| London Brighton and South Coast Railway K class |
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K class No. 337 as built |
| Type and origin |
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| Power type | Steam |
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| Designer | L. B. Billinton |
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| Builder | Brighton Works |
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| Build date | 1913–1921 |
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| Total produced | 17 (completed)
3 (abandoned, partially built) |
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| Specifications |
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Configuration:
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| • Whyte | 2-6-0 |
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| • UIC | 1'C |
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| Gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
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| Leading dia. | 3 ft 6 in (1.067 m) |
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| Driver dia. | 5 ft 6 in (1.676 m) |
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| Wheelbase | 23 ft 9 in (7.24 m) |
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| Length | 57 ft 10 in (17.63 m) |
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| Total weight | 105 long tons 5 cwt or 106.9 t or 117.9 short tons full |
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| Fuel type | Coal |
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| Fuel capacity | 4 long tons or 4.1 t or 4.5 short tons |
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| Water cap. | 3,940 imp gal (17,900 L; 4,730 US gal) |
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| Firebox: | |
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| • Grate area | 24.8 sq ft (2.30 m2) |
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| Boiler pressure | 170 psi (1.17 MPa) |
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| Heating surface: | |
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| • Tubes | 1,155 sq ft (107.30 m2) |
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| • Total surface | 1,573 sq ft (146.14 m2) |
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| Superheater | Robinson |
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| Cylinders | Two, outside |
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| Cylinder size | 21 in × 26 in (533 mm × 660 mm) |
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| Valve type | Piston |
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| Valve travel | 4 in (101.60 mm) |
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The LB&SCR K class were powerful 2-6-0 mixed traffic locomotives designed by L. B. Billinton for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) in 1913. They appeared shortly before the First World War and the first ten examples of the class did prodigious work during that conflict on munitions, supply and troop trains. Further examples were built after the war, and the class was used as a test bed for various items of specialised equipment. However, after the formation of the Southern Railway in 1923 the remaining three locomotives on order were not completed and the seventeen members of the class led relatively quiet yet reliable lives over their traditional lines. The locomotives proved their usefulness once again during the Second World War, and continued to provide reliable service until the 1960s. The entire class was eventually withdrawn in 1962 for 'bookkeeping' rather than 'operational' reasons.
