Bachmann 35-078

Tooling

The London, Brighton & South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) E4 Class was a versatile 0-6-2T tank engine designed by R.J. Billinton and built at Brighton Works between 1897 and 1903. Seventy-five were constructed, with the class serving into Southern Railway and later British Railways days; one example, No. 473 Birch Grove, survives in preservation at the Bluebell Railway. Bachmann’s OO-gauge E4 model arrived as a brand-new tooling in 2015, bringing the distinctive Brighton radial tank to ready-to-run form across multiple liveries and eras.

Tooling Features

• Scale: OO gauge (1:76, 16.5 mm track).
• Construction: Diecast boiler, side tanks and footplate for heft; precision-moulded plastic cab, bunker and smokebox for crisp detail.
• Detailing: Factory-applied handrails, lamp irons, pipework, safety valves, smokebox dart and whistle; separately supplied route discs and bufferbeam fittings.
• Couplings: NEM 362 pockets with tension-lock couplers.
• Finish: Chemically blackened wheels, painted and detailed cab interior; sprung buffers and glazed spectacles.

Mechanical & Electrical

• Motor & drive: 3-pole motor mounted in the loco; all-wheel electrical pickup on a 2-rail DC system.
• Minimum radius: Recommended operation on second-radius curves (approx. 18 in / ~450 mm).
• Weighting: Mass concentrated within the chassis to aid adhesion.
• Lighting: No factory-fitted lighting listed for the 2015 tooling.
• Maintenance: Bachmann recommends a ~1 hour run-in each direction at moderate speed and sparing lubrication of bearings and gears.

DCC Capability

The original 2015 release is DCC Ready with a 6-pin NEM651 socket on the PCB. A DC blanking plug is fitted out of the box. There is no dedicated speaker provision in the 2015 tooling.

Liveries Produced (from the 2015 tooling)

The first-run tooling covered the principal eras for the class: LB&SCR lined umber, Southern Railway green, and BR black with both early and late crests. A collectors’ club special representing preserved No. 473 Birch Grove was also issued.

Reviews, Media & Community Commentary

• Hornby Magazine (Issue 94, March 2015) featured a first look and running footage showcasing smooth performance.
• Online forums highlighted interest in a small Southern tank with good haulage and praised the decoration and detail levels.
• User videos demonstrated detailing options and DCC installs, reflecting positive reception.

Other Notes & Trivia

• An earlier hand-built E4 (OO Works, c.2006) existed prior to Bachmann’s mass-produced tooling; the 2015 Branchline model brought the class into mainstream RTR availability.
• The official instruction sheet illustrates body removal and lists service parts useful for maintenance and repairs.

Class & Prototype

The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway E4 Class were versatile 0-6-2 radial tank locomotives designed by Robert Billinton and built between 1897-1903. These 75 mixed-traffic engines featured 5ft driving wheels and 170 psi boilers, making them ideal for both suburban passenger services and freight duties across the challenging South Coast network. Famous for working the 'Lancing Belle' service and serving as station pilots at London Waterloo, the E4s demonstrated exceptional longevity with some serving over 60 years until 1963. Only one survives in preservation - No. 32473 Birch Grove operates on the Bluebell Railway. Available as ready-to-run models from Bachmann Branchline in multiple authentic liveries including LB&SCR umber, Southern Railway olive green, and British Railways black, the E4 Class offers modellers authentic representation of Southern Railway mixed-traffic operations with excellent operational versatility for layouts featuring suburban passenger services, freight workings, and station pilot duties.

Operator & Livery

British Railways transformed Britain's fragmented rail network into a unified national system following nationalisation on 1st January 1948. Created from the "Big Four" companies under the Transport Act 1947, BR operated most of Great Britain's railways until rebranding as British Rail in 1965, managing over 20,000 route miles and inheriting nearly 20,000 locomotives of diverse designs.

The organisation pioneered standardisation through its revolutionary BR Standard locomotive programme (1951-1960), producing 999 advanced steam engines under Robert Riddles' direction. These included the versatile Britannia Pacifics, mighty 9F freight engines, and mixed-traffic classes that incorporated the best features from all predecessor companies. The 1955 Modernisation Plan accelerated diesel and electric traction development, creating fascinating mixed-traction operations.

Notable achievements included establishing unified locomotive classification systems, introducing distinctive corporate liveries, and managing the complex transition from steam to modern traction. BR's six regional structure preserved operational diversity whilst enabling standardisation of practices, signalling, and rolling stock that had eluded private enterprise for over a century.

The BR era represents steam traction's final flowering alongside emerging diesel technology, creating unparalleled locomotive variety. Today, this heritage remains highly popular with railway enthusiasts through extensive preserved fleets, heritage railway operations, and comprehensive model ranges from manufacturers like Hornby, Bachmann, and Dapol, making BR subjects essential for authentic post-war British railway modelling across all scales.