LNER Thompson Class B2

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LNER Thompson Class B2
A B2 Class at Bethnal Green
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Edward Thompson Build date 1928–1937 (as class B17) Rebuilder Doncaster Works Rebuild date 1945–1949 Number rebuilt 10
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-0  • UIC 2′C h2 Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Leading dia. 3 ft 2 in (0.965 m) Driver dia. 6 ft 8 in (2.032 m) Wheelbase Loco: 28 ft 2 in (8.59 m) Axle load Full: 18 long tons 12 cwt (41,700 lb or 18.9 t) Adhesive weight Full: 54 long tons 14 cwt (122,500 lb or 55.6 t) Loco weight Full: 73 long tons 10 cwt (164,600 lb or 74.7 t) Fuel type Coal Firebox: ​  • Grate area 27.9 sq ft (2.59 m2) Boiler Diagram 100A Boiler pressure 225 psi (1.55 MPa) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 168 sq ft (15.6 m2)  • Tubes 1,033 sq ft (96.0 m2)  • Flues 460 sq ft (43 m2) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 344 sq ft (32.0 m2) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 20 in × 26 in (510 mm × 660 mm) Valve gear Walschaerts Valve type 10-inch (250 mm) piston valves
Performance figures Tractive effort 24,863 lbf (110.60 kN)
Career Operators LNER » BR Class B2 Power class LNER: load class 4 BR: 4P; 5P from May 1953 Axle load class Route availability: 5 Locale East Coast Main Line Withdrawn 1958–1959 Disposition All scrapped

The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Thompson Class B2 was a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive. It was introduced in 1945 as a two-cylinder rebuild (with diagram 100A boiler) of the three-cylinder LNER Class B17. Ten were rebuilt from Class B17 but no more were rebuilt because of the success of the LNER Thompson Class B1.

The LNER renumbered its locomotive stock during the period that these locomotives were being rebuilt, so some were renumbered at the time that they were rebuilt, some before rebuilding, and some after rebuilding. The renumbering plan for class B2 was the same as for class B17: in each case the first two digits were altered from 28 to 16. Thus 2803 became 1603 at rebuilding in October 1946; 2807 had already become 1607 (December 1946) prior to rebuilding in May 1947; and 2814 (rebuilt November 1946) became 1614 in December 1946.^[1] Between 1948 and 1950, British Railways increased these numbers by 60000; no. 61644 was so renumbered at the time of its rebuilding in March 1949.^[2]

The rebuilt locomotives kept their names:

• 2803 ((6)1603) Framlingham
• 2807 ((6)1607) Blickling
• 2814 ((6)1614) Castle Hedingham
• 2815 ((6)1615) Culford Hall
• 2816 ((6)1616) Fallodon
• 2817 ((6)1617) Ford Castle
• 2832 ((6)1632) Belvoir Castle
• 2839 ((6)1639) Norwich City
• 2844 ((6)1644) Earlham Hall
• 2871 ((6)1671) Manchester City

Two of the locomotives were renamed. No. 1671 was the official Royal engine and for this purpose it was renamed Royal Sovereign in April 1946.

The second renaming occurred after the withdrawal of 61671 in September 1958: in October, the name Royal Sovereign was transferred to no. 61632, which then became the official Royal engine.^[3] All members of the class were scrapped.

Two B2s were kept at Cambridge for hauling the Royal Train in East Anglia,^[4][5] predominantly to and from Wolferton which was the nearest to Sandringham House, these being renamed Royal Sovereign and 61617 Ford Castle as the reserve. There were three sets of drivers and firemen allocated specifically to work the "Royal" engines and they did not work unless operated by one of these teams.^[6] It was Ford Castle which was one of the locomotives used to haul the funeral train of King George VI on 11 February 1952, hauling the train from Wolferton as far as King's Lynn from where 70000 Britannia took over for the rest of the journey to King's Cross.^[7]

Other than the two locomotives allocated to Cambridge, the remaining locomotives were mainly allocated to Colchester and were predominantly used on services between Liverpool Street and Clacton.^[4] Many publications list "B17/B2" together and consider the types interchangeable which may lead to the type being overlooked; a list of locomotives allocated to Colchester in 1951 and labelled as "B2/B17" shows eight B2s and no B17s.^[8]

Due to the size of the turntables on the Great Eastern section, locomotives were sometimes used with tenders that were shorter than those originally designed. At least one B2 was recorded as being paired with a tender of NER origin rather than the longer B17 tender.^[9]

The last B2 was withdrawn in 1959.^[10]

• Allen, Dr Ian C. (1975). East Anglian Album. Oxford: Oxford Publishing Co. SBN 902888 54 4.
• Boddy, M. G.; Brown, W. A.; Fry, E. V.; Hennigan, W.; Hoole, Ken; Manners, F.; Neve, E.; Platt, E. N. T.; Proud, P.; Yeadon, W. B. (March 1975). Fry, E. V. (ed.). Locomotives of the L.N.E.R., Part 2B: Tender Engines—Classes B1 to B19. Lincoln: RCTS. ISBN 0-901115-73-8.
• Hawkins, Chris; Reeve, George (1987). Great Eastern Railway Engine Sheds part two: Ipswich & Cambridge districts. Didcot: Wild Swan. ISBN 0-906867-48-7.

• Yeadon, W. B. (1993). Yeadon's Register of LNER Locomotives, Volume 5: Gresley B17 and Thompson B2 Classes. Irwell Press. ISBN 1871608384.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to LNER Thompson Class B2.

• The Thompson B2 4-6-0s LNER encyclopedia