How To Fix Bad Locomotive Designs

LB&SC 0-6-0 E2S

This was a request by SethEaton1. Sources were from https://www.google.com/search?q=LB%26SC+E2S&oq=LB%26SC+E2S&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i10i22i30.883j0j4&client=ms-android-tmus-us-revc&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8&safe=active&ssui=on (Wikipedia) and Nicktrain 123 on YouTube.

Well, I wasn't originally going to talk about these locomotives because everyone in their mothers has been doing it at this point, but I suppose that I should do it. But for Pete's sake, I'll just rush through this.

The London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway 0-6-0T E2 Class Tank Engines are probably 1 of the most recognizable 0-6-0 tank engines, if not, the most recognizable tank engines in Britain, and they kinda are the steam locomotives varient of the DeLoreans: very beautiful and recognizable, but lacked in performance.

Built from January 1913 to January 1914, the 1st E2s were meant to be used for stunting in large harbors, suburban trains, and short goods work, replacing their cousins, the Stroudley E1 class, along with the A1 Terriers. They're numbered 100-104, had a traffic effort of 21,307 lbf (94.78 kN), 2 inside 17.5 in × 26 in (444 mm × 660 mm) cylinders, a water cap of 1,090 imp gal (5,000 l; 1,310 US gal), a length of 33 ft 3 in (10.13 m),  and could hold up to 2.46 long tons (2.50 t; 2.76 short tons) of coal. They were also, interestingly enough, fitted with features on other LBSC locomotives, including an I2 boiler, and haft of them were painted in LB&SC Brown, a color mainly used on their passenger engines. The 1st 5 E2s were judged as successful, but their tanks were too small, and they had bad breaks, so another 5 E2s were built and delivered in 1915 and 1916 due to delays, thanks to WWI. Before then, 2 E2s, were tried in 1914 as passenger locomotives on push-pull duties with the locomotives in the middle of a rake of six coaches, but the experiment was abandoned during the same year as they had insufficient coal and water capacity, along with them rocking from side to side at high speeds. So, that meant they weren't suitable for suburban trains. All 10 was also fitted with 2 types of brakes: The Westinghouse Brakes and Vacuum Brakes. The reason why was because even though the coaches at the time were fitted with the newer vacuum Brakes, the freight cars were all privately owned and weren't maintained properly, meaning most still had the old Westinghouse Brakes. This, however, resulted in the E2s braking so hard that the couplings broke.

They were also rough riders and rocked from side to side at high speeds.

When the other 5 E2s were built, they had longer side tanks and nothing else. Why they didn't they fix the other problems we'll never know.

Either way, they were all used for heavy shunting and short-distenced goods trains around London onto 1936, when they werewas used as replacements for the former London Chatham and Dover Railway T class at the Herne Hill marshalling yard, around Victoria station and at Dover harbour. During the Second World War, they also replaced the SR Z class at Hither Green marshaling yard.

In 1946, they proved the basic for the fictional Thomas the Tank Engine.

In the mid-50's, they proved that they were useful at the Southampton Docks. However, due to their long wheelbase, they had problems, and thus, couldn't go around sharp corners that the Southern Railway S100s and BR Class 07s could.

Still though, they lasted until the early 60s, when the 1st E2, #107, was taken out of service in February 1961. The last ones to be taken out of service were #'s 104 and 109. No E2s survived today.

However, there was a roomer about an E2 being built in the 2000s, though there's no proff of this.

So, what do we do with these locomotives to help it compete with the other Big Four designs? Well, 1st of all, the wheelbase. Some people say that if the E2s had a smaller wheelbase, they'll be fine. But, in doing so, we'll have to shrink the boiler, resulting in the engine becoming weaker than before, and we want it to compete with the Big Four. So instead, we can do the next best thing. Quite frankly, this way is much cheaper, too. We can just shorten the middle wheel flanges or make them blind, so the E2s can turn more tightly.

Secondly, the coal capacity. Many also say that if the E2s had a bigger coal bunker, it'll increase the distance travel. But what I'd told you the E2's coal bunker is roughly the same as the LMS Jintys? Yes, indeed, the E2's coal bunker, at 2.46 long tons (2.50 t; 2.76 short tons), is similar to the LMS Jintys, with a coal capacity of 2.25 long tons (2.29 t; 2.52 short tons). So, what's the problem? Well, you see, the E2's boilers were similar to those of the LB&SC I2 Class, which were infamous for poor steaming. So all that's needed is a new boiler.

Finally, the high-speed bouncing. It is thought that the difference between the cylinder and wheel size wasn't balanced, so all we need to do is balance it.

For the breaks, I guess that the driver shouldn't put on the breaks too hard.

And there you have it. Till next time. Good bye.