LB&SCR E4 Tank 32473 BR Lined Black (Early Emblem)

From the maker

The E4 Class 0-6-2 Radial Tank was one of the most successful and versatile tank locomotives that the Southern Railway inherited upon Grouping in 1923, with all 75 locomotives that the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway had constructed around the turn of the century passing to the SR, and all but one would make it to BR ownership as well. The Bachmann Branchline model of the E4 is just as versatile, featuring diecast metal construction supplemented with high-fidelity injection moulded parts to create a model as strong and capable as its prototype. What’s more, the Branchline E4 has been upgraded for 2025 and now features a Next18 DCC decoder socket and provision for a speaker, allowing SOUND FITTED models to be offered for the first time. DETAIL VARIATIONS SPECIFIC TO THIS MODEL BACHMANN BRANCHLINE LB&SCR E4 CLASS SPECIFICATION MECHANISM: DETAILING: DCC: SOUND: LIVERY APPLICATION: SOUNDS F1 - Sound - On/Off F2 - Brake (Non-Latching) F3 - Cylinder Drain Cocks F4 - Whistle (Speed Related) F5 - Reverser F6 - On - Firebox Door Opening & Coal Shovelling Sounds / Off - Firebox Door Closing (Coal Shovelling Sound Stop) F7 - Injectors F8 - Blower F9 - Flange Squeal (Speed Related) F10 - Safety Valves Lifted F11 - Hand Brake (locomotive won’t move with Hand Brake applied) F12 - Water Tank Filling F13 - Coupling/Un-coupling Clank F14 - Light Engine Mode F15 - Fade All Sounds F16 - On - Guard's Whistle / Off - Driver’s Response Toot F17 - Automatic Wagon Buffering F18 - Unfitted Freight Mode F19 - Pinned Brakes F20 - Random Westinghouse Pump Sound F21 - Short Toot Toot F22 - Short Duration Whistle F23 - Long Duration Whistle F24 - Guard to Driver Instructions (Passenger Train) F25 - Guard to Driver Instructions (Fitted Freight Train) F26 - Guard to Driver Instructions (Unfitted Freight Train) F27 - Volume Up F28 - Volume Down Analogue Users: Please note that normal load running sounds, acceleration steam chuff sounds and any other automatic and randomised sounds will also operate when this model is used on analogue control (DC) straight from the box! LB&SCR E4 CLASS HISTORY The London, Brighton & South Coast Railway’s (LB&SCR) locomotive fleet included a family of similar 0-6-2 ‘Radial’ Tanks, the first of which was designed by William Stroudley. His successor, Robert Billinton, grew the family which eventually included the E3, E4, E5 and E6 Classes to suit a wide variety of traffic. The E3s had small wheels and were intended for Goods work, whereas the E5 and E6 had larger wheels to suit passenger work. The E4 was somewhere in between, making it ideal for mixed traffic purposes and resulting in the E4 being the most numerous member of the family. The first E4 was built in 1897 and over a period of 6 years, 75 were outshopped from the LB&SCR’s Brighton Works. Known as ‘Radial’ Tanks because of the radial axle below the cab which was used instead of a more conventional pony truck, these tanks were go anywhere locomotives and found work on local passenger and freight services. In later life BR employed some as station pilots including at London Waterloo where they would marshal empty carriages between the station and the carriage sidings at Clapham Junction. Several of the Class were named after towns, villages and geographical features in the LB&SCR area, and all passed into Southern Railway ownership upon Grouping in 1923. One was lost to enemy action during World War Two, but the remaining 74 were inherited by British Railways in 1948 although one was withdrawn the same year. Thereafter no further withdrawals were seen until 1955, and it was not until 1963 that the final four bowed out of service. Thankfully, one example No. 473 (later 32473 under BR ownership) was preserved and now forms part of the Bluebell Railway collection.

Text as published by the maker.