The LNER Encyclopedia

So history has been made today. At 11 o'clock this morning 1623 was part of the teak set on that departure from Pickering, arriving at Grosmont at 12:05pm hauled by NELPGs T2/Q6 2238/[6]3395.

It made a very fine sight in the LNER rake on Saturday and having 61264 haul the train from Grosmont to Pickering and back made the day even better.

I had the pleasure of sitting in 1623 on the day and it is a real credit to the skill and dedication of all those who have painstakingly put it back to being a truly stunning passenger carrying vehicle.

Andy W wrote:It made a very fine sight in the LNER rake on Saturday and having 61264 haul the train from Grosmont to Pickering and back made the day even better.

I had the pleasure of sitting in 1623 on the day and it is a real credit to the skill and dedication of all those who have painstakingly put it back to being a truly stunning passenger carrying vehicle.

Thank you.

Sawdust.

A little belatedly, here are a selection of photos of the launch of 1623 "offically" into service on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on Saturday the 24th of September. Just like the launch of Gresley BTK 3669 last year when we had a "Gresley" launch her in the person of Tim Godfrey [Gresley's Grandson], we had a "Thompson" launch 1623 in the person of Tom Walters', Thompsons' Great Nephew. Tom had some interesting memories of Uncle "Ned" as he was known within the family. In return LNERCA and the Thompson B1 Society made Toms' day, as he had a ride in both 1623 and on the B1 [6]1264. Unfortunately on the first leg of the teak trains run we had the LMS Black5 [4]4806 . So Tom is seen in the photo of the presentation taking place on the footbridge on Pickering Station, from left to right you see; Tom Walters, Murray Brown [who helped save 1623] and Nick Stringer Chairman of the LNERCA.We also see Tom cutting the ribbon across the door to launch 1623

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/hhbpav43l65i ... HT43V8E-6a

I, for one, would be fascinated to hear more of the memories Tom has of this Uncle. Are you able to elaborate on these?

brsince78 wrote:I, for one, would be fascinated to hear more of the memories Tom has of this Uncle. Are you able to elaborate on these?

So here goes brsince78, just a couple of Toms' memories. Bearing in mind Thompson and his wife Sir Vincent Ravens' daughter never had children of their own, they dotted on the nephews/nieces and their children. Tom had a lasting memory of getting half a crown [12 1/2p, in modern currency] every time they visited Uncle Ned, which to a 5-7 year old was an almost unspendably large amount of cash back in the late 40s' early 50s'! he also remembered what an imposing figure he cut when he met them, one occasion meeting him at the seaside, seeing him in the distance as they approached. They knew there was an engine named after Uncle Ned, but never quite managing to see the the engine in the flesh . Tom also felt that Thompson would be pleased that at least some of his handy work had been preserved. Though none by the National Railway Museum, mind you the NRM do have mountains of drawings and other paperwork in their archive, as LNERCA can vouch for as they delved through them in search for drawings for both 1623 and 18477.

Thank you.....

Lovely to hear! Thank you for sharing. Would the LNERCA be amenable to an approach I wonder, for his contact details? I'd love to interview him for my book.

S.A.C. Martin wrote:Lovely to hear! Thank you for sharing. Would the LNERCA be amenable to an approach I wonder, for his contact details? I'd love to interview him for my book.

Thing to do, would be to contact LNERCA direct for such information. Their website will have such details about contacts. That last sentence is my opinion about there not being any engines or rolling stock preserved by the NRM rather than Toms'.