The Third Gala Visitor is Announced

We don't seem to be doing very well at this, news of our third and final gala visitor (just like the first) has leaked out into the public domain in advance of being cleared by the loco's owners.  With both apologies and grateful thanks to the Thompson B1 Locomotive Trust and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, I am delighted to be able to announce that our third and final gala visitor this year, is Thompson 4-6-0, B1, 61264.

61264 in reflection at Crewe

 The B1's were a wartime design, emerging in 1942 and intended as a mixed traffic class, the LNER equivalent of the Hall or Black 5 classes by the GWR and LMS respectively.

61264 approaching Bury on the East Lancs Railway

 A total of 410 B1's were built, 274 by the LNER and a further 136 by BR.  There were never 410 in existence at the same time as one (61057) suffered an accident in 1950 and was consequently scrapped before BR had finished its production run.

61264 with teak stock at Grosmont on the North York Moors Railway

 Originally numbered 1264 by the LNER when built in 1942, she was renumbered by BR as 61264.  She finished her days in departmental use as number 29 from 1965 until 1967. In departmental use, it worked as a mobile carriage heating unit, bereft of couplings so that it couldn't haul a train, but still able to propel itself.

Underneath the impressive gantries at Grosmont

Uniquely amongst surviving ex-LNER locos, 61264 was sold for scrap to Woodham Bros in Barry Island and went on to become the 83rd loco to be rescued from there in 1973.

61264

61264 is currently based on the North York Moors Railway and is main line certified, enabling her to run on the services from Grosmont to Whitby.

At Grosmont

Although all my photos here show 61264 in BR guise, she is currently turned out in her short lived LNER livery and identity of 1264.

This announcement explains away the "Northern Soul" subtitle to the Cotswold festival of Steam as 61264 and previously announced Caley tank, 419 are both from somewhere well north of the Watford Gap.  Our other guest, 6023, King Edward II doesn't have northern credentials, but is turned out in BR blue.

As usual, the Cotswold Festival of Steam is the unmissable gala event of the year, advance tickets can be obtained by following this link.