B12 8572

Such a great looking machine and 8572 always appears so well tuned out.

As regulars on the Deeside line Ive often wondered if they were ever rostered on to Kintore - Alford duties which was the case for locos post overhaul from Inverurie works.

 

I just looked that tour up on Six Bells Junction, and am shocked at how little of that route is left.


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Only filmed her once, on The Wandering 1500 Tour 5th October 2013. I’m sure you won’t mind 70013 joining the party:

 

Yes, basically everything after Hitchin

 

First time I saw the B12 in steam, shortly after its return to steam in the ‘90s, it was double heading with the N2 (Also in LNER livery if I recall correctly) that was visiting the NNR.

Really felt that the NNR had reached a turning point in its fortunes.

 

No, the N2 spent the 90s in BR livery as 69523.

 

I think the N7 spent some time in LNER black during its first ticket though.

 

During it's time at the NNR the N7 did spend some time as L&NER 7999 in Black

 

Great image, many thanks for posting! Just by-the-by, for B12 fans and all who are engaged by this thread in one way or another, you may be interested to know that the Midland & Great Northern Railway Society published a 55 minute run-time DVD back in 2017 entitled "The Wandering 1500, the Story of a Steam Engine"; and it featured some 12 minutes of archive footage of the October 1963 outing as one of the three constituent programmes on the DVD. It covers a number of locations on the outward journey to Stratford upon Avon, including Broad Street, and calling points at Finsbury Park, Hitchin, Northampton Castle, Blisworth, Towcester, Byfield and Fenny Compton (in what was the twilight of the SMJ's days as a cross-country freight artery), plus some from-the-train views at various points such as, for example, Digswell Viaduct and stations on the Hitchin-Bedford-Northampton leg of the tour.

For those who may be interested, the DVD is still available via the M&GN Joint Railway Society's e-bay shop for the princely sum of just £6.50 plus £1.50 postage. For convenience, the link is https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/The-Wand...629581?hash=item469469258d:g:0I4AAOSw03lY5p55. I'm sure that - especially right now - they would appreciate the custom.

 

Was the SMJ ever an artery, or really just more of a capillary?

 

Taken during the SVR's spring gala in 2018, 8572 gets ready to battle Highley bank while the snow pelts it down. I'm with @Johnb The B12 looks bloody awesome on the teaks

 

Good question, and I think the most balanced answer would be that Blisworth/ Ravenstone Junction - Towcester - Woodford West (i.e. eastern) section of the SMJ would be classified as a "capillary" whereas Woodford West to Stratford Old Town and the adjacent junction with the GWR Honeybourne line (via the new chord from Spring 1960 that effectively abandoned the Broom Junction route) would most definitely be be in the "artery" league.

As this is a B12 thread, not an SMJ thread, suffice it to say that the eastern section from Blisworth, in its final days (1960 on) mustered a maximum of just two/ three local daily pick-up goods workings, whereas the western section carried around nine through freight services daily, in each direction, including five workings of semi-finished steel products from Consett and Scunthorpe to South Wales. The volume and importance of this traffic in terms of total tonnage can be gauged by the fact that significant investment in the SMJ was deemed necessary to cater for this traffic in the shape of the new chord at Stratford and extension of passing loops at Burton Dassett, Ettington and Kineton together with signalling upgrades.

All of which delivered a golden swansong for the SMJ, but only on a very short-lived basis. By Summer 1963, (due in no small measure to signal-box staffing problems amongst other more strategic factors), the end was in sight. And the timing of the "Wandering 1500" rail-tour pretty much coincided with the beginning of the end for the SMJ.

 

As we now have this thread specifically for this loco, I'll quote my recent posting on the "Locomotives that NEARLY made it" thread:

 

The old girl was just taking it easy lol

 

Can only agree with previous posts, the B12 is a magnificent old lady and truly stunning matched with the teaks.
Thank you for posting such an excellent video.

 

Yes indeed a great combo. The B12 in LNER green at the head of a set of Teak carriage in varnished Teak

 

Never been able to catch the B12 and Teaks together on the NNR, but photos attached of the N2 with teaks(09/03/2014 )and the B12 05/04/2019. The last time I saw it in BR service was when it was the last one of the B12 class .It was stand by engine in Kings Lynn station on a Summer Sunday when there was many excursions .I was on a Northampton to Hunstanton special ,4F worked. It was one of the rare times when I never recorded the date.

 

The N2 too looks great too, especially when hauling the Quad-art set. Would look even better if "they'd" managed to save a pair of Quads, as they ran in pairs. Though beggars can't be choosers.........

 

Agreed but 'the doors'