Background No. 89 as rebuilt by
Marsh as a prototype for the E2 class. The
Stroudley E1 class, built from 1874 to 1891, were used as station pilots and on short-distance goods trains on the LB&SCR, with the class eventually replaced by the
E3 class of 1894, designed by Stroudley's successor,
R. J. Billinton, father of
L. B. Billinton, based on the prototype
E3 class No. 158 West Brighton, designed as an
0-6-2T in 1891. The E3 radial tanks were beneficial on most goods trains except the heaviest, with their small wheels limiting their usefulness on suburban passenger services. The E3 class were succeeded by larger and more powerful locomotives such as the
E4,
E5, and
E6 classes. With retirements of the older E1 engines beginning in 1908. R. J. Billinton was succeeded as Locomotive Superintendent by
D. E. Marsh in 1904. By 1910, many of the
E1 class were worn out and insufficient for the heavier duties now required of them. The LB&SCR had been aware for some years that the E1 class were nearing the end of their serviceability, not due to mechanical failure, but because the local goods and shunting duties they were used on so successfully were becoming too heavy. One of
Marsh's last acts was to rebuild E1 class No. 89
Brest at
Brighton works, classified as E1X class, forming the prototype of the later E2 class. Marsh had always been reluctant to scrap rolling stock, often choosing to reboiler or otherwise renew engines, Marsh had intended to rebuild further E1 class to E1X, but was unexpectedly forced to retire, citing poor health, however, irregularities in his
accounting had been discovered shortly before his departure.
Design and construction (SR) ownership. By November 1911,
L. B. Billinton was advised that a class of 20 local goods and shunting locomotives should be built by way of renewing older designs. Billinton, preferring to build new designs, designed and ordered five new
0-6-0T tank engines by October 1912 from
Brighton works at a cost of
£2,010 each, and at the same time set a side a similar number of E1 class for withdrawal. Five engines were built to the original design with short side tanks, numbered 100 to 104, entering service between May and December 1913. The E2 class were more powerful than the E1 class which they replaced, with the advantage of improved boiler feeds, giving them broader availability. However, the initial five engines were handicapped by their small water capacity. The first three engines, Nos. 100-102, were equipped with a
reverser handle, whilst the last two, Nos. 103-104, were fitted with a
screw-and-handle system. Though occupied with the introduction of the
K and
L classes, Billinton, with approval sanctioned by the board in March 1914, ordered five more from Brighton at a cost of £2217 per locomotive. However, as a result of
World War I, construction was delayed, resulting in the final member of the E2 class, No. 109, not being completed until late 1916. Because of the small water capacity on the first five engines, Billinton gave the next batch of five engines, Nos. 105-109, extended
side tanks, increasing water capacity increased by 166 gallons, totalling . The second batch had the bottom at the front cut out to give access to the motion, as to extend their range without having to take on water, the overall length of the engines was also extended by 3 ½ inches (8,89 cm), and air assisted screw-and-handle reversing fitted to aid with shunting and allow the engines to work passenger trains. The weight distribution of the wheels of the second batch had alterations in addition to the extended tanks; their weight increased to 53 long tons 10 cwt (53,508,023 kg). The LB&SCR locomotive designs had little impact on the locomotive policy of the Southern Railway after 1923. However, in late 1927
Maunsell ordered studies for a new 0-6-0T to replace a large numbers of
pre-Grouping locomotives; the E2 class was the starting point. A total of 105 engines similar to the ex-LB&SCR E2 class were proposed as a standard SR branch line type, but financial constraints resulted in the cancelation of this project. Following the electrification of the Brighton line in 1936, the class was used as replacements for the
ex-LCDR T class at the
Herne Hill marshalling yard, around Victoria station; being used to sort sidings and to move empty stock around Victoria. In the late-1930s, Nos. 2106 and 2107 were allocated to
Dover to shunt
sleeping coaches and other
rolling stock on and off the new
train ferries, always bringing in the Wagon-Lits stock for the
Night Ferry and then bank the train to
Chatham. The E2s allocated to shunting the train ferries from
France ceased doing so at the outbreak of
World War II in 1939. During World War II the E2 class were assigned to
Stewarts Lane, Nos. 2108 and 2109 temporarily filling-in for an
SR Z class at
Hither Green marshalling yard; the Z class heaving been loaned to the
War Department, but they were not very well received in Scotland and were moved to Dover in 1944 when the
Second Front was opened
. After World War II, in 1948, the Southern Railway absorbed into
British Railways, and the weir pump on the E2 class was discarded and replaced by
injectors. Some engines of the class were drafted to
Southampton Docks to replace withdrawn E1 class engines on trip working and shunting in the mid-1950s (Some of the E1s who remained in service went to work in Southampton), working alongside
USATC S100 tank engines. Six examples were retained for this purpose and were found to be quite well suited in this niche before being replaced by
BR class 07 diesel shunters in 1962. When the E2 class was retired it was one of the last classes of the LB&SCR to be withdrawn, along with the
E4 and
A1 classes, all of which were retired in 1963. The top mileage for the class as local goods engines was other members had a similar mileage during its nearly 5 decades of service, none survived into
preservation, the last two engines being retired in April 1963. Of their legacy, Hamilton Ellis stated, == Fleet summary ==