In the 1910s, Lawson Billinton of the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway was tasked with designing a successor to the E1 Class 0-6-0T steam locomotives, designed by William Stroudley in 1874. The “answer” became the E2 Class 0-6-0T that would go on to have a complicated legacy during its flawed career and after its lifespan.
A total of 10 of these locomotives were built in two batches: the first five between May and December 1913; and the rest between May 1915 and September 1916, with a modified design to extend the saddletanks, increasing water capacity from about 1,090 to 1,256 gallons. With a tractive effort of 21,305 lbs., the E2s were primarily intended for heavy yard switching and short freight runs. A couple were even tested on passenger trains around South London in 1914. However, the overall result was a steam locomotive that never lived up to expectations.
Design flaws plagued the E2. Its small fuel capacity of coal and water (hence the increase in water tanks for the second batch) significantly limited the locomotive’s use in even the shortest of mainline trips. While this was one of the blows to the 1914 passenger trials, another was the E2’s rough ride at higher speeds due to poor balance and oscillation. They were ultimately assigned to yard duties, but even the 16-foot wheelbase restricted the locomotives from areas with tight curves. Additional flaws included the boiler design and Westinghouse air brakes being inadequate, plus a poor operating experience for the engine crew.
Despite these shortcomings, the E2s maintained a 50-year career under the LB&SCR, and subsequently the Southern Railway and British Railways. Their longevity was due to several factors, including Southern’s low priority for switcher replacements due to below-par freight traffic, a higher emphasis on electrification, and the outbreak of World War II. The locomotives were moved between various yards in the London area and throughout Southeast England, notably serving at the Southampton docks in the 1950s. However, once the opportunity arose, British Railways wasted no time in scrapping all E2s between 1961 and 1963.
With a mediocre [at best] performance and career, with next to no preservation efforts, the London, Brighton & South Coast E2 could’ve been written off as a footnote in steam locomotive history, had it not been for two individuals. Illustrator Reginald Payne used the later batch to serve as the basis for the main character in the second book of The Railway Series by the Reverend Wilbert Awdry. The book, Thomas the Tank Engine was published in 1946, and the rest is history.
