This video from oorail.com features an LNER Class B17 steam locomotive. This particular locomotive is a B17/6 numbered 61630 with the name Tottenham Hotspur. This 4-6-0 locomotive built on April 28th 1931 at Darlington Works remained in service until August 19th 1958. Originally built as a B17/1, it was rebuilt as B17/6 in December 1948. This locomotive was originally named Thoresby Park but was renamed to Tottenham Hotspur in January 1938. Another B17 locomotive - 61670 was originally named Manchester City, it was renamed to Tottenham Hotspur in May 1937, but was subsequently renamed to City of London in September 1937 after it received A4 style streamlining and was reclassified as B17/5. This is the reason 61630 was renamed to Tottenham Hotspur in January 1938.
The model in this video was produced between 1982 and 1985, it is tender driven with a standard Hornby ringfield 3-pole motor. The original product code for this model is R.060 and it was produced as 61656 Leeds United, but has been subsequently renamed/renumbered before it was acquired by oorail.
This particular class of steam locomotive were known as "Footballer" or "Sandringham" class. Designed by Sir Nigel Gresley for passenger services on the Great Eastern Main Line. These locomotives were built to replace the B12 locomotives that could no longer handle the heavier express passenger trains, but due to route availability restrictions, the heavier steam locomotives could not be used. What was needed as a more powerful yet lightweight 4-6-0 steam locomotive, which resulted in the B17.
The B17 had a route availability of 5, the power class of the B17/6 was 5P4F, the previous sub-classes B17/1 to B17/5 had a power classification of 4MT. A total of 73 B17 locomotives were built between 1928 and 1937. Withdrawal began in 1952 and all 73 locomotives had been withdrawn by 1960. Unfortunately, all of the B17 locomotives were scrapped.
Between 1945 and 1949, ten locomotives were rebuilt as Class B2, changing the cylinders from 3 to 2, and replacing the boiler with an LNER 100A type boiler.
Some of the B17 locomotives were named after Football League Clubs, 61630 was named after Tottenham Hotspur Football Club in North London. Each of these locomotives had the appropriate club colors below the nameplate and brass footballs.
Hornby have re-tooled the B17 class with a loco-driven motor, these are currently available as part of their 2013, 2014 and upcoming 2015 product lines.
There is an on-going effort to build a new B17 class locomotive, you can read more about those efforts by visiting:
Comments