BR, B17/4 Class, 4-6-0, 61619 ˜Welbeck Abbey ™ – Era 4

BR, B17/4 Class, 4-6-0, 61619 ˜Welbeck Abbey ™ – Era 4

Locomotive 61619 Welbeck Abbey entered service on November 8, 1930, having been built at Darlington in the first batch of B17/2 locomotives and was converted to a B17/6 in January 1953, whilst allocated to March Shed. Renumbered under British Railways in August 1948 to 61619, Welbeck Abbey was withdrawn from service on September 19, 1958.

In 1926, with increased loading on the East Anglia passenger services and the introduction of modern, vacuum-braked coaching stock, there was a desperate need for a locomotive that could supplement the Holden B12 Class on the former Great Eastern routes of the London North Eastern Railway. Track limitations prevented the transfer of locomotives from other regions and so Nigel Gresley was tasked by the LNER to produce a three cylinder 4-6-0 design, using the cylinder and motion arrangement of the D49, but with a tractive effort of about 25,000lb and a relatively light axle loading of 17 tons.

The Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Trust Ltd is the owner and operator of the A4 Pacific locomotive 4498 / 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley, the post war steam speed record holder.sirnigelgresley.org.uk