As part of our recently re-launched ‘6-12-64’ membership scheme, if you sign up to ‘Silver’ or ‘Gold’ membership levels then you are automatically entered into a prize draw every 1st May to win a full-sized replica B1 nameplate. And, for Gold members only, you are also in with the chance of winning a pair of mainline steam railtour tickets.

We are pleased to announce that the prize draw has today been undertaken and the winners, who wish to remain anonymous, have been informed. So if that was you – congratulations again. If not, better luck next year!

And if you haven’t already signed up to help us return 61264 to mainline glory then please consider doing so; check out our Membership page for further details: https://membermojo.co.uk/thompsonb1

The winner of the mainline railtour tickets has very kindly donated them back to the Trust, wishing us to spend the money on the locomotive’s overhaul instead.

The winner of the replica nameplate has requested the name ‘Oryx’, which was given to locomotive 61004.

61004 was built as LNER no. 8305, later 1004, and was turned out from Darlington works in December 1943. Apart from being one of the first forty B1 locomotives to be built, she seemingly led a rather uneventful life and was withdraw in December 1963 from Canklow shed (19C), being scrapped the following March.

The photo above shows 61004 backing on to empty coaching stock as D4041 (a Class 08 shunter) looks on at Sheffield Midland on Saturday 29th June 1963. The photo was taken by Dave Wragg and was sourced from https://www.flickr.com/photos/dave1963/6829689961

According to Wikipedia the Oryx, meanwhile, is a genus consisting of four large antelope species called Oryxes. Their pelage is pale with contrasting dark markings in the face and on the legs, and their long horns are almost straight. The exception is the Scimitar Oryx, which lacks dark markings on the legs, only has faint dark markings on the head, has an ochre neck, and has horns that are clearly decurved. The Arabian Oryx was only saved from extinction through a captive-breeding program and reintroduction to the wild. The Scimitar Oryx, which is now listed as extinct in the wild, also relies on a captive-breeding program for its survival.

So there you have it.

It would be interesting to know what the LNER Directors were smoking when they decided to try and give antelope names to the first 40 of the class.