LAA09. London Brighton & South Coast Railway Marsh Class H2 4-4-2 'Atlantic' & Tender No. 424. In fully lined LB&SCR umber livery lined in gold and black. This is a recently completed model from a Gladiator brass kit built by a top class modelmaker and professionally painted by Conrad Cooper. Fitted with an ABC multi-stage gearbox, Maxxon 10 watt motor, Slaters wheels, additional electrical pickups on the tender, and with excellent cab detail. The model is test run only. The prototype was into service from Brighton Works in September 1911 as LB&SCR No. 424. The six locos of the class were built for the heavier London - Brighton services including the Pullman trains. They were designed under the tenure of D.E. Marsh although Lawson Billinton oversaw their construction. As Marsh had been at the Great Northern Railway under Ivatt the design closely followed that of the GNR class C1 large boilered Atlantic. No. 424 became Southern Railway No. 2424 in 1923 and the six members of the class were named by the SR in 1925/26, No. 2424 becoming 'Beachy Head'. Following the introduction of more powerful Southern Railway locos, the H2's were then mostly used on London - South Coast boat train duties. It was renumbered by BR to No. 32424 in 1948 and was withdrawn from Brighton in April 1958 as the last of the class with none preserved. However the story didn't quite end there, with the Bluebell Railway's replica No. 424/2424/32424 'Beachy Head' entering service in August 2024. RESERVED.
