London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Thompson Class B1 No. 1264, (later British Railways No. 61264, and Departmental No. 29) is a preserved British steam locomotive.
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1264 was built in 1947 by the North British Locomotive Company, Works No. 26165. It was initially allocated to Parkeston Quay (shed code 30F), near Harwich, for working the Great Eastern Main Line, and would remain there for 13 years. In January 1948, 1264 passed into the ownership of British Railways, and in March she was allocated the number 61264, though this was not applied until October 1949. The class were given the power classification 5MT by BR.
In November 1960, 61264 was transferred from Parkestone Quay to Colwick Depot (38A), near Nottingham, for working the Great Central Main Line. She would remain there until withdrawn in December 1965.
That was not the end of her BR service however as she was transferred to departmental stock, and renumbered 29 in the Eastern Region departmental stock series. There she was used as a mobile boiler for heating carriages. She had her couplers removed in order that she could not haul trains, but she could still propel herself.
29 was withdrawn from departmental stock in July 1967. She was initially stored, but in March 1968 she was sold for scrap.
Luck was on her side however; she was sold to Woodham Brothers scrapyard, Barry Island. 61264 was the only former LNER locomotive to be sent to Barry. She was rescued from Barry in 1973, the 83rd engine to leave Barry, by which time she had become the last surviving ex-LNER locomotive not preserved.
Restoration took some time; the boiler and firebox were in such poor condition that a new boiler and firebox seemed the only option, but steady work during the 1980s and 1990s brought the original boiler 'back from the dead', and the completed engine moved under its own power in 1997, resplendent in LNER Apple green as No. 1264. It is currently in BR Black livery as 61264. It has now been withdrawn from service (mid-'08) for a 10 year overhaul which is well underway at LNWR Crewe.
61264 is one of two surviving Thompson Class B1s; but the only LNER-built example, the other being BR-built 61306, aka "Mayflower".