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Bachmann 31-920

LB&SCR H2 Atlantic 2421 'South Foreland' SR Maunsell Green

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI images rather than photographs

Prototype Era
Era 3 (1923 to 1947) The Big Four (LNER, LMS, GWR and SR)

Manufacturer description

H2 Class Atlantic 4-4-2 No.2421 South Foreland SR Olive Green

 

Built: 1911 – 1912

Built for: LB&SCR (absorbed by the SR)

Designed by: Douglas E. Marsh

Duties: passenger

Wheels: 4-4-0

 

Highlights

• Hinged tender fall-plate

• Adjustable tender draw-bar length

• Opening fire-box door

• Accessory pack includes route indicator discs

• Representation of the inside valve gear

• Etched name-plates

 

History

 

In 1911 Lawson Billinton was granted authority to construct a further six 4-4-2 'Atlantic' locomotives similar to the Marsh H1 class but incorporating the Schmidt superheater.

 

The new H2 class locomotives were built by Brighton railway works and introduced between June 1911 and January 1912. They were an immediate success and shared with the H1 class the London to Brighton express trains including the heavily loaded Pullman named trains the Brighton Limited, and the Southern Belle, which the LB&SCR described as "the most luxurious train in the World".

 

As with the non-superheated H1 class they were gradually replaced on the London-Brighton express trains in 1925-26 by the "King Arthur" and "River" classes, but there was still plenty of work for them on other express services, including boat trains connecting with the Newhaven-Dieppe ferry service. At the same time the class members were named after geographical features of the south coast.

 

Following the cessation of the cross-channel ferries from 1940 as a result of hostilities, the class was left with reduced work and several locomotives were put into store or moved to miscellaneous duties in southern England. The H2 class however returned to the boat trains after the end of the war and continued until the mid-1950s.

 

One member of the class was withdrawn in 1949, but the remainder continued in regular use until 1956. No. 32424 "Beachy Head" was the last survivor, being withdrawn in April 1958.  None were preserved, but the Bluebell Railway is reconstructing a Brighton H2 Atlantic based on SR/BR period Beachy Head. 

Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

^* Class names often change over the lifespan of a locomotive, so this is not necessarily the class name used by the operator in the period modelled.

The Bachmann model represents the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway H2 “Atlantic” locomotive, class 4‑4‑2, built between 1911 and 1912. It is offered in a pristine finish and a Maunsell Green livery, with two interchangeable running numbers and nameplates – 2421 “South Foreland” and 2426 “St Alban’s Head”. Both versions are 264 mm in length, DCC‑ready with a 21‑pin socket, and can negotiate a minimum 2nd‑radius curve of 438 mm. The model includes a realistic load, a hinged tender fall‑plate, an adjustable tender draw‑bar length, an opening fire‑box door, route‑indicator discs, inside valve‑gear detail and etched name‑plates. Pickup is provided in the tender and the model is supplied with an accessory pack.

The prototype locomotives were designed by Lawson Billinton and built at Brighton railway works for the LB&SCR, later absorbed by the Southern Railway. They were super‑heated Atlantic types, used on express passenger services such as the Brighton Limited and the Southern Belle, and later on boat trains to Newhaven. Six examples were constructed, all withdrawn by the mid‑1950s, with none preserved; a new replica is being built by the Bluebell Railway.

The Bachmann product is intended for the era known as the “Big Four” (London & North Eastern Railway, London, Midland & Scottish Railway, Great Western Railway and Southern Railway). The model’s part number is 31‑920 and it is marketed as a realistic, ready‑to‑run (RTR) locomotive for both DCC and conventional layout operation.