LNER ‘B12/3’ (GER ‘S69’) No. 8572
The ‘B12’ is the glamour machine of the North Norfolk Railway. As the only LNER engine in preservation currently running in pre1948 Apple green, it is an ideal match for the varnished teak Gresley ‘Quad-Arts’ on the Sheringham-Holt line. The Holden-design engine is currently on hire to the Severn Valley Railway, where it will be one of the star turns at its March 16-18 gala and associated photo-charters, paired with seven of the line’s own ‘teaks’. Its visit to the West Midlands is directly off the back of a successful working holiday to the Great Central Railway (see News). Ordinarily, its owner – the M&GN Society – only allows the inside-cylinder 4-6-0 out once a year, but has made an exception in 2018 because it didn’t venture away from Norfolk in 2017 – and its visits are back-to-back, which saves on road mileage. Reliability was an issue following its mid-1990s overhaul in Germany, but the ‘B12’s’ performances and availability have improved significantly since its major 2012-completed rebuild at Ian Riley’s Lancashire workshop. Indeed, the engine topped more than 100 days in service for the first time at the NNR last year, although the valve timing was noticeably out of sync following attention to the dieblocks and expansion links last winter (since corrected). The ‘B12’s’ boiler certificate expires in November 2020 (unless an extension is obtained) and the next overhaul will largely concentrate on the bottom end, in particular the cylinders and valves. “Mechanically it’s reasonably good, but we look to raise the standard each time we do it,” says society engineer Keith Ashford. Another factor of the next overhaul may include the fitment of the necessary electronic ‘gubbins’ for No. 8572 to run on Network Rail metals – but only as far as Cromer, NNR’Cromer,Cromer,fortheNNR’s for the NNR’s dining trains. “There’s no intention or aspiration beyond Cromer and running at 25mph; we’ve got more respect for the old girl than to be thrashing her around at 60mph. We don’t want to wreck her… she’s unique.” Neither is there any immediate plan to alter the livery, as Keith concludes that the only logical time to do so would be for a special occasion, like next February’s 60th anniversary of the closure of the M&GN, or for the last few months of its ‘ticket’. “There are too many black engines around. Green generates far more interest,” he says.