Hornby B12

[teaky]

Decorated samples of the new B12 can be seen on Hornby's Engine Shed pages.

http://www.hornby.com/uk-en/news/the-en ... rated-b12/

Looks very nice.

[mick b]

Just seen the same, looks superb !!

[65447]

61533 was a real jack rabbit - hopping around Ipswich, Yarmouth ST and Norwich Thorpe every year so - I wonder what shedcode it will carry?

61580 was shedded at Grantham between 1953 and 1957 and then scrapped in March 1959 after two further years at Cambridge - strange choice for a late BR version.

[Phil]

Photos on Hornby site show 61533 with 32B, Ipswich, code, 61580 with 31A, Cambridge

[65447]

Photos on Hornby site show 61533 with 32B, Ipswich, code, 61580 with 31A, Cambridge

Excellent, thank you - 61533 it will be.

[Horsetan]

Decorated samples of the new B12 can be seen on Hornby's Engine Shed pages.

http://www.hornby.com/uk-en/news/the-en ... rated-b12/

Looks very nice.

Certainly does. Maybe I can convince High Level Models to draft a nice chassis kit for P4 use.....

[teaky]

My LNER green B12 turned up today. It does not disappoint. Another good one from Hornby.

A little titivating will be required to disguide the joint on the lower boiler but it is less obvious in reality than some of the photographs would suggest. Probably because it is in shadow and photographs tend to use flash which highlights the edges at the joint.

A change of identity will be required too so that I have a more plausible excuse for it to appear on or near the ECML. I don't know what yet. Any suggestions will be welcome.

[65447]

A change of identity will be required too so that I have a more plausible excuse for it to appear on or near the ECML. I don't know what yet. Any suggestions will be welcome.

You've set yourself a challenge there Teaky. It's a B12/3 in LNER livery so timeframe from c1937 onwards to about 1951.

The allocations to Gorton in the 1920s were to cover the Boat Train workings, which traversed the ECML, but the B12s were replaced on these workings by B17s once the latter were introduced and long before rebuilding to B12/3.

The allocations to Grantham and Peterborough were not until BR days, 1952ish onwards.

The only remaining options - save employing rule 1 - are for a working to or from Cambridge to a destination along or off the ECML e.g. Doncaster, Leeds, York or maybe an excursion to an east coast town, or an M&GN working into and out of Peterborough. However, for the latter, in theory the tender should be fitted with a Whittaker tablet exchanger.

Which brings me to a critique of the early-BR Hornby model of 61533. Whilst looking through Yeadon volume 7 it turns out that the tender of this locomotive was fitted with the tablet catcher for working on the M&GN, which it did off and on between 1948 and 1959.

[JASd17]

Cambridge based B12s appeared on the southern end of the ECML during the 1930s.

I think there are four possible numbers which were rebuilt as B12/3s during the mid to late 1930s:

8512, 8514, 8522 and 8527.

John

[teaky]

Thanks 65447.

Some useful information there.

From what I have managed to find so far the Hornby model represents one of the final batch of ten B12s built by Beyer Peacock & Co. and these seem to have been ahead of most of the class for rebuilding to B12/3 between May 1932 and January 1934.

You're correct about the Gorton allocations. I latched onto that one as soon as I saw it but it appears they were all displaced by the B17s by early 1929. So, as you point out, prior to rebuilding.

I had spotted the Grantham allocation aspect too but had no idea what the time period was, so thanks for ruling that one out.

My limited information suggests the M&GN allocation consisted of six locomotives but that wasn't until 1948, so I have ruled that one out. If this is incorrect though I might look into Whittaker tablet gear. I think Tony Wright fitted some to at least one of his M&GN fleet of locomotives so I ought to be able to search his thread over on RMweb.

So far though, in terms of what might have strayed onto the ECML, I have only found photographs of B12/3s on the GNR main line hauling trains between Cambridge and Liverpool Street. I'm guessing these were shedded at Stratford. Hornby have modelled one of these so no change of identity will be required. I may have to settle for an excursion where a B12 takes a motley collection of unmatched coaches filled with Londoners wanting a taste of Lincolnshire or Yorkshire seaside air ! (No, I don't know why either. Rule 1 it is then. )

[teaky]

Cambridge based B12s appeared on the southern end of the ECML during the 1930s.

I think there are four possible numbers which were rebuilt as B12/3s during the mid to late 1930s:

8512, 8514, 8522 and 8527.

John

Ah, great. Thanks John.

So there were some based at Cambridge.

Rebuild dates appear to be:
8512 10/37
8514 2/38
8522 3/37
8527 1/35

So that makes 8527 the front runner for me at the moment.

Do you have any references for where I might find photographs of any of these please?

[teaky]

A further question.

Can anyone explain why some B12s have what look like external steam pipes?

In the case of the Hornby models this only applies to the LNER example.

I have seen photographs of B12s from various batches, so it doesn't appear to be a peculiarity of a particular builder.

[65447]

So far though, in terms of what might have strayed onto the ECML, I have only found photographs of B12/3s on the GNR main line hauling trains between Cambridge and Liverpool Street. I'm guessing these were shedded at Stratford. Hornby have modelled one of these so no change of identity will be required. I may have to settle for an excursion where a B12 takes a motley collection of unmatched coaches filled with Londoners wanting a taste of Lincolnshire or Yorkshire seaside air ! (No, I don't know why either. Rule 1 it is then. )

Cambridge and March sheds both had allocations of B12s and Cambridge would most likely have provided the motive power for those KX workings.

Excursions from Cambridge to Lincolnshire or Yorkshire seaside towns would probably have been routed via the GN&GE Joint, thereby avoiding the ECML below Doncaster and even then those for the Yorkshire coast may have been routed via Goole rather than Selby.

Rule I appears to be your best option...

[65447]

A further question.

Can anyone explain why some B12s have what look like external steam pipes?

In the case of the Hornby models this only applies to the LNER example.

I have seen photographs of B12s from various batches, so it doesn't appear to be a peculiarity of a particular builder.

Difficult one to answer and, although it is shown on the LHS on the GERS John Gardner drawing, the notes only refer to it's removal. The 'green book' does not appear to provide any specific information either. It appears to be relevant to Stratford-built locomotives and may be associated with the change to long-travel valves and re-boilering to Part 3, when the exhaust pipe was removed and blanked off. Were new cylinders cast?

Open to more detailed interpretation.

[teaky]

In Locomotives Illustrated no. 77 there are photographs of the following locomotives showing outside steam pipes.

8530 spring 1939 (Stratford built)
8518 c1936 (Stratford built)
8574 19 July 1934 (Beyer Peacock built)

All of these are B12/3s in LNER livery. I cannot see outside pipes on locomotives from earlier or later periods.