Great Northern Railway 0-6-0ST steam locomotive, No 1247, 1899

Steam locomotive, No 1247, 0-6-0ST, Great Northern Railway, designed by Ivatt, built by Sharp Stewart & Company in 1899, withdrawn from service in 1959. Length: 31' 3 3/4"; width: 8' 7"; weight: 51 tons.

This locomotive is an example of the Great Northern Railway’s J13 class. The J13s were based on Patrick Stirling’s J14 class, which was his last saddle tank design dating from 1892. Stirling’s design had his traditional domeless boiler; in 1897 Henry Ivatt introduced a version with a domed boiler which became the Class J13. 85 Class J13 locomotives were manufactured between 1897 and 1909 and this is the only example which was preserved.

After Grouping, the LNER reclassified the J13s to the J52.

The 0-6-0 configuration meant that the J13 class were well suited for shunting duties, until the proliferation of diesel shunters meant that they were no longer needed. Withdrawal of the saddle-tank locomotives had begun in 1936 but was stopped at the outbreak of World War II. Withdrawals resumed in 1950 and were completed by 1961.

This locomotive became the first to be preserved privately directly from British Rail. It was gifted to the National Railway Museum by Captain Bill Smith in 1980.