LNER Thompson Class B1

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LNER Thompson Class B1

61306 at Leeds City 1966/7.
Power type	Steam
Designer	Edward Thompson
Build date	1942
Configuration	4-6-0
Gauge	4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm)
Fuel type	Coal
Boiler pressure	225 psi (1.55 MPa).
Cylinders	Two (outside)
Valve gear	Walschaerts
Class	LNER: B1 BR:

61337 derailed at Stanningley, 1966/7.

One of the named B1s, 61028 Umseke with nameplate visible on its smokebox, at Nottingham Victoria in 1958 with an express for London Marylebone.

61306 under the coaler at Low Moor shed.

61306 (yet again) at Bradford Exchange.

Name plate of No. 1306 "Mayflower" in service on the Nene Valley Railway

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61264 at Beck Hole

The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Thompson Class B1 is a class of steam locomotive designed for medium mixed traffic work. It was designed by Edward Thompson.

[edit] Overview

It was the LNER's equivalent to the highly successful GWR Hall Class and the LMS Stanier Black Five, a two-cylinder mixed traffic 4-6-0. Introduced in 1942, the first 8301, was named Springbok in honour of a visit by Jan Smuts. The first 40 of the class named after breeds of antelopes and the like, and they became known as bongos after 8306 Bongo. 274 were built by the LNER. 136 were built by British Railways after nationalisation in 1948. The total number in stock at any one time however was only 409 as 61057 crashed in 1950 and was scrapped.

The prototype for the new B class (Later classified B1) 4-6-0 was built at Darlington and entered service on the 12th of December 1942. It was the first 2 cylinder main-line locomotive constructed for the LNER since the grouping, such had been Sir Nigel Gresley's faith in the 3 cylinder layout. With cost saving a wartime priority the LNER's draughtsmen went to great lengths to re-use existing patterns, jigs and tools to economise on materials and labour. Extensive use was made of welding instead of steel castings. The boiler was derived from the Diagram 100A type fitted to the LNER Class B17 Sandringham 4-6-0s but with a larger grate area and an increase in boiler pressure to 225 pounds per square inch (1.55 MPa).

The appearance of No.8301 (subsequently renumbered No.1000) coincided with a visit to Britain by the Prime Minister of South Africa, Field Marshal Jan Smut. And as mentioned above was named Springbok. 18 other B1s took the namers of LNER directors. Not that there were many B1s to be named during the war years. Constraints on production meant that the first ten were not completed until 1944. However Thompson then placed substantial orders with two outside builders – Vulcan Foundry and the North British Locomotive Company of Glasgow. Between April 1946 and April 1952 NBL built 290 B1s. Over the period the cost of each engine rose from £14,893 to £16,190. Vulcan Foundry contributed 50 at £15,300 apiece. Orders for the B1s, which became Nos.61000-61409 under British Railway auspices, totalled 410.

The B1s operated throughout LNER territory; the first batch was distributed among depots on the former Great Eastern Railway section: Ipswich, Norwich and Stratford in London. They were an immediate success and were soon working the Liverpool Street - Harwich boat trains, the Hook Continental and the Day Continental. B1s were also a familiar sight on other top-link workings such as The East Anglian, The Broadsman and The Fenman. During the 1950s over 70 B1s were stationed on ex-GE lines.

They enjoyed similar popularity on ex-Great North and Great Central territory with engines based at Sheffield Darnall regularly rostered for the Master Cutler and South Yorkshireman expresses. Elsewhere there were substantial allocations in Scotland, West Yorkshire and on Humberside. The first to be withdrawn was No.61085 in November 1961. Officially the class was rendered extinct in September 1967. Two were saved for preservation. See below for more information.

Apart from 61057, the rest were withdrawn between 1961 and 1967.

[edit] Names

Early B1s were named after species of antelope, whilst later engines were named after directors and board members of the LNER. This lead to the fact that the B1 class contained the shortest name given to a British locomotive (#1018 'Gnu') and one of the longest (#1221 'Sir Alexander Erskine-Hill').

Note this does not include all engines

[edit] Preservation

Preserved in inauthentic LNER Apple Green livery 1306 Mayflower was actually one of those locomotives built by British Railways after nationalisation in 1948, numbered 61306 and never named.

The other preserved B1 is 61264, seen here in BR black livery at Christmas 2000.

A year earlier 1264 in LNER Apple Green livery.

Two have been preserved

• No.61264 which was the only LNER locomotive to be sent to Barry Scrapyard and was the 83 engine to leave the scrapyard. It is currently in BR Black livery.
• No.61306 "Mayflower" is on the Battlefield Line Railway in inauthentic LNER apple green livery and named Mayflower, a name it never carried in service, though scrapped sister engine 61379 was so named.

[edit] References

• Yeadon's Register of LNER Locomotives. Volume 6 Thompson B1 Class

[edit] External links

• LNER encyclopedia
• Thompson B1 Locomotive Trust (owners of (6)1264)
• 1306 Mayflower (owners of (6)1306)