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…
Locomotive: GNR Class J13/LNER Class J52 0‑6‑0T Gauge: ‘N’ gauge
Proposed by: Peter Austin, Warwick
What is it?
A development of Patrick Stirling’s similar ‘J14’ class, Henry Ivatt designed the ‘J13’ 0-6-0T with a bigger boiler. The most distinctive difference from its predecessor was the centrally located dome, the ‘J14s’ having a large brass safety valve bonnet near the cab instead. A total of 85 ‘J13s’ were built, some by the GNR at Doncaster, and others under contract by Robert Stephenson and Sharp Stewart, with the first being delivered in 1897.
Later, between 1922 and 1935, all ‘J14s’ were rebuilt as ‘J13s’, with larger domed boilers, bringing the total class number to 137. They were a common sight in the larger yards of North London and along the ECML. One of their major tasks was to transfer goods trains over the widened Metropolitan lines onto the Southern network. For this task, locomotives were fitted with condensing gear and shorter chimneys, plus extra lamp brackets to accommodate Southern Railway route discs.
Despite their Victorian styling, 133 locomotives came into British Railways ownership in 1948. Many had been displaced from their original roles shortly after the grouping, with the LNER preferring the newer ‘J50’ as a standard shunting locomotive. Withdrawals had begun in 1936, but the war delayed further disposals until 1950. By this time, diesel shunters were starting to appear and, by 1961, all ‘J13s’ had been withdrawn.
What would make it viable?
The cancellation of the Farish ‘J72’ project means there’s a gap in the ‘N’ gauge market for an Eastern Region 0-6-0T. With over 60 years of active service, there’s a variety of liveries to choose from, including GNR green, wartime grey and various black liveries under LNER and BR ownership. Their use across the Eastern region means that there should be a broad appeal to most modellers of the area. Furthermore, the wheelbase is similar to that of the GWR ‘64XX’, which Farish has been producing for the last couple of years. At least three tooling options could be employed, with ‘J13’, ‘J14’ and ‘Rebuilt J14’ versions offering plenty of variety.
Can I see a real one?
GNR No. 1247 (LNER 8846) was purchased by Captain Bill Smith in 1959, making history by being the first locomotive to be bought directly from BR for preservation. After touring the country’s heritage railways, it is now preserved in the National Collection, currently on static display at Locomotion, Shildon.