LB&SCR E4 Class No. 473 ”Birch Grove”

Birch Grove is an LB&SCR E4 class 0-6-2T tank engine which is currently preserved on the Bluebell Railway.
==History==
Built in 1898 at Brighton Works for the LB&SCR, the locomotive primarily performed suburban passenger duties, and later did local passenger, freight, and branch work for almost fifty years. Initially painted in Stroudley's famous "Improved Engine Green", in 1912 it was later reboilered by D. E. Marsh with an I1-type boiler, and re-painted in dark umber livery.
After being re-numbered B473 and 2473 under the Southern Railway, in February 1948 it was one of the first Southern locos to receive "BRITISH RAILWAYS" sunshine lettering, and ran as s2473 until being finally renumbered as 32473 in April 1951.
Arriving on the Bluebell straight out of BR service in 1962, it was quickly repainted into the Marsh umber, and ran until 1971, by which time its boiler was in need of major repairs.
==Trivia==
*Birch Grove was last steamed in 2016, as a firebox repair dating from between the 1970's and 2013 had failed. Major replacement of the copper plates forming the inner firebox will be needed before it can resume operation.
*Following withdrawal from service in May 2008, the locomotive was soon brought into the Bluebell workshops for a fast track overhaul, including a repaint into 1920s Southern Railway green to match much of the line's coaching stock.
==Gallery==
BirchGroveumberLBSClivery.png
BirchGrove32473.jpg
473BirchGrove.png
BirchGroveStationJim.png
BirchGrovewithaface.png
File:BirchGrove1980Annual.jpg
Category:Locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:0-6-2 locomotives
Category:0-6-2 steam locomotives
Category:0-6-2T steam locomotives
Category:0-6-2T locomotives
Category:Tank locomotives
Category:Built in 1898
Category:Bluebell Railway
Category:United Kingdom
Category:LB&SCR locomotives
Category:British Rail locomotives
Category:Southern Railway (UK) locomotives
Category:Sole survivor
Category:Preserved locomotives
Category:Preserved steam locomotives