BR, J15 Class, 0-6-0, 65469 – Era 4
Designed by T.W Worsdell, the GER Class Y14 (LNER Class J15) was his solution to the lack of suitable freight locomotives available on the Doncaster route. The first Y14s were built in July 1883 and they became the Great Eastern Railway’s most common locomotive type, with a total of 259 being built in 27 batches.
The secret of their success was their simple design and in 1891, the Great Eastern Railway set the world record for erecting a steam locomotive, No. 930 being assembled at Stratford in just 9 hours and 45 minutes. Hauling both freight and passenger stock and with a very low axle loading, they could run virtually anywhere on the Great Eastern’s network. Withdrawals from service started to take place during the early 1920s, seventeen disappearing before Grouping in 1923.
As the numbers of locomotives reduced, so the roles assigned to the J15s changed, local freight and cross-country passenger services becoming typical. Rarely allocated outside East Anglia, scrapping of the class recommenced in 1947, just seventy one engines making it through to Nationalization, the last four being withdrawn from service on September 16, 1962.
Locomotive 65469 was built at Stratford Works and entered traffic in May 1912 as GER No.571, being allocated initially to Cambridge Shed. Being renumbered to 7571 under the LNER, the locomotive stayed at Cambridge until June 5, 1938, when it was moved to Stratford. The locomotive was then regularly moved around East Anglia, being allocated in various turns to Norwich, Lowestoft, Yarmouth, Yarmouth Beach, Cambridge and March. Renumbered as 65469 on December 2, 1950, the locomotive was withdrawn from service in August 1962.
Maximum curve Hornby 2nd radius + / 438mm+.
