Extract from “The Locomotive” 15 September 1942
On April 13th, 1877, William Stroudley gave a Banquet to his foremen at the Old Ship Hotel, at Brighton. This happy event celebrated the completion of the 100th engine to be built at the L.B.S.C. Works, the locomotive being No. 110 Burgundy, which had started work on the 22nd of the previous month. But this pleasant ceremony, at which the Mayor and Aldermen of Brighton, as well as certain railway dignitaries were also present, symbolised more than this. It emphasised, as Mr. Stroudley remarked in his speech, that feeling of comradeship shared by the Company’s skilled engineers, who, acting with him in the spirit of harmony and co- operation, had produced locomotives of first rate workmanship and efficiency. He then paid a tribute to the Directors of the line, saying that they had always placed unstinted funds at his disposal for the furtherance of his engineering schemes at Brighton.
Certainly Burgundy was a splendid example of its type —a type which at that period was still in its infancy, for extremely few 0-6-0 side-tank goods engines had ever been built prior to the advent of the first of these E class locomotives in 1874. Amongst the many sound and ingenious details that they carried must be mentioned the steam brake, at that time a new idea of only three or four years standing. The steam-brake cylinder, 9½in. by 6in. stroke, was fitted with a ½in. drip valve, and was operated by a two-way valve, known to the drivers as a “wim-wam.”
What a boon this brake must have been to men who had previously to rely on the hand-brake.
Only three classes of LBSCR locomotives remain: the Terriers, B1 class 214 Gladstone at and E1 110.
110 emerged from Brighton Works in 1877, was named Burgundy and was allocated to Brighton depot.
Around 1892, Westinghouse air brakes were fitted and by the mid 1890’s, 110 was at Three Bridges. After 1905, the livery was changed from green to black and in 1923, 110 was taken into Southern Railway stock, and renumbered as B110. The engine was noted at Tonbridge during the summer of 1925.
Withdrawn from service in 1927, it was sold in of that year to the Cannock and Rugeley Colliery Company for £950. A new boiler to a different design was made and fitted by Bagnalls of Stafford, resulting in a change of appearance (especially around the cab) and an increase in power due to an increased boiler pressure of 175 psi. At Cannock Wood Colliery, 110 was renumbered as No. 9, using the inverted number plate from No. 6, an 1876 engine which had been sold.
As CRC No.9, the engine gave many years of good service, latterly in black livery and became the firm favourite with the enginemen due to its superior power over more modern machines. It was used extensively on the trip workings to Hednesford Canal Basin and the BR Exchange sidings on the ex-LNWR Cannock to Rugeley line.
The locomotive was involved in two fatal accidents. One of these resulted in the death of a ten year old girl on a level crossing just outside the pit.
Withdrawn for a second time in 1963. At this time someone drilled a quarter-inch hole into the outer fiebox wrapper in what was considered a bid to ensure the locomotive never ran again.
The engine was sold to the Railway Preservation Society and stored at Hednesford until 1970, when it was moved to the Chasewater Railway. There it remained until sold to three members of the East Somerset Railway, finally arriving at Cranmore in 1978.
A general overhaul was commenced in 1986 and it returned to active service in 1993, painted in green livery and numbered 110. In 1996, 110 could be found transporting visitors to the Festival of the Sea on the Bristol Harbour Railway. Unfortunately, firebox problems resulted in 110 being prematurely withdrawn from traffic in 1997.
During 2000, work commenced on stripping the locomotive down to assess the extent of the firebox problems.
In 2001 the boiler was lifted from the frames, and East Somerset Railway (ESR) workshop volunteers removed the boiler tubes and firebox foundation ring to allow a thorough examination. The foundation ring was found to be in better condition than was suspected and so will be re-used. Nevertheless, the boiler needed a new front tube plate, welding of the copper firebox, and 400 new copper stays.
The cylinders, valves, motion and running gear were stripped down ready for overhaul, and a special tool designed and built in the ESR workshops for machining the valve chests without the major task of removing the cylinder block from the frames.
During 2002, disassembly of the firebox was finished and the cylinders, valves and motion were overhauled.
Into 2003 and progress was slow, partially because USA Tank 30075 has taken priority, but also because the next major task involves rebuilding the boiler.
The boiler is not original, and was supplied by W G Bagnall & Sons in 1927 and it needed a major overhaul.
In 2011 it was cosmetically restored into BR black and numbered 32110 although it never ran in BR service.
It was acquired by the Isle of Wight Steam Railway in 2012 as part of a deal which also saw Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 46447 move to the East Somerset Railway for overhaul. In accordance with the wishes of the benefactor, the move to the Isle of Wight means yet another change of identity; the E1 will be known on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway as W2 Yarmouth.
It arrived at Havenstreet on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway in 2011 and is now undergoing assessment prior to the start of the major overhaul needed to return it to traffic.
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Preserved British Steam Locomotives 