Stanford

**Stanford** is a Thompson B1 4-6-0 that is owned by the Moorland Steam Railway. He was rescued from the scrapyard at the nearby diesel depot by a diesel-electric in 1969.

## Bio

Stanford was built in 1946 by the North British Locomotive Company (NBL) following the end of World War Two, which was unfortunately unable to see due to him spending built too late. He tried to make friends with the Gresley V2 2-6-2s, since he heard that they "helped win the War". The powerful Gresley locomotive didn't accept him as one of their own, since the Thompson B1 was now the standard mixed traffic locomotive on the LNER, a title once held by the V2s. Only one V2 accepted him, No. 800 'Green Arrow', the class leader/pioneer.

Following Nationalisation, Stanford was renumbered '61076' by British Railways after January 1948, and continued with handling mixed duties on the railway network. He was one of the few B1s sent to the Southern Region with a few Gresley V2s and because of this, he finally gained their trust. In 1965, he had to shunt a broken down USA class from his home region to Northampsmith in the London, Midland Region due to it breaking down and getting lost in the process. Stanford left and was withdrawn later that same year. He was sold for scrap instead of preservation by the MSR since he wasn't needed yet for the line. He moved scrapyards a few times before he was finally sent to the diesel depot in 1967, two years after his withdrawal.

Stanford found himself with a few other locomotives sent for disposal, including a North Eastern Railway T2 and a much older Midland 2F that have also been sent there. In 1969, he was collected from the scrap line and taken to Northampsmith by D3 'Skiddaw' for preservation to operational condition. It took around the average time for restorations (at the time) of two years before Stanford moved under his own steam, and repainted into an authentic LNER Apple Green with his original number. Stanford was surprised the that T2 he saw at the diesel depot (Raven) had also been preserved by the MSR and was being restored to operational condition, like him. In 1972, Stanford helped in the construction of the Dentin extension of the railway and was given the honour of hauling the first major passenger train on the line's opening day.

Old rivals met when the North Western Railway (NWR) sent their Black Five 4-6-0 Henry in 1973 and Stanford started to treat the other mixed traffic 4-6-0 as a rival, since he remembered what happened during his brother Oliver Bury's tests in 1948 against a Black Five, and challenged Henry to a race from Dentin to Gladsville on the opening day of the extension. Stanford won the race but almost damaged his boiler when one of his water injectors failed after passing Birdsville station. Stanford was returned to traffic one month later and received a new spark arrestor when a heat wave struck Cheshire. He and Raven were tested at the diesel depot in order for certification by the fire service and allow for operation on the Dentin extension again. They passed and became the first steam locomotives to operate the line since Summer began.

On his first day back on the extension, me met an old friend from the Southern Region, an old Thumper DEMU known as "Booster" because of his quick departures. Stanford also assisted during the Dentin Fire of 1974, along with Will, Meld (a Deltic diesel-electric locomotive and another old friend of Stanford's), Titan and Booster.

## Appearances

### The Series 1960s

* The American (unnamed)
* Unlikely Hero

### The Series 1970s

* Trains of the Past
* Dentin No More
* Blazin' Inferno

## Livery

During his first and unnamed appearance, Stanford is painted in British Railways Lined Black with Late Crests on his tender. As preserved by the Moorland Steam Railway, Stanford is painted in post-WWII LNER Apple Green with Gill Sans writing and his post-1946 number. In the 1980s, Stanford would gain brass and red nameplates.

## Basis or real locomotive

Stanford is based on the real locomotive. It was one of 410 Thompson B1s built by the LNER and BR from Darlington, Gorton, the North British Locomotive Company (NBL) and the Vulcan Foundry between 1942 and 1952. They were based upon the GWR 4900 Hall class designed by Charles Collett and the LMS Stanier "Black Five" but because of wartime restrictions and Thompson's design practices, they were combination of old and new design practices. Withdrawals for the class began in 1961 and the last seeing until the end of North Eastern Region Steam in 1967. Two have been preserved. The class either called "Antelopes" or "Bongos".

LNER No. 1076 was built in 1946 by the NBL and was withdrawn in 1965. It was scrapped later that year.

## Trivia

Stanford's models are two Bachmann models. His LNER Apple Green model was renumbered to match the pre-Nationalisation number of the weathered model.

Stanford was named after a character from the cartoon 'Gravity Falls'.

Stanford is know as a "son-in-law locomotive" by Raven, a reference to the fact that Edward Thompson (Stanford's designer) was the son-in-law of NER locomotive designer Vincent Raven (Raven's designer and name stack).

Stanford is known for challenging visiting Modified Halls, Black Fives and Bullied Light Pacifics. This's a reference to the 1948 Locomotive Exchange Trials when Thompson B1 No. 61251 'Oliver Bury', Hawksworth Modified Hall No. 6990 'Witherslack Hall', Bulleid West Country No. 34006 'Bude' and Stanier Black Five No. 45253 battled against each other to see which design was better and able to continue production. All were better in their own territories and resulting in all classes continuing production until the introduction of the Standards (like Stanley, Zac and Giant) in 1951.

Stanford's theme is played on a bongo drum. This refers to the Thompson B1s being referred to as "bongos" after a class society-based incident with No. 8306/ 1005 'Bongo' heading a boat train.

* The nickname "bongos" was used by railwaymen just to whine the person who didn't want 'Bongo' to head his boat train up.
* Stanford's "bouncing around" near Ryde could also be a reference to this nickname.

Stanford's name means 'stony ford' or 'stony meadow'.