LNER Thompson Class B1
The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Thompson Class B1 is a class of steam locomotive designed for medium mixed traffic work.
It was the LNER's equivalent to the highly succesful 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 my Jan Smuts. Some more were named after antelopes and the like, and they became known as bongos after the one named 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.
Apart from 61057, the rest were withdrawn between 1961 and 1967. Two have been preserved, (6)1264 and 61306 though the latter is in inauthentic apple green livery and named Mayflower, a name it never carried in service.
References
- Yeadon's Register of LNER Locomotives. Volume 6 Thompson B1 Class