BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T

On the nationalisation of British Railways (BR) in 1948, the London Midland Region had a number of ex-London, Midland and Scottish Railway 2-6-4T and the Western Region a number of GWR Large Prairie 2-6-2T types. These tank engines were particularly suited to commuter and secondary services. However, particularly in Scotland and the Southern Region, the situation was not so good, with large numbers of pre-grouping types struggling on.

BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T engine no. 80118 at Guisborough railway station, 1950s

On the decision to build the BR standard series of locomotives, a series of class four tank engines was ordered, based on the ex-LMS Fairburn 2-6-4T with some modifications. The lineage of the class could therefore be tracked through the LMS/BR Class 4 2-6-4T locomotives back to the Fowler design of 1927.

Design work was done at Brighton, the overall programme being overseen by R.A. Riddles. The principal modifications to the Fairburn design involved the reduction of their envelope to enable them to fit into the L1 loading gauge. To do this, the tanks and cab were made more curved than the Fairburn design, the Fairburn having a straight-sided tank. The biggest mechanical change was a reduction in cylinder size, also to reduce cross-section, and a corresponding increase in boiler pressure to compensate. Other visible changes included the re-introduction of plating ahead of the cylinders.

130 of the class of 155 were built at Brighton, 15 (80000–80009, 80054–80058) at Derby Works and 10 (80106–80115) at Doncaster Works between 1951 and 1956. The first to emerge was 80010 from Brighton in 1951. Fifteen that were due to be constructed in 1957 were cancelled, due to impending dieselisation, and the last five would have been, too, had they not been at an advanced stage of construction when the order came to cancel them.

No significant modifications were made to the design. The tank vent was found to restrict the driver's vision and was moved further forward from 80059 onwards. Initially built with fluted coupling rods, these caused problems on other classes and, from 80079, plain section coupling rods were substituted.

The BR standard class 4 4-6-0 was essentially a tender engine derivative of the Standard Class 4 tank.

The Standard 4 tanks were originally allocated to all regions of British Railways, bar the Western. They became particularly associated with the London, Tilbury and Southend Line (LT&S) working commuter services out of London, until that route was electrified in 1962. They were also widely used in East Sussex and Kent, working from Brighton, Tunbridge Wells and Three Bridges on those lines of the former London Brighton and South Coast Railway that were not electrified. Another group worked from Polmadie depot in the Scottish region on the Glasgow commuter services. Note that, from July 1962, a batch displaced by electrification of the LT&S was transferred to the Western Region's Swansea (East Dock) and Shrewsbury districts, as well as other regions.

• On 24 April 1956, Locomotive No. 80119 was derailed at Scalby, Yorkshire when the track spread under it whilst shunting. An instruction banning heavy locomotives from shunting at Scalby had been forgotten.[2]
• On 30 January 1958, locomotive No. 80079 was hauling a passenger train that overran signals and was in a rear-end collision with another passenger train at Dagenham, Essex. Ten people were killed and 89 were injured.
• On 18 April 1961, locomotive No. 80075 was hauling a passenger train that was derailed at Pitsea, Essex due to a pointsman's error during single line working.[3]
• On 9 December 1962, locomotive No. 80102 was derailed at Gosport, Hampshire due to vandalism.[4]

There was a mass withdrawal of steam locomotive classes in the 1960s. Older types were withdrawn in preference to the Standard 4s, which class remained intact until 1964 (except for 80103 as noted below). The final nine were withdrawn from the Southern Region on 9 July 1967. One Scottish Region example, 80002, remained in Glasgow past the end of steam haulage until 1969 as a static carriage heating boiler.

No. 80103 was withdrawn in 1962 after being reported for rough riding. It was towed between two other locomotives to Stratford Works, where it was discovered that the mainframe was broken in half. Considered beyond economic repair, 80103 was withdrawn and scrapped. It was the first of the 'Standard' locomotives to be withdrawn, and the only one scrapped at Stratford.

British Railways 2-6-4T Class Standard Four No. 80072 runs round its train at Ongar

Of the fifteen engines to survive into preservation, only one was purchased directly from BR and this was No. 80002, all the others being purchased from Barry Scrapyard. Of the fifteen engines to be preserved only two members of the class are yet to run in preservation, these being: 80100 and 80150. 80097 has recently been steamed in preservation and entered service in March 2019 following its restoration from scrapyard condition at the East Lancashire Railway.[5] Five of them have also seen mainline operation: Nos. 80002, 80079, 80080, 80098 and 80135. 80002 operated over the former BR system in the 1970s when it appeared at an open weekend in Leeds arriving and returning home from the event under its own power. Three of the class were regular mainline performers around the '90s, with 80080 being originally used on LU 'Steam on the Met' trips. In 1991, steam was to return to the Folkestone Harbour branch with 80080 taking the train down from the mainline to the station at Folkestone Harbour and then for the journey back up to the mainline 80080 was used to bank West Country Pacific No. 34027 Taw Valley.

No 80079 and No 80080 at Tenby in October 1993 on a main line special from Swansea to Pembroke Dock and return.

80080 became the first steam locomotive to work a normal stopping passenger service on the mainline in March 1993. It also returned to the Cambrian network in 1992. In 1994, 80079 joined up with 80080 to work a number of steam specials including a run over the Cambrian Coast Line.

In 1998, 80079 became the first steam locomotive to work a steam special down the Conwy Valley Line to Blaenau Ffestiniog since 1967.

80079 returned to Blaenau in 1999 with 80098.

80135 has been used on the Grosmont to Whitby workings for the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on the Esk Valley Line

The Bluebell Railway had hoped to preserve No. 80154 since it was the last steam locomotive to be built at Brighton Works, but that sadly never happened since they didn't have the available funds at the time.[6][7]

No fewer than fifteen Standard Four tanks have survived the cutter's torch.

All but one member of the class in preservation were built at Brighton Works with 80002 being built at Derby Works.

Number	Builder	Built	Withdrawn	Service life	Location	Livery	Status	Image
80002	Derby Works	Nov 1952	March 1967	14 years, 4 months	Keighley and Worth Valley Railway	BR Lined Black, Early Emblem	Awaiting overhaul. Boiler certificate expired in August 2013.
80064	Brighton Works	June 1953	Sep 1965	12 years, 3 months	Bluebell Railway	BR Lined Black, Early Emblem	Awaiting major boiler work Boiler certificate expired in 1991.[8]
80072	Brighton Works	Nov 1953	July 1965	11 years, 8 months	Llangollen Railway	BR Lined Black, Late Emblem	Awaiting overhaul. Boiler ticket expired in 2019.
80078	Brighton Works	Feb 1954	July 1965	11 years, 5 months	Privately Owned, currently operational at Mid Norfolk Railway.	BR Lined Black, Early Emblem	Operational. Returned to service May 2017, based in Essex and visits other heritage railways throughout the year.
80079	Brighton Works	March 1954	July 1965	11 years, 4 months	Severn Valley Railway	BR Lined Black, Late Emblem	Restored. Cosmetically restored in The Engine House.
80080	Brighton Works	March 1954	July 1965	11 years, 4 months	Midland Railway - Butterley	BR Lined Black, Late Emblem	Operational at the East Lancashire Railway.
80097	Brighton Works	Dec 1954	July 1965	10 years, 7 months	East Lancashire Railway	BR Lined Black, Early Emblem	Restoration from scrapyard condition completed in January 2019.
80098	Brighton Works	Dec 1954	July 1965	10 years, 7 months	Midland Railway - Butterley	BR Lined Black, Late Emblem	Undergoing overhaul.
80100	Brighton Works	Jan 1955	July 1965	10 years, 6 months	Bluebell Railway	N/A	Awaiting extremely major restoration from ex-Barry condition.
80104	Brighton Works	March 1955	July 1965	10 years, 4 months	Swanage Railway	BR Lined Black, Late Emblem	Operational, boiler ticket expires in 2021.
80105	Brighton Works	April 1955	July 1965	10 years, 3 months	Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway	BR Lined Black, Early Emblem	Under overhaul, Boiler certificate expired 2010. Undergoing major 4-year overhaul.
80135	Brighton Works	April 1956	July 1965	9 years, 3 months	North Yorkshire Moors Railway	BR Lined Green, Late Emblem	Currently under overhaul. 80135 is the only 4MT to carry lined BR Brunswick Green, a livery not carried by any 4MT's in BR service. Will be fitted with TWPS for main line use between Pickering and Whitby when finished.
80136	Brighton Works	May 1956	July 1965	9 years, 2 months	North Yorkshire Moors Railway	BR Lined Black, Early Emblem	Resteamed in late July 2016 after a complete overhaul, mostly at Crewe but finished at Grosmont.
80150	Brighton Works	Dec 1956	Nov 1965	8 years, 11 months	Mid Hants Railway	Unlined Black	Awaiting restoration from Barry scrapyard condition. Swapped to the MHR by the Vale of Glamorgan District Council in exchange for the ex-Bricklayers Arms turntable.
80151	Brighton Works	Jan 1957	June 1967	10 years, 5 months	Bluebell Railway	BR Lined Black, Late Emblem	Operational, boiler ticket expires in 2029.

Belle, a character from Thomas & Friends, is loosely based on this engine. The difference is that she has water cannons on top of her tanks (for a role as a fictional fire engine) and a large brass bell.[9]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T.

• Southern E group page
• BR Standard 4 Tank Engines – Andrew Suckling

Preserved engines

• 80072 – www.80072.co.uk
• 80097 – Bury Standard 4 Group