Photographs Copyright © 2006 Penny Moon
This LNER B1 locomotive was re-built at Loughborough and had its first
run
after re-building, on 28 March 1997 - photos here, and its first
main line steam run from Hellifield to Carlisle on 9 June 1999. Photos here.
More information on locomotive 61264 is here, and here, and here.
Your nearest steam railway to experience the real thing is at Brockford Station.
LNER 61264 approaching Ferry Quay crossing, Woodbridge, Suffolk, June 2006.
A bit fuzzy because it's a very small section of a large photo, as the loco was quite a distance from the photographer.
LNER 61264 passing over Ferry Quay crossing, Woodbridge, Suffolk, June 2006
Travelling in style; Club Car 99993 hauled by B1 locomotive LNER 61264.
Members of the London and Scottish Travelling Club (?)
After these photos were published, I received this email from someone who was on the train at the time the photos were taken:
"The trip was organised by a company called The Rail Touring Company http://www.railwaytouring.co.uk/ that specialise in running vintage steam excursions on main lines throughout the UK, and rail-based holidays abroad.
As far as I know, this trip was open to the public, although it's possible a coach may have been block booked by a club such as the one you mention. Alternatively, and more likely, it was just a recreation to the sort of thing that used to happen regularly in the 50s and 60s when 'rail enthusiast clubs' would hire trains for railtours.
I believe the run was the first occasion that a steam hauled train has passed down the East Suffolk line since the official end of steam in the mid 1960s (though someone may know otherwise!). As I'm sure you know, [no, I didn't - ed] Thompson B1 class locomotives were commonly used in the East Anglian region, so the locomotive was a very appropriate choice. The pace of the run was a little more leisurely than the trains of today but for the most part matched the timetabling of the steam era. A friend of mine had a GPS unit, which showed that the train exceeded 70mph at times, reaching a maximum speed of around 75mph near Manningtree. Not bad for a machine over 50 years old, hauling a heavy train!
All in all, a grand day out!
Best wishes
Malcolm
Malcolm also provided this photo of 61264 on its arrival at Liverpool Street Station, London:
