The Thompson B1 Locomotive Trust (TBLT), registered charity no. 326367, are the custodians of ex-London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) Class B1 locomotive no. 61264.
TBLT's charitable objectives are to preserve, operate and exhibit the loco for public benefit, and for educational and instructional purposes. It does this in order to address the need for historically accurate, efficient, relatively straightforward and appropriately-sized steam locomotives to pull trains on UK heritage railways and for heritage charter trains on the UK National Network, both of which make a significant contribution to the UK economy, as well as to the wellbeing of many people and communities.
The TBLT works predominantly in the East Midlands, and in particular with the Great Central Railway (GCR), whose visitors, supporters and wider neighbours will benefit from the operation of 61264 in a historically-appropriate setting.
61264 was built in 1947, one of 410 of the class built to a 'wartime austerity' design by Edward Thompson, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the LNER.
With a working life of only 18 years, the loco was withdrawn in 1965 and spent two years as a stationary boiler before being sent to the scrapyard in 1967, the only LNER locomotive to go to the legendary Barry scrapyard in South Wales. This almost certainly saved the loco, and after being rescued in 1976, it took 21 years before it was restored to steam, at the GCR, in 1997. For a long time it was thought to be one of those 'project impossibles', but through the sheer hard graft and financial support of its members, the impossible was achieved.
The loco is now in need of another overhaul, which will include a new tender tank, new tyres, and considerable repairs to the firebox.
This crowdfunding site aims to help raise funds for the overhaul.
The locomotive will eventually return to use on the GCR, as well as hauling charters on the UK National Network. It is an historically appropriate loco for the GCR, having been based at Colwick depot where it ran to destinations North, South, East and West, including up and down the Great Central mainline to such places at Sheffield, Nottingham, Loughborough, Leicester and London Marylebone. In addition the loco is operationally very well suited to heritage railway operation, being of a Class 5 power rating, economical, and easy to maintain.
Please support us with as little or as much as you can spare! Thank you.
