Historical Background to the Battle of Britain Class - Part 2

Following introduction in 1946, they operated throughout the area covered by the Southern Railway, from the London terminals at Waterloo (London's last steam terminus in 1967) for the West Country and south coast, and the Kent coast expresses from Victoria, Charing Cross (to Ramsgate) and Cannon Street.

Since at the time of ordering they were destined for use away from the West of England already covered by the preceding 48 West Country pacifics, a different sequence of names was introduced, actually for 44 of the 110 locos eventually built.  Construction of the West Country/Battle of Britain class continued after nationalisation, until January 1951.

Other than the nameplates and oval plaques with own badge or RAF insignia, the 'West Countries' and 'Battle of Britain's' were virtually identical, with their distinctive 'air-smoothed' boiler casing (hence their nickname 'spamcans' or 'streaks') and Bulleid-Firth-Brown 'Boxpox' driving wheels. Their chain-driven valve-gear in its oil bath between the frames could fail, and the oil proved to be a fire hazard on occasions when leaks reached the hot boiler region!

The 'Battle of Britains' however did have minor modifications to cab and tender contours to enable them to work through the restricted tunnels of the Tonbridge - Hastings Line (which they never actually did on a regular basis). They were designed by the charming but persistent and controversial Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern Railway, Oliver Vaughn Snell Bulleid; all but six were built at Brighton locomotive works, the others at Eastleigh.