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Hornby R3448

BR, B17/4 Class, 4-6-0, 61619 'Welbeck Abbey' - Era 4

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI images rather than photographs

Prototype Era
Era 4 (1948 to 1956) British Railways Early Crest

Manufacturer description

Locomotive 61619 Welbeck Abbey entered service on November 8, 1930, having been built at Darlington in the first batch of B17/2 locomotives and was converted to a B17/6 in January 1953, whilst allocated to March Shed. Renumbered under British Railways in August 1948 to 61619, Welbeck Abbey was withdrawn from service on September 19, 1958.

In 1926, with increased loading on the East Anglia passenger services and the introduction of modern, vacuum-braked coaching stock, there was a desperate need for a locomotive that could supplement the Holden B12 Class on the former Great Eastern routes of the London North Eastern Railway. Track limitations prevented the transfer of locomotives from other regions and so Nigel Gresley was tasked by the LNER to produce a three cylinder 4-6-0 design, using the cylinder and motion arrangement of the D49, but with a tractive effort of about 25,000lb and a relatively light axle loading of 17 tons.

The Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Trust Ltd is the owner and operator of the A4 Pacific locomotive 4498 / 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley, the post war steam speed record holder.sirnigelgresley.org.uk

Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

^* Class names often change over the lifespan of a locomotive, so this is not necessarily the class name used by the operator in the period modelled.

Hornby BR B17/4 Class 4‑6‑0 locomotive model, number 61619 “Welquet Abbey”, is a ready‑to‑run DCC unit with an 8‑pin socket. The model is painted in lined black with the early British Railways emblem, finishes in a green colour scheme and measures 249 mm in length. It runs on OO gauge track, uses a 5‑pole skew‑wound motor and a NEM coupling, and is fitted with a locomotive‑only power pickup. The part number is R3448 and it represents the early crest period of British Railways.

The prototype, locomotive 61619 “Welquet Abbey”, entered service on 8 November 1930 after being built at Darlington Works as part of the first batch of B17/2 locomotives. It was renumbered by British Railways in August 1948, converted to a B17/6 in January 1953 while allocated to March Shed, and withdrawn on 19 September 1958.

The B17 class was designed by Sir Nigel Gresley for the London and North Eastern Railway to address increasing passenger loads on East Anglia routes after 1926. Using a three‑cylinder 4‑6‑0 layout with the cylinder and motion arrangement of the D49, the locomotives delivered a tractive effort of about 25 000 lb and an axle load of 17 tons, making them suitable for routes with weight restrictions.

The Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Trust Ltd, which owns and operates the post‑war steam speed record holder A4 Pacific 4498/60007 “Sir Nigel Gresley”, is listed as the owner and operator of this Hornby model.