Tag Archives: LB Billinton

Fisherton Sarum, Talking Stock

Talking Stock #22 The Missing Mogul – the K class

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With respect to the Southern Railway Mogul 2-6-0 locomotive fleet most people probably immediately think of the Maunsell Moguls,  the N/N1 and U/U1 classes. Their origins lead back to the SECR for the 5’6″ driving wheeled N class followed by the later Southern built, also under the design auspices of Maunsell who was now CME of the Southern, the U class with their larger 6′ driving wheels.
The missing mogul in more ways than one is the ex London Brighton and South Coast railway (LBSC)  K class  designed by LB Billinton. First introduced in  1913 the eventual 17 members of the class were the first 2-6-0 locomotives on the LBSC and the first with a Belpair firebox, and like the Maunsell N class  also had 5’6″ driving wheels. They were generally seen as one of the most successful LBSC locomotive designs.
It is a great shame that no examples were preserved, hence the missing mogul.  It was a class of locomotive  on the wish list of the fledgling Bluebell Railway, as members of the class were still in service  when the Bluebell Railway was formed, however obtaining one was considered too expensive at the time.

K Class number 2346 built from an old K’s white metal kit

Although  mainly employed on the central section for freight use they did occasionally wonder further west and east. I am not sure if one ever made it to Salisbury or not but the Brighton to Cardiff trains that changed engines at Salisbury could sometimes throw up a surprise loco from Brighton so it might have been possible.

A missing mogul both in preservation and also model kit or RTR form

My K class number 2346 shown left is built from an old Keyser (K’s) white metal kit, and makes an occasional appearance on Fisherton Sarum.

Sadly the K’s kit is not available anymore, so even in model form the class is still the missing mogul both in either Ready To Run (RTR) or kit form. Maybe now is the time to vote for a RTR K class in the current RMweb / MRE Mag wish list poll, along with perhaps voting for a few other Southern items at the same time. The results of this annual poll whilst not having a direct link to the manufacturers certainly is referred to by them when considering  their future plans.