Hornby BR Late Crest 4-6-0 Class B1 “SIR HAROLD MITCHELL” model R3000

Offering an ex-display 00 gauge example especially developed by “Hornby Model railways” as part of their LATEST DCC series. This B1 Class is a BR Black late crest 4-6-0 locomotive Sir Harold Mitchell 61243, model reference R3000! This locomotive is complete in every respect and includes all usual packaging and accessories!

The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Thompson Class B1 is a class of steam locomotive designed for medium mixed traffic work. It was designed by Edward Thompson. It was the LNER’s equivalent to the highly successful GWR Hall Class and the LMS Stanier Black Five, two-cylinder mixed traffic 4-6-0s.

However, it had the additional requirement of having to be cheap because, due to wartime and post-war economies, the LNER, never the richest railway company, had to make savings.

Introduced in 1942, the first example, No. 8301, was named Springbok in honour of a visit by Jan Smuts. The first 40 of the class were named after breeds of antelopes and the like, and they became known as bongos after 8306 Bongo. 274 were built by the LNER. 136 were built by British Railways after nationalisation in 1948. The total number in stock at any one time however was only 409 as 61057 crashed in 1950 and was scrapped.