Hornby: BR 0–6–0 4F Class, Early BR – BR Unlined
Derived from the London Midland and Scottish Railway’s classic superheated freight engine, the 0–6–0 3835 Class, (originally introduced in 1911), Henry Fowler’s 4F was designed for medium freight work. Representing the ultimate development of the Midland Railway's six coupled tender engines, there were only a few modifications to the design and it became the largest class to carry LMS as its owner.
The Midland Railway had, in the early 20th century, adopted a ‘small engine’ policy that gave rise to a number of design compromises. This in turn led to higher coal consumption and smaller than expected axle boxes from which the reduced bearing area made them prone to overheating. Being a development design, naturally the Fowler Class 4 was also subject to these failings which, along with its tendency towards developing cracked mainframes, led to a reputation of being a difficult engine. However, they were robust, well built and easily maintained and the LMS constructed 535 of the locomotives between 1923 and 1928, with a further 45 examples being authorised by William Stanier in 1937 at the Operating Department’s behest.
- Length: 212mm
- DCC Type: DCC Ready
- Class: 4F
- Designer: Henry Fowler
- Entered Service: 1911
- Detail: Diecast Body
- Purpose: Medium Freight
- Wheel Configuration: 0–6–0
Hornby is a household name and is famous as the UK brand leader in the model railway hobby. The company’s founder was Frank Hornby (1863 – 1936) who applied for a patent in 1901 to protect an invention he called ‘Improvements in Toy or Educational Devices for Children and Young People’. Nobody then could have imagined how this product would influence the model railway hobby that we know today.