LMS 6999 U1-Class Beyer-Garratt locomotive (DJH, Peter G Wardle)
An 00-gauge model of a Beyer-Garratt articulated U-1 Class “banking” locomotive 69999 that was originally built as a “one-off” for the LNER (subsequently British Rail). Although the LMS had a fleet of about thirty Garratts, the LNER only ever had the one. In the LNER's grand renumbering, the locomotive was assigned the maximum four-digit number 9999, presumably because The LNER knew that they would never, ever build a second loco of the class, or design any further derivative classes based on it whose members would need higher numbers.
The builder
The model was built by Peter Graham Wardle, who worked as an apprentice at the locomotive engineering company Beyer Peacock (Manchester) between 1953 and 1961, and is known to have constructed at least three different Garratt models.
The model
This is a working based on a kit produced by D.J.H., although it's not a twin-motor model - only the rear section is motorised. Due to the complexity (and accuracy) of its articulations, it is only suitable for navigating larger-radius curves. The tight curves of most model railways are completely out of scale to what would be encountered by a real railway locomotive, and while the design of most model railway locomotives and rolling stock (and their couplings) are modified to allow them to take unnaturally-sharp curves, modifying the internal articulations of a Garratt too much can sometimes unacceptably alter the loco’s look.
The original loco
Beyer-Peacock constructed the original locomotive in 1925. Originally envisioned by the Great Central Railway as a "banking locomotive" to haul coal-wagons up a particularly steep section of line, the project was put off until after the GCR became part of the LNER, at which point Nigel Gresley drew up a proper design based on a pair of modified Great Northern Railway 2-8-0 units. The original plan was to build a pair of the locos, but the order was later reduced to just a single unit.
The loco was not considered to be a hugely successful design, and at one point the Driver and Fireman were even supplied with gas-masks to deal with the rotten air quality in the cab.
The loco (works No 6209) was originally numbered 2395, renumbered LNER 9999 in 1946, and became BR 69999 under British Railways. It was withdrawn at the end of 1955 and scrapped.
We’ve been told that the model’s (BR) numbering and insignia are incorrect, as when the loco carried the number 69999 it was oil-fired rather than coal-fired. However images of BR 6999 on the WikiMedia image archive appear to show it with coal visible at the top of one of the articulated units.
