with larger wheels had a slim, very long boiler, because it had to be placed above the axles and the aim was not to let the center of gravity become too high. This usually resulted in overhanging masses on the smoke box and the firebox, which had a negative impact on the running characteristics. The solution used on the “Jenny Lind” consisted of arranging the driven axle in the middle and arranging a carrying axle each at the front and rear with a long wheelbase.

State around 1853

Moore's Monthly Magazine, September 1896

Although the finished locomotive was a bit heavier than originally planned, it proved excellent in practice. In everyday use, it achieved the much-cited “a-mile-a-minute”, i.e. a speed of 60 mph. In addition to the first series for the LB&SCR, several orders soon came from other operators. For example, while the basic model had a wheel diameter of six feet, the Shrewsbury & Birmingham Railway ordered an example with 6.5 feet wheels, larger cylinders and a larger boiler. Other manufacturers were soon producing locomotives that were obviously based on the “Jenny Lind”. So it came about that the 2-2-2 wheel arrangement, which was actually referred to as “Single” up to this point, was soon also known as “Jenny Lind”.

Among the 14 locomotives that Stothert, Slaughter & Co. supplied to the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway between 1846 and 1848 were ten express locomotives of the 2-2-2 wheel arrangement. Contrary to the practice of the time, they were characterized by a high boiler. The double frame was designed in sandwich construction, i.e. made of two metal sheets with wood inserted between them. While the outer frame ran the full length, the inner frame only ran from the back of the cylinders to the firebox. 

The locomotives were not used very long with express trains, as they were soon replaced by more powerful ones. As early as the 1960s, they were only used in front of light trains on main lines, as well as for piloting services and on secondary lines. Thus, between 1860 and 1862, three engines were decommissioned and the others were more and more often left unused in the engine shed. Six examples were retired in 1870 and the last one not until 1873.

This was a single tank engine built for light duties on branch lines. Special features were an outer sandwich frame in which the carrying axles were mounted and an inner frame made of metal in which the driving axle was mounted. It left the Brighton Works in 1859 and initially bore no name. In 1873 it was christened “Seaford” and renumbered twice. There are reports of two accidents involving it. It was retired in September 1879 after being used on the Bognor branch.

Between 1862 and 1866, Craven had a total of ten small locomotives with a 2-2-2 wheel arrangement built for use in light express trains. It started with number 31, which was delivered in December 1962. It had larger driving wheels than any of its successors at six and a half feet and cylinders measuring 16 inches in diameter and 22 inches in stroke. It had a full-length outer frame, but the driving wheels were only mounted in the inner frame, while the carrying wheels were mounted in the outer frame. The inside cylinders were controlled by a Stephenson valve gear. It was not until September of the following year that number 161 followed, which only had a driving wheel diameter of six feet and whose cylinders had a larger diameter but a shorter stroke.

No. 31 with inside bearing of the driving axle

Locomotive Magazine, April 1897

In 1864 numbers 190 and 191 were built, and in the following year 29 and 30, all of which were similar. Their wheel diameter was only five and a half feet. With these, all three axles were mounted in the outer frame and the driving axle in addition in the inner frame. One difference was that the first two had an Allan valve gear and the last two had a Stephenson valve gear. A further four locomotives, each almost identical in construction, were built in 1966 for the service between Portsmouth and London and given the numbers 232 to 235. These again had a wheel diameter of six feet. 

No. 30 with double bearing of the driving axle

Locomotive Magazine, May 1897

Four of the ten locomotives had been given names during their service life that were based on locations along the routes or where they were stationed. These were “Littlehampton”, “Havant”, “Horsham” and “Dorking”. The decommissioning took place between 1880 and 1886. Only numbers 233 and 235 were sold to the West Lancashire Railway in 1883 and were used there until 1887.

In the early 1860s, John Chester Craven developed a standard heavy freight train type that was to be built in larger numbers with only minor variations. These were six-coupled machines with outer and inner frames, internal cylinders and Stephenson valve gear. They were manufactured at LB&SCR's Brighton works.

Fifteen examples were built between 1863 and 1867, with cylinders measuring 16 by 24 inches and a wheel diameter of five feet. The running numbers were between 157 and 221 with gaps. In 1867 four more examples were built with the numbers 224 to 227. The diameters of the cylinders and the coupled wheels had each been increased by an inch.

Locomotive Magazine, October 1897

There were some differences in the locomotives between the individual production lots, which mainly affected the boiler. It was observed that the firebox gradually got larger in area, while the tube heating area decreased. Most engines were retired between 1893 and 1895, only number 225 survived until 1901.

No. 212

Locomotive Magazine, August 1897

No. 214 after being renumbered to 369 in May 1878

Locomotive Magazine, October 1897

No. 230

Locomotive Magazine, November 1897

No. 231

collection Dave Searle

No. 231

Locomotive Magazine, December 1897

A total of ten small tank locomotives were grouped together under the name "South London Tanks", which showed a few differences and were built by Craven for operation in the southern suburbs of London. The first was number 212, built in July 1865 and intended for the line between South Croydon and Victoria station. It had an inner frame with inside cylinders and water tanks on the sides and under the cab. Since the tanks had a total capacity of only 645 gallons, in July 1868 another 155 gallon tank was integrated into the front of the frame, extending brlow the cylinders.

Also in July 1865 followed number 213, which now had an outer frame and belonged to a standard Craven type. It was slightly heavier than the 212, but only had a cylinder diameter of 15 instead of 16 inches. The 214 and 215 followed in November, which had a total of three water tanks in the frame instead of the side tanks. Otherwise they had a lot in common with the 213. In April 1866 Nos. 17 and 216 to 218 were built, again largely the identical to the 213 and having side tanks but with larger water and coal supplies.

Number 230, which was completed in October 1866, showed greater differences. The wheel sets were hinged in an inner frame, while there was still an outer subframe. It had a larger boiler and, like the 212, a cylinder diameter of 16 inches. The 231 delivered in the same month showed even greater differences, which had a bogie instead of a trailing axle due to significantly increased stocks.

Most engines have been renumbered over the course of their service life. There were no major modifications to the locomotives. However, they were only expected to have a relatively short life, as all were scrapped in the first half of the 1880s.

Schematic drawing: original state

www.lbscr.org

Schematic drawing after the 1877 rebuild

Locomotive Magazine, May 1898

Schematic drawing after the rebuild to No. 481 “Inspector”

Locomotive Magazine, May 1898

The LB&SCR commissioned a small tank engine in 1869 to haul light passenger trains on the branch line between Brighton Central and Kemp Town. The locomotive was initially given the number 96 and the name “Kemp Town”. In 1874 it was transferred to Havant near Portsmouth and given the number 115 while she was named “Hayling Island”.

In its new location it soon underwent a makeover to plans by William Stroudley, incorporating a new chimney, larger steam dome and cab. During this time the running number changed twice, first to 359 and then to 499.

A major remodeling was also carried out under Stroudley in 1889. A passenger compartment was installed behind the driver's cab for inspection trips along the routes of the LB&SCR. To carry the additional weight, a trailing axle was attached at the same time, which, like the leading axle, was fixed in the frame. In this form, the locomotive received the number 481 and the name “Inspector”. Its service in this role lasted for at least a decade.

For commuter traffic in the south and southeast of London, William Stroudley developed the class A1, of which a total of 50 were built between 1872 and 1880. The tank locomotives with an 0-6-0T wheel arrangement had small driving wheels and were able to rapidly accelerate the commuter trains of that time. Nevertheless, they were able to reach speeds of up to 60 mph (97 km/h) and a sustained speed of just under 50 mph (80 km/h). Because of their small size and barking exhaust noise, they were nicknamed “terriers”.

With the introduction of the more powerful class D1 with 0-4-2T wheel arrangement and the electrification of the first commuter lines, they were no longer needed in the London area. 23 were sold to various other operators and the remainder distributed to rural lines, mainly in Sussex. There they were mostly used in passenger service, sometimes also as push-pull trains. Others were used in shunting duties.

Between 1911 and 1913, 17 A1s were rebuilt into the A1X, becoming heavier and having, among other things, larger cylinders and a longer smokebox. Many survived the Southern Railway and came to the British Railways. Many retirements only came from 1960 onwards. The last ones only disappeared in November 1963 when the Hayling Island Branch was closed.

The machine numbered LB&SCR number 53 was one of four locomotives which were originally destined for the Tunis & Goletta Railway, where one of Craven's sons was involved. After he had died and the railway went bankrupt, the locomotives found other operators. After only works No. 2241 could be sold to the Jersey Railway, 2242 was bought by Stroudley and thus joined the LB&SCR at Craven's suggestion.

It was first used in front of light passenger trains over short distances on main lines and was renumbered as early as November 1875 to number 270 with the name “Bishopstone”. The single locomotive was also used in part to transport high-ranking personalities to an audience with Queen Victoria. After a few years it disappeared from the main line and was subsequently used on branch lines between London Bridge, Victoria, Epsom and Leatherhead. After being renamed “Fratton” and two more renumberings, its career ended in September 1890.