4S-018-011 B4 0-4-0T BR Early Crest Black 30084

The London and South Western Railway B4 class was a class of 0-4-0 tank engines originally designed for station piloting and dock shunting. They were later used extensively in Southampton Docks for nearly half a century.

The locomotives were designed by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) Locomotive Superintendent William Adams. They were unusual in having inside Stephenson valve gear but outside cylinders and coal bunkers on the footplate inside the cab. The class were originally built with Adams's design of stovepipe chimney, although these were later replaced by a lipped version, as on our model, designed by Adams' successor, Dugald Drummond. Our model is an example with an original cab, but some examples also had cut away cabs to improve visibility. They were designed for shunting in locations with a sharp curves, such as the dockyard at Devonport and as pilots at the major stations.