Hornby R30112 Hornby Dublo BR Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 35026 ‘Lamport & Holt’ – Era 4

DETAILS

Conceived in 1937 when Bulleid became Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern Railway, his vision was for a 4-6-2 fast mixed traffic engine, with quick acceleration and equally capable of hauling services such as the Golden Arrow and Atlantic Coast Expresses, or freight workings, to a speed of around 75mph. Mainly designed from the Brighton Works, under C.S Cocks, Bulleid ensured that the best design practices of the time were applied, though this did not stop him making many alterations as the plans developed, sometimes within hours of agreeing a phase of the design and which led to each batch of engines incorporating modifications which were then applied to the previous batch.

Opting for a very high pressure boiler, Bulleid was able to make the 3 equally sized cylinders smaller, at 18″ and better balanced, resulting in his newly designed Bulleid Firth Brown 6′ 2″ driving wheels, which in turn reduced hammer blow to the rails. In 1934, Bulleid had opposed the use of streamlining, but for the Merchant Navy design it suited his purposes, being easy to clean mechanically and hiding the boiler’s external pipes, which in turn meant they could be run for function, rather than aesthetics.

Despite the onset of war in 1939, Bulleid’s design was accepted by the wartime Railway’s Executive Committee and production commenced through November 1940 at Eastleigh Works, the first locomotive, 21C1 Channel Packet, being named on March 10, 1941.

British Railways locomotive 35026 entered service at the end of 1948 and was soon allocated to the Stewarts Lane Shed in London. In January 1951 the locomotive was given the name ‘Lamport & Holt Line’ by the shipping company’s London manager. The locomotive’s home remained Stewarts Lane until 1957 when the locomotive was rebuilt with conventional Walschaerts valve gear and boiler casing. Next, ‘Lamport and Holt’ was moved to Exmouth mid-year and then Bournemouth towards the end of 1957, only to be returned to the Exmouth Junction Shed in May 1959. Towards the end of its life ‘Lamport & Holt’ was moved briefly to the Nine Elms Shed in March 1964 and then to its final home of Weymouth Radipole before being withdrawn and scrapped in Newport in 1967.

FEATURES

• 8 Pin DCC Ready
• Finely Printed Details
• Diecast Boiler

SPECIFICATIONS

MEASUREMENTS