As part of making our new home at Ruddington, we would like to establish a display of photos showing 61264 at work on the railways of Nottinghamshire, to put her ‘in context’ for visitors. In particular we would like to show her in action on the old Great Central main line, part of which is now today’s Nottingham Heritage Railway.

So if people have any photos of 61264 at work on such routes during her BR days, and you’d be willing to share them for these purposes, then do please ‘Like’ and share them to our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/61264loco, alternatively if you’re not on Facebook then please e-mail them to secretary@thompsonb1.org. All photos must please be credited to the original photographer where possible, and you must have their permission to share them, where possible.

To start proceedings, above is a photo from the TBLT archives of 61264 acting as station pilot at the much-missed Nottingham Victoria station, exact date and photographer unknown, but thought to be in the 1960s.

Nottingham Victoria was opened by the Nottingham Joint Station Committee on 24 May 1900 and closed on 4 September 1967 by the London Midland Region of British Railways. The station building was entirely demolished (except the clock tower), and the Victoria Centre shopping centre was built on the site, incorporating the old station clock tower into the main entrance on Milton Street. From the bottom level of the shopping centre’s car park, in the former station’s deep cutting, the entrance of Mansfield Road railway tunnel remains visible today.

Here is more about the station: https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/history/stunning-photos-show-nottinghams-lost-6628274