LNER Class J27

A Worsdell P3 Class design for the North Eastern Railway, the LNER J27 0-6-0 freight locos’ numbers were added to by Raven in 1921, which included modifications. 115 were built altogether at Darlington and elsewhere, and they were classified as 5F under BR. The last class members were withdrawn in September 1967 and No. 65894 is preserved on the North York Moors line.

John Dyer photographed his lone example, No. 65887, at York on 26/7/60. Brian Leay and I were lucky enough to catch up with a few of them on our visit to the Newcastle area sheds in 1966, though we only saw one in steam. No. 65855 was chuffing around outside South Blyth sheds on 26/2/66 and on the same day Nos. 65835, 65832, 65853, 65817 and 65788 were having a turntable party in Sunderland round house. We had taken the ferry between North and South Blyth as foot passengers. The ferry closed down in 1997 after 130 years of continuous operation.

 

A fraction too late

I was there just in time, as the barrier was being lowered. Then I made the mistake of trying to get a zoom shot first, and the light engine working of two Class 20s, No’s 20118 and 20132, was too quickly upon me. No doubting the number of the lead locomotive, however.

Compensation was later provided by the stoat I saw on the trail, a first in that location. The next morning was positively spring-like and I celebrated with a shot of the millennium daffodils on the old Roman road into the village. I thought I’d better get another one without my bike in the foreground, but my phone told me that the cloud was full, or some such, so we can expect rain again soon, I think.

 

LNER Class J36

These 0-6-0s freight locomotives were introduced by Holmes for the North British Railway in 1888. 168 were built in total, at Cowlairs and by Neilsen and Sharp and Stewart. 25 were used in France during World War I and were named after battles and generals on their return. The names were hand-painted on the splashers. 123 eventually made it into BR ownership and the class had all been withdrawn by 1967. No. 65243 Maude is preserved on the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway. I only saw 2 of this class, however, John Dyer photographed Nos. 65234, 65243, 65267, 65282 and 65309 at Bathgate MPD on 1/8/64 and No. 65231 at Carlisle Canal sheds on 5/8/60.

LNER Class J39

These Class 4P5F 0-6-0s were a Gresley design dating from 1926. 289 were built at Darlington works and by Beyer Peacock, all of which made it into BR ownership. There were still 125 listed in my 1962 combined volume, though the whole class had been withdrawn by the end of that year, explaining in part why I saw only 6 of them. None were preserved.

John Dyer photographed 5 J39s – No. 64738 at Bidston sheds on 16/6/60, No. 64801 at Low Moor on 12/8/62, No. 64857 at Neville Hill also on 12/8/62, No. 64871 at Newcastle on 28/8/60 and No. 64880 at Gorton works during the same trip to Yorkshire and Lancashire on 12/8/62.

LNER Class J20

This 1920 GER Class D81 design by Hill was re-classified as Class J20 by the LNER. 25 had been built in 3 batches at Stratford works. The 0-6-0 Class 5 freight engines were then rebuilt between 1943 and 1956. All were taken into BR ownership but had been withdrawn by the end of 1962, with none being earmarked for preservation. John Dyer found No. 64691 at Littleport sidings, near March, on 13/6/62. As with Scotland, my trainspotting exploits never took me to East Anglia in the days of steam, so these ex-GE locomotive types were completely outside my experience.

 

British Rail[ways]

The afternoon coal train from Immingham docks to Ratcliffe power station was hauled past Rolleston racecourse yesterday by Class 66 No. 66789 British Rail 1948 – 1997. Call me a pedantic old trainspotter, but the term British Rail was actually introduced in 1965, when British Railways became British Rail. Surely, it should be British Rail 1965-1997 or British Railways 1948-1965. I’m just saying.

Real Time Trains had not only informed me that the freight was on time, however, but that it was being hauled by the aforementioned No. 66789. Although this was one that I’ve seen before, I was also able to check up retrospectively on one I had observed from quite a distance a few days earlier, which turned out to be a cop. This is a very handy addition to the already very useful RTT website. Where that information is now added, I could check out the locomotive from the comfort of my own computer chair and then nip down there if required, assuming, of course, that that was something I could fit in to my otherwise demanding schedule.

 

LNER Class J37

Reid designed his sturdy and powerful 0-6-0 freight locomotives for the North British Railway in 1914 as the S Class, itself a development of the NBR B Class of 1906. All 104 engines made it into LNER and then BR ownership. They lasted until 1966 and none were preserved. They remain as a blank in my 1962 abc, totally unblemished by any red biro underlining, although 95 of them were still around at that time.

John Dyer photographed 5 members of the class – No. 64546 at Carlisle Canal on 5/8/60, No. 64569 at Bathgate on 1/8/64, No. 64591 at Edinburgh Waverley on 30/7/60, No. 64606 at Bathgate on 1/8/64 and No. 64607 At Edinburgh St Margaret’s on 30/7/60. As always, I’m grateful to John for allowing me to use these splendid old photos on my blog.