Locomotive Class

Class B12/3

Class: Class B12/3
Type: Steam
Designer: S.D. Holden
Weight: 109 tons (including tender)
Purpose: Express Passenger

Information: The B12 class was designed by the Great Eastern Railway to replace older 4-4-0 Claud Hamilton designs on express passenger workings. The design was to become the last inside cylinder 4-6-0 to remain in service on British Railways.

Details: By 1911 the need for heavier express passenger workings necessitated replacing earlier 4-4-0 Claud Hamilton designs with a modern lighter axle load 4-6-0 design able to be turned on the short turntables predominant in the North East sector. Originally designated Class S69, and later reclassified B12 by the LNER the original build design consisted of 71 locomotives being fabricated at the GER Stratford Works. Due to the short wheel base and light axle load the class became popular on medium length express passenger workings out of London Liverpool Street Station to the Norfolk, located on the North East Coast.
In 1926, 20 were rebuilt with changes to the cylinder design and designated B12/2. A final batch of 10 B12/3 locomotives were constructed at Beyer Peacock Works in 1928 for the successors of the GER; the LNER. A final B12/4 design involved more rebuilds of the original locomotives with smaller boilers for use on lightly loaded branchlines when they were transferred to Scotland. Visual differences between earlier builds and the final designs included the provision of smaller domes, less ornate running plate valances, and the addition of external feed water pumps and heater systems.
Although fairly successful, the class soon became outdated by modern designs using three cylinders; such as replacement B17’s introduced by Sir Nigel Gresley in 1928. This resulted in the B12’s being reduced to secondary lines or withdrawn from service completely. Withdrawals commenced in 1913 with one member due to accident damage. Remaining class members were withdrawn between 1945 and 1961. One member of the original B12/3 class, BR no. 61572 survived into preservation.

John Faulkner

Class B12/3 Releases (13)

MODEL	NO.	LIVERY
Class B12 Locomotive Released: 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1978 1979	8509	L.N.E.R. Apple Green
Class B12 Locomotive Released: 1977	7476	L.N.E.R. Black
Class B12 Locomotive Released: 1976	1577	L.N.E.R. Black
Class B12 Locomotive Released: 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1969c 1970 1971	61572	B.R. Black
Class B12 Locomotive Released: 1962 1963	61573	B.R. Black
Class B12 Locomotive Released: 2000 2001 2002	8537	L.N.E.R. Apple Green
Class B12 Locomotive Released: 2001 2002 2003	8578	L.N.E.R. Apple Green
Class B12 Locomotive Released: 2001	8546	L.N.E.R. Apple Green
Class B12 Locomotive Released: 2009 2010	8528	L.N.E.R. Apple Green
Class B12 Locomotive (DCC) Released: 2008 2009 2010 2011	8544	L.N.E.R. Apple Green
Class B12/3 Locomotive Released: 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000	8579	L.N.E.R. Apple Green
Class B12/3 Locomotive Released: 1999 2003 2004	61520	B.R. Black
Class B12/3 Locomotive Released: 2000	61553	B.R. Black