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E4 Billinton |
E4 Marsh |
Class E3 was developed by Robert Billinton from the solitary Stroudley designed 0-6-2 tank No 158, ' West Brighton '. Sixteen machines were produced between 1894 and 1895. All were painted goods green lined black and red, numbered 165-170 and 453-462. The locos, intended for goods traffic, were used quite frequently for passenger work, for which the 4' 6" wheels were not entirely suitable. Billinton accordingly produced another design with 5' 0" driving wheels, the boiler being mounted slightly higher. Seventy-five were built between 1897 and 1903 and classed E4. Numbers were 463-520, 556-566 and 577-582.
At first they were given the same green livery as the E3s, but nos. 487 onwards received the golden ochre passenger livery from new. 463-506 had lever reverse, as did the E3s, the remainder had screw reverse. The final six E4s had slightly different boiler mountings which are not supplied in the kit. As with many long lived classes, these locomotives were subject to many detailed changes over the years. This is particularly so after 1923 when the classes passed to the Southern Railway and repairs were undertaken at Ashford and Eastleigh rather than the traditional LBSCR works.
It is recommended that the modeller selects a photograph of the loco that is to be modelled. Further details can be found in the books “Locomotives of the LBSC: Volume 2 (E3) and Volume 3 (E4)” by D.L. Bradley – RCTS 1972 & 1974. Further photographs of locos in all periods can also be found in “Locomotives Illustrated No 119 – LBSC 0-6-2 Radial Tanks” (May/June 1998). Copies are available secondhand.
The MSC Models Kit
These kits supersede the previous MSC kits for the E4 locos. The previous kits were suitable only for building the locos in original (short smokebox) condition. The new kits have been designed to allow the building of both short and long smokebox configurations, and appropriate models can therefore be produced representing the class from building in the 1890s to withdrawal in the 1960s.
Each kit contains the castings for a specific type of locomotive. The main etch contains parts for both E3 and E4 locomotives in both original and extended boiler versions. Those not relevant to the type of locomotive being constructed should be discarded.
The only locomotives that cannot be built from this kit is the E4x sub-class (4 locomotives) which not only used a larger, higher-mounted boiler, but also had higher tanks and a higher cab.
The kits can be powered by a number of different motor units, but the MSC Models JH motor unit is particularly recommended.
Wheels have not been provided in the kits as there are a number of different standards available in O Gauge. Slaters Plastikard Ltd and Walsall Model Engineering wheels are recommended.