B12  61500 – 61580  4-6-0  GER  Holden   (2024)

Holden built his S69 class (also known as 1500 class and LNER B12 class) of 4-6-0 engines in 1911-1921. They were the successors to the D15 and D16 Claud Hamilton 4-4-0s. Originally designed to handle the heavily loaded continental trains from Harwich (Parkeston Quay) to Liverpool Street, they performed very well on that difficult route. Although an enlarged 4-4-0 design was mooted, it was realised that any such design would have too high an axle load for the tracks of the Great Eastern Railway, which had a relatively low restriction. Another design constraint was the short turntables used at the time. This meant that a 4-6-0 design was decided upon, although the design was relatively short compared to similar designs introduced at the same time.

	D15 class introduced by Holden in 1900
	D16 class which were a more powerful version of the D15 introduced some years later

Seventy-one were built and a further ten (61571-80) were built by in 1928.

The first seventy-one locomotives were originally numbered 1500-1570 on the GER and 1506 had a very short life, being damaged beyond repair in an incident in 1913. Renumbered 8500-5, 8507-70 by the LNER they coincidentally resumed their original numbers (1500 upwards) in the LNER re-numbering scheme of 1946.

The B12/1 class comprised the original design fitted with a small Belpaire boiler. As originally built they had elaborate framing over the wheels but this was later removed.

Initial allocations of the B12s were to haul expresses on the GER line to Colchester and Norwich. As more locomotives were built, they started to work all of the GER express services to London including the Cambridge services.

In the late 1920s, increasing train weights and poor quality fuel, led to a desperate need for additional power for express passenger services in the GER District. Previously planned Gresley K2 2-6-0 engines helped, and a three-cylinder 4-6-0 design was in preparation (this would become the B17 Sandringham class).

	K2 introduced by Gresley introduced in 1912
	B17 Sandringham class introduced by Gresley in 1928

The planned suburban 2-6-4T tank locomotive were cancelled due to the adverse press publicity caused by the Sevenoaks derailment around the use of tank engines. However, a stop-gap was needed and a final batch of ten B12s were ordered. These differed from the originals with the addition of Lentz oscillating cam poppet valve gear, no decorative framing over the driving wheels, and the smokeboxes were slightly longer. The rear axleboxes were not fitted with the side traverse facility. These would be given the classification of B12/2.

During the mid-1920s, the LNER performed a series of B12 bridge tests on the former Great North of Scotland (GNSR) lines, due to an urgent need for greater power. Although the tests were successful, the GER’s shortage was critical and transfers to the GNSR district did not take place until 1931 when the GER’s shortage had been relieved. Transfers continued over the next ten years, resulting in 31 B12s allocated to Scotland by 1942. Initially these Scottish B12s were allocated passenger services between Elgin and Aberdeen. They were later also used on the coastal Elgin line, the Buchan section, and the Deeside line; and also operated goods and fish services The Scottish B12s would continue to work the heaviest of these services until the arrival of the Thompson B1s in 1947

During the 1920s, many of the B12s participated in Gresley’s Feed Water Heater experiments. These attempted to recover waste heat by using the exhaust steam to pre-heat the water before it entered the boiler. In 1926, 8509 was fitted with a Worthington-Simpson feed pump and heater, but this was removed in 1929. From 1927, 55 B12s were fitted with ACFI (Societe l’Auxiliaire des Chemins de Fer et de l’Industrie) feed water heating apparatus. This apparatus was mounted above the boiler, and consisted of two heater drums and a single steam cylinder which operated two water pump cylinders. The first of these drew water from the tender into one of the drums where it mixed with exhaust steam. The heated water flowed into the second drum, where the second pump drew it into the boiler. All three cylinders were double acting. B12s fitted with the ACFI heaters were popularly known as “hikers” due to their appearance of carrying a hiker’s backpack above the boiler. The ACFI apparatus was removed when B12s were rebuilt with larger boilers to B12/3, between 1934 and 1941. Maintenance costs of the ACFI apparatus were found to be higher than the savings in fuel. One of the main problems was that the system tended to scale up and required acid cleaning every six weeks. This cleaning in turn tended to damage pipe joints. The Scottish B12s used softer water and did not suffer this scaling problem. These would be the last to have their ACFI apparatus removed, in 1941.

Between 1932 and 1944, all ten B12/2 locomotives and 44 of the original B12/1s were rebuilt with larger diameter boilers and long-travel Stephenson piston valves. The Belpaire fireboxes were replaced with round-topped fireboxes. These were given the classification of B12/3.

The GNSR District continued to have limited axle loadings, so the GNSR allocated B12s could not be rebuilt with the larger diameter boilers. Hence between 1943 and 1948, nine B12/1s were fitted with new boilers of the original smaller size but with round-topped fireboxes, and given the classification B12/4.

During the Second World War, the GER district B12s were often called upon to haul some extremely heavy loads. Age and wartime maintenance led to them not being in the best of condition, but they were still capable of hauling 480-490 ton trains when required, even if it was a struggle. After D-Day, a number of the B12/3s were allocated to American ambulance trains. Their restricted loading gauge, light axle loading, and short wheelbase allowed them to run across most of Britain’s railway network, although they mainly worked in South West England.

Number in Service.

• 61500-61540 and 61561-70 were built at Stratford
• 61541-61560 were built by Beardmore Ltd
• 61572-61580 were built by Beyer Peaco*ck & Co Ltd
• The last class B12/1 was withdrawn in 1954
• The last B12/4 was withdrawn in 1953
• The last B12/3 was withdrawn in 1961

Accidents and Incidents

• On 12 July 1913, locomotive 1506 was hauling an express passenger train which collided with a light engine at Colchester, Essex due to a signalman’s error. Three people were killed and fourteen were injured. The brand new locomotive was so severely damaged that only its boiler and tender were salvaged.
• On 17 January 1931, locomotive 8578 was hauling a newspaper train that departed from Thorpe-le-Soken station, Essex against signals. It was in collision with a light engine at Great Holland. Two people were killed and two were seriously injured.
• On 10 February 1941, locomotive 8556 was hauling a passenger train that overran signals and was in a rear-end collision between Harold Wood and Brentwood, Essex. Seven people were killed and seventeen were seriously injured.
• On 2 January 1947, locomotive 1565 was hauling a passenger train that was run into by an express passenger train at Gidea Park, Essex. The express had overrun signals. Seven people were killed, 45 were hospitalised.
• On 21 September 2015, locomotive 61572 ran into the stop blocks at Holt station which demolished the stop blocks and resulted in the buffers of the engine riding ridding up onto the wall behind the stop blocks.

Preservation

• 61572 (LNER 8572, LNER 7486, LNER 1572 & BR 61572)

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