If you follow my videos, you will have seen the beautiful LBSC H1 Atlantic I posted a few months back. I was drawn to that particular model for the elegance of the prototype, and the outstanding livery application Bachmann achieved. It was the first and only London Brighton and South Coast locomotive I had added to my collection. A little research turned up that Bachmann had also produced one other model (to date) in the lined umber livery: an E4 0-6-2T.
Bachmann released a number of E4s, two of which came in LBSC lined umber. The general release version had the prototypical LBSC initials on the side tanks. However, the other version was a limited "collector's club" offering of 504 models, and was decorated as No. 473 "Birch Grove" as the only preserved E4 locomotive once wore on the Bluebell Railway. What particularly caught my eye on this version was not so much the name on the sidetanks (which I do like), but the level of detailing on the model is far and away better. Boiler clacks, steam piping, and other details really set the collector's club model off, and I figured if I was going to ever have one, this was what I would hold out for. Plus, the cab roof was black ;)
Being a past and very limited model of a preserved locomotive with a huge following, I didn't think my chances were high of finding one up for sale at a reasonable price. However, I was extremely lucky to find this model offered up a few weeks ago, and for a terrific price. The model was in perfect shape, all details intact, all extra details still included, and a previous owner had even fitted it with a DCC chip already. I took the leap, and here we are.
I fitted the rest of the supplied detailing parts, programmed the decoder, and gave the locomotive an inaugural run this afternoon. It doesn't appear to have ever been run, or at least run very sparingly. I'm very happy with "Birch Grove" and to have another beautifully liveried pre-grouping locomotive in my collection.
