More on Steam

Bachmann has produced an accurate OO gauge model of the B1 Class locomotive. The B1 was Thompson's first design for the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER). These 4-6-0 mixed traffic engines replaced a large variety of older designs. It was the LNER's equivalent to the highly successful GWR Hall Class and the LMS Stanier Black Five. They proved to be capable and versatile machines able to perform well on any type of train. Several examples were fitted with electric lighting.

B1 Class No. 1306 "Mayflower" later renumbered 61379

Introduced in 1942 the first locomotive no. 8301 was named "Springbok" in honour of a visit by Jan Smuts, the South African Prime Minister. The B1s became know as the 'Antelope' class as the first 40 were named after breeds of antelope and unofficially as 'Bongos' after no. 8306 'Bongo'. The remaining engines were un-named except for 18 that carried names of LNER directors and no. 61379 'Mayflower', named in 1951 (see photo). A total of 410 engines were built.

The class survived almost to the end of steam on BR after working extensively over BR's Eastern and Scottish Regions, with the last working example being withdrawn in September 1967. Two locomotives have been preserved.