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The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) Class K1 is a type of 2-6-0 (mogul) steam locomotive designed by Edward Thompson. Thompson preferred a simple two-cylinder design instead of his predecessor Nigel Gresley's three-cylinder one. The seventy K1s were intended to be split between the North Eastern Region of British Railways and the Eastern Region of British Railways.

Prototype[]

File:Doncaster Carr Locomotive Yard geograph-2865280-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg

Prototype K1 No. 61997 'MacCailin Mor' in Doncaster Carr Locomotive Yard 23 April 1961

LNER Class K4 number 3445 MacCailin Mor was rebuilt in 1945 at Darlington Works as a two-cylinder prototype of the K1 class, designated K1/1. Thompson entrusted the rebuilding of No. 3445 as a two-cylinder Mogul to his principal assistant Arthur Peppercorn. This locomotive became British Railways No. 61997, and was withdrawn from service in 1962.

Production[]

When Peppercorn replaced Thompson as chief mechanical engineer, he made the rebuilding the basis for a new class of 2-cylinder 2-6-0. Several modifications were made. The running plates were redesigned to improve access to the cylinder steam chests and there were changes to the leading pony truck, the cylinder linings and the boiler. The new engines were also longer and received larger tenders that held 4,200 gallons of water instead of the K4's 3,500 gallon tenders.

An order for 70 of the new mixed traffic 2-6-0s was placed with the North British Locomotive Company of Glasgow. They were the last steam locomotives built to an LNER design, although all were delivered under British Railways auspices. Numbered 62001–62070 they entered service between May 1949 and March 1950.

Operation[]

The Peppercorn K1s proved to be useful and versatile engines. They worked extensively over ex-LNER territory but were chiefly associated with North East England, and like their K4 predecessors, the West Highland Line. Like so many post-nationalisation classes, the K1s had relatively brief lives. All were withdrawn between 1962 and 1967, but the last to be retired was ultimately preserved. They were capable of reaching speeds of up to 50 miles per hour, or 45 miles per hour while running tender first.

Preservation[]

One example of the class, No. 62005, which was also the final member in service before its withdrawal, has been preserved, and is based at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. It was acquired as a source of a spare boiler for the solitary preserved K4, but in 1972, the K1 was donated, still with its boiler, to the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group. It was also used as a stationary boiler at ICI North Tees Port Clarence Works for a period of 6 weeks. It was eventually placed into storage at Neville Hill where it was later obtained by Viscount Garnock, Geoff Drury, George Nissen, and Brian Hollingsworth as a spare boiler for the sole surviving member of the Gresley K4 moguls 61994 The Great Marquess. The plans for the stationary boiler fell through and the locomotive was eventually purchased by the 45428 Stanier Class 5 Locomotive Society Ltd and was later donated to the NELPG.

By 1975, the K1 had been restored to main line running order and made an appearance at the Stockton and Darlington Railway 150th-anniversary celebrations at Shildon, County Durham. Since then the NELPG has endeavoured to keep the locomotive available for use on the main line. While it is usually based on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, 62005 spends most of its time on the summer Fort William-Mallaig Jacobite service (numbered as 2005 in 1988 at least), recalling memories of the K1s in Scotland.

The locomotive spent much of its early time in preservation numbered 2005 and in LNER apple green livery. This livery is not historically accurate, as the engine was built in 1949 after nationalization and never had this livery when in service. It was repainted in BR lined black as No. 62005 in the late 1990s, and wears this livery to date.

In 2005, it carried the name previously carried by K4 61996 (LNER 3444) Lord of the Isles during its service hauling The Jacobite for the West Coast Railway Company.

Gallery[]

Preserved LNER Locomotives
A1/A10/A3 Class No.4472 'Flying Scotsman'
A4 No.4464 'Bittern'No.4468 'Mallard'No.4488 'Union of South Africa'No.4489 'Dominion of Canada (Originally 'Woodcock')No.4496 'Dwight D. Eisenhower' (Originally 'Golden Shuttle')No.4498 'Sir Nigel Gresley'
Peppercorn A2 Class No.60532 'Blue Peter'
B1 Class No.1264No.61306
D49 Class No.246 'Morayshire'
V2 Class No.4771 'Green Arrow'
Y1 Class No.59
J94 Class No.8077No.8078
K4 Class No.3442 'The Great Marquess' (Originally 'MacCailein Mor')
K1 Class No.62005
V2 Class No.4771 'Green Arrow'
Y1 Class No.59
J52 Class No.1247
C1/C2 Class No.251No.990 'Henry Oakley'
N2 Class No.1744
M1/Q Class No.1621
1463 Class No.1463
901 Class No.910
1001 Class No.1275
Q6 Class No.2238
Q7 Class No.901
J21 Class No.876
J27 Class No.2392
ES1 Class No.ES1
X1 Class No.66 'Aerolite'
H Class No.1310No.985
E1 Class No.69023
F Class No.49 'Gordon Highlander'
Y9 Class No.42
K Class No.256 'Glen Douglas'
J36 Class No.673 'Maude'
T26 Class No.490
G58 Class No.1217
Y14 Class No.564
S56 Class No.87
209 Class No.229
L77 Class No.999
S69 Class No.8572
8K Class No.102
11F Class No.506 'Butler-Henderson'
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