British Steel

Not so old here – we’ve got colour light signals. A goods train, headed by 0-6-0 class J39 64848, chugs ponderously past; east of Thornaby Station, heading west on the goods line. We are told by Dale: ”The locomotive is J39 64848, of West Auckland (51F); it has a white smokebox door boss. This had been painted to indicate all 51F sheded locomotives by the shed boiler inspector.” We are now advised by Geoff Swales: ”The white smokebox door boss was painted by West Auckland boilersmith, (not inspector) – Gordon Reed – boilersmith from mid 1950’s until shed closure.”

Thanks Simon Chapman, Alan Woods, Dale and Geoff Swales for the updates.