LSWR B4 class

The London and South Western Railway B4 class is a class of 0-4-0T dock tank.

The London and South Western Railway's built twenty to a design by their Locomotive Superintendent William Adams at its Nine Elms Works during the 1891–1893 period. They were designed for shunting in locations with sharp curvature, and were used in places such as Southampton Docks (which the LSWR purchased in November 1892), the Poole Quay Line, and the Hamworthy Freight Branch.

Adams' successor, Dugald Drummond, designed and built a similar class of five in 1905, designating them the K14 class. However Drummond's successor considered them so similar, that they were merged in to the B4 class.

Many locomotives were used by Southampton Docks, who had a tradition of giving their locomotives names rather than numbers. Consequently, twelve locomotives received names while in dock service:

Preservation

Two survive: no. 96 (BR no. 30096) Normandy is at the end of its boiler certificate and is on static display awaiting overhaul at the Bluebell Railway in Sussex, while no. 102 (BR no. 30102) Granville is on display at the Bressingham Steam Museum near Diss, Norfolk

External links

Read More