Present your case

If there’s a locomotive that you think needs to be offered ready-to-run, here’s the place to voice your opinion…

The place to voice your opinion on potential new models.

L LONCERO m‘ J6o’0ti-6v- e0: Gauge: ‘OO’ Proposed by: David Somers

There are 0-6-0s from all over the country available in ‘OO’, including many from LNER constituent companies. But the lack of a Great Northern Railway 0-6-0 is, to me, a glaring omission. For any LNER Southern Area modeller, I feel that the LNER ‘J6’ (GNR ‘J22 – 536 series’) is an absolute must. The ‘J6’ was the first GNR locomotive with superheater and piston valves, and they entered service in 1911. Nigel Gresley took over from H.A. Ivatt at the end of the year and continued to build ‘J6s’, but those built under his authority had the boilers positioned further back, with a correspondingly short cab. These were dubbed ‘J22 – 536 series’ and construction continued until 1922. BR inherited all 110 of what LNER would refer to as the ‘J6’. There were 15 of Ivatt’s design and 95 of Gresley’s. They were numbered in the 64170- 64279 series.

What would make it viable?

Any manufacturer choosing the Gresley ‘J6’ would be dealing with a class that requires very few detail alterations – essentially Ramsbottom or Ross ‘pop’ safety valves – despite their 50-year career. They would have three liveries to apply – GNR, LNER and BR – and nearly 100 numbers to choose from. If a manufacturer chose to produce the original Ivatt version, the biggest difference would be the position of the boiler and the subsequent change of cab. Neither would be impossible to change using today’s model manufacturing techniques. ‘J6s’ would suit layouts set in Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and Greater Manchester, as well as those depicting parts of the East Coast Main Line. They were used on the old M&GN system and visited Norfolk. They also appeared in Tyneside and Scotland during the Second World War. They were hugely versatile machines and were equally at home on heavy goods trains or tightly timed suburban passenger duties. They were often used as emergency replacements for failed locomotives on more important services – so you even have the perfect excuse to put one on at the head of an ECML express!

Can I see a real one?

The first ‘J6s’ were not withdrawn until 1955 and the whole class disappeared between 1958 and 1962. Sadly, they were all sent for scrap.

Have your say Do you agree with David’s argument? Gwoowrtwo. facebook.com/modelrail t aitntedrp. coosmt y/ mouord veelrradiilcutk.