Following her rescue from the scrapyard in 1976, B1 61264 returned to steam in 1997 after a 20-year restoration.
Over the next decade she clocked up many thousands of miles in revenue-earning service, operating on both heritage railways and the UK main line.
Withdrawn in 2008 for a heavy general overhaul, almost £500,000 was spent on repairing and renewing 61264’s boiler – all funded privately by generous donations and loans from supporters.
With her second major overhaul finally completed in December 2012, 61264 was moved to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, where she operated until the end of 2019.
In August 2022, 61264 was moved to the Nottingham Heritage Railway, where she is now being prepared for her next major overhaul, which will involve a new inner firebox, a tender tender tank, and new tyres, amongst many jobs.
