Southern

Note: unless otherwise stated, all pictures are the copyright of Paul Egerton.

West Country and Battle of Britain Class

The West Country and Battle of Britain class of locomotives were known collectively as Light Pacifics or informally as “Spam Cans”due to their original ‘air smoothed’ casing.  Designed for the Southern Railway by Oliver Bulleid, it was the first design to use welding in the construction process and steel fireboxes which meant that the components could be more easily made under wartime austerity and post-war economy.

They were designed to be lighter than the heavier Merchant Navy Class to permit use on a wider variety of routes including the South West of England and the Kent Coast.  A mixed-traffic design, they were equally at home hauling passenger or freight.  A total of 110 locomotives were built being named after West Country place names or Royal Air Force (RAF squadrons) or other subjects associated with the Battle of Britain.

Due to problems experienced with features such as the chain driven valve gear, a number were rebuilt by British Railways in the late 1950s making them similar in appearance to “re-built” Merchant Navy’s.   The class lasted until the end of steam on the Southern until July 1967.

34053 Seen at the Severn Valley Railway Spring Gala in its “Re-built” form on 21 March 2015

Battle of Britain Class Number 34081 “92 Squadron” in its original “air stream” form passing over the River Nene at Wansford, Nene Valley Railway on 5th May 2018.