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.

Bachmann Branchline OO Scale

Era 3

Pristine SR Maunsell Green Livery

Running No. 2505

Equipped with a Next18 DCC Decoder Socket – Recommend Decoder item No. 36-567A

Length 149mm (over couplings)

DETAIL VARIATIONS SPECIFIC TO THIS MODEL

Dished Smokebox Door

Westinghouse Brakes and Vacuum Brakes

Lever Reverser

Cab Roof Mounted Whistle

Enclosed Coal Rails

Raised Smokebox Rivets

Countersunk Bufferbeam Rivets

Steam Injector and Pipes

Boiler Clack Valves

BACHMANN BRANCHLINE LB&SCR E4 CLASS SPECIFICATION

MECHANISM:

3-Pole motor

Electrical pickup from all driving wheels

Separate metal bearings fitted to each driving axle

Diecast metal chassis block

Diecast metal gearbox, with gearing arranged for prototypical running speeds and haulage capabilities

5mm (OO gauge) wheels to NEM310 & NEM311 standards with authentic profile and detailing

Sprung rear radial truck

Detachable coupling pockets to NEM362 standards fitted at each end

Designed to operate on curves of second radius (438mm) or greater

DETAILING:

Diecast metal boiler and side tanks, and running plate

Precision moulded plastic cab and bunker, and smokebox

Separately applied details including Westinghouse pump and pipework, front splashers, tank filler hatches, safety valves, dome and chimney, smokebox handles, clack valves* and vacuum pipes* (*where applicable)

Individual metal detail components including handrails, handrail knobs, guard irons, lamp irons and turned metal whistle

Highly detailed and decorated cab interior including controls, dials, gauges and tool cabinets with separately fitted regulator, reverser and valve wheels

Running gear detailing includes springs, brakes, sandboxes and sandpipes which are made from metal wire

Glazed cab front spectacles

Metal buffers

Each model supplied with an accessory pack including brake rigging, additional bufferbeam pipework, headcode discs and screwlink couplings

DCC:

Next18 DCC decoder interface

SOUND:

Space is provided for a speaker to be fitted along with connection points on the PCB

SOUND FITTED models include a pre-fitted speaker

Zimo MS590N18 DCC Sound Decoder fitted to SOUND FITTED versions

Sound files produced specifically for the Bachmann Branchline E4 using recordings from real locomotives

SOUND FITTED models operate on DCC and Analogue control as supplied

LIVERY APPLICATION:

Authentic liveries applied to all models

Multiple paint applications employed on each model

Logos, numerals and text added as appropriate using multi-stage tampo printing incorporating authentic typefaces, logos and colours

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.