LNER Peppercorn Class A2 60532 Blue Peter

LNER Peppercorn Class A2 60532 Blue Peter
Blue Peter at Barrow Hill Engine Shed, Derbyshire in 2009, in its early British Railways Apple Green livery
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Arthur Peppercorn Builder Doncaster Works Serial number 2023 Build date 25 March 1948
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-2  • UIC 2'C1' Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Leading dia. 3 ft 2 in (0.965 m) Driver dia. 6 ft 2 in (1.880 m) Trailing dia. 3 ft 8 in (1.118 m) Wheelbase 60 ft 6 in (18.440 m) Length 71 ft 0.5 in (21.654 m) Axle load 22 long tons (22.4 t) Loco weight 101 long tons (102.6 t; 113.1 short tons) Total weight 160.5 long tons (163.1 t; 179.8 short tons) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 9 long tons (9.1 t) Water cap. 5,000 imp gal (23,000 L) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 50 sq ft (4.6 m2) Boiler pressure 250 psi (1.72 MPa) superheated Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 245 sq ft (22.8 m2)  • Tubes 1,212 sq ft (112.6 m2)  • Flues 1,005 sq ft (93.4 m2) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 680 sq ft (63 m2) Cylinders Three Cylinder size 19×26 in (487×660 mm) Valve gear Walschaerts, 10 in piston valves
Performance figures Maximum speed 25 mph - (heritage railways) 45 mph - (mainline, tender first) 75 mph - (mainline, chimney first) Tractive effort 40,430 lbf (179.84 kN)
Career Class LNER: A2 Power class BR: 8P7F Numbers LNER 532 & BR 60532 Axle load class Route Availability 9 Current owner Royal Scot Locomotive and General Trust Disposition Operational

LNER Peppercorn Class A2 No. 60532 Blue Peter is a 4-6-2 ("Pacific") steam locomotive built in 1948 at Doncaster Works to a design by Arthur Peppercorn, hauling express passenger services on British Railways' North Eastern Region. It is the only Peppercorn A2 in existence after the 14 other locomotives of its class were scrapped.

Blue Peter was withdrawn from operation in 1966, and was bought for preservation in 1968. It gained notoriety in the 1970s and beyond following a campaign for its restoration on the BBC television series Blue Peter, and the locomotive has subsequently been featured several times in the programme. In March 2024, following an extensive overhaul, 60532 returned to steam and will run on the mainline and heritage railways across Britain.

History

British Railways (1948–1966)

60532 was outshopped from Doncaster Works on 25 March 1948 as the eighth Peppercorn A2, and the first of its class to enter traffic under British Railways numbering.^[1][2] In LNER tradition, it was named after a famous racehorse; Blue Peter was a Thoroughbred owned by Harry Primrose, 6th Earl of Rosebery, which in 1939 won races including The Derby and the 2000 Guineas. The horse earned almost £32,000 for Lord Rosebery, more than enough to purchase three LNER 4-6-2 locomotives at the time.^[3]

Initially 60532 was allocated to British Railways' North Eastern Region shed at York, working express passenger services on the East Coast Main Line.^[3] In the autumn of 1949, five A2s were overhauled at Doncaster, where a number of modifications were made, including the fitting of a multiple valve regulator and a double blastpipe and chimney, together with Kylchap cowls. Subsequently, the five A2s, including 60532, moved to Scotland to make up for deficiencies experienced with the Thompson Class A2/2s (rebuilt LNER Class P2). 60532 was allocated to Aberdeen,^[3] with all the Scottish-based A2s used mainly on express passenger services between Aberdeen and Edinburgh, which benefited from their greater power and acceleration.^[4]

After the English-based A2s were withdrawn in 1962 and 1963, the three remaining Scottish A2s remained in service on the Aberdeen route until June 1966.^[4][1] Replaced by diesel power, 60532 was allocated to Dundee and became the last Peppercorn Pacific to be overhauled at Darlington Works. As a result, it was often requested for rail tours, working as far as Holyhead and Exeter St Davids.^[3] 60532's final rail tour was in October 1966 over the Waverley Line and the West Coast Main Line over Beattock summit. It was withdrawn from service on 31 December 1966, and put into storage.^[3]

Preservation (1966–present)

Geoff Drury had purchased LNER Class A4 4464 Bittern from British Rail in 1966. In 1968, he tried to buy an A1^{[citation needed]}, but after the last one was cut up he was offered and purchased 60532 in 1968.^[3]

After preservation, 60532 was the subject of a campaign for its restoration on the BBC Television series Blue Peter, and the locomotive has subsequently been featured several times in the programme.^[5] Restoration was undertaken at York, Leeds and Doncaster Works where it was repainted in LNER apple green livery as No 532, the number it would have carried if built pre-nationalisation. 60,000 people witnessed its renaming by the BBC Blue Peter programme presenters at a Doncaster Works Open Day in 1971.^[3] It was during this time that 60532 received a New Zealand 5-chime whistle, as well as retaining its standard LNER whistle. The chime was presented to Geoff Drury, being fitted near to the fireman's side smoke deflector.^{[citation needed]}

Moved to the Dinting Railway Centre, it did little running and in late 1987, the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group (NELPG) took charge of 60532 and A4 Bittern on long-term loan from the Drury family.^[6] Restored at the Imperial Chemical Industries works at Wilton, Redcar and Cleveland, 60532 was renamed by the BBC Blue Peter programme for a second time in December 1991.

It was then moved to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway for running in. The locomotive obtained its main line certificate in 1992 and subsequently worked many rail tours over the Settle and Carlisle Railway and as far north as its old depot of Aberdeen.^[3]

On 1 October 1994, during a run from Edinburgh to York, 60532 suffered extensive damage during a catastrophic uncontrolled wheelslip on the Durham Viaduct after an unscheduled stop at Durham station. The damaged parts included the outside valve motion, coupling rods and axleboxes; a driving wheel also moved on its axle.^[3] After the incident, the locomotive was moved to Thornaby MPD, where the repair work took 18 months to complete.^[3] On 31 May 1996, 60532 was then moved again to the NYMR for running in. The locomotive resumed its mainline career in November 1996, working a charter from Middlesbrough to Preston via Newcastle and Carlisle.^[3]

In 1998, 60532 ran an Edinburgh to London excursion to mark the 40th anniversary of the Blue Peter TV programme. The trip was Day's Out Limited's "Heart of Midlothian" which had run from Kings Cross to Edinburgh behind a diesel and 60532 worked the journey south with members of the Blue Peter team traveling on board. One presenter Stuart Miles even travelled on the footplate between Newark and Peterborough as that was the section that Mallard set the speed record in 1938.

60532's mainline certificate expired in September 2001 and after that, she was then based at the NYMR, where it worked until the end of the 2002 season when her boiler certificate expired.^[3] It was subsequently displayed at the Darlington Railway Centre and Museum. On 22 May 2007, BBC Look North News reported that the locomotive was being moved into storage in Chesterfield, due to the renovation of the museum, and would not be returning.

After 60532 was moved to the Barrow Hill Roundhouse in Derbyshire, the NELPG hoped to raise £600,000 for restoration of the locomotive to main line running.^[3] There she was repainted to British Railways apple green livery, similar to the first livery used on the A1 Class 60163 Tornado.

In October 2014, the engine was sold by the Drury family to Jeremy Hosking under the ownership of the Royal Scot Locomotive and General Trust (RSL&GT), who plan to restore it to main line standard with a return originally scheduled for 2016.^[7] The locomotive was moved to the LNWR Heritage facility at Crewe in May 2015 and is currently under overhaul. On 10 August 2017, it made another appearance on the Blue Peter TV programme^[8] (as well as showing footage of when it was moved by road from Barrow Hill to Crewe with the help of Radzi Chinyanganya and Barney Harwood), Lindsey Russell helps out in the workshop with its overhaul which included helping with the construction of its new firebox.^[9] After being equipped with new wheels in 2023, testing of the locomotive was expected to start in 2023 and was concluded by March 2024.^[10] In March 2024 the engine was shown outshopped in British Railways Express Passenger Blue livery, following the completion of its overhaul.^[11]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to LNER Peppercorn Class A2 60532 Blue Peter.

Bibliography

• Morrison, Gavin (2004). The Power of the A2s. Power Series (1st ed.). Oxford Publishing Company. ISBN 0-86093-588-4.

External links

• 60532 Blue Peter official site at the NELPG
• Video footage of the 1994 slip
• Blue Peter on the ECML in 1998
• Blue Peter 40th Anniversary Railtour Part 1
• Blue Peter 40th Anniversary Railtour Part 2

This page was last edited on 6 April 2024, at 21:27