LNER Thompson L1 class 2-6-4T no. 9000

Mick Bayliss Locos now sold
LNER Thompson L1 class 2-6-4T no. 9000. This lovely model has been very nicely built from scratch, with superb detail, by the same builder as the model of Flying Scotsman, recently published. If the amount of good quality detail is anything to go by, my guess is that this very accomplished model maker, probably now deceased, built 4472 early in his modelling career and 9000 later. Good paint finish, the green colour to my eyes is more of a Darlington shade of apple green. Cast iron finescale wheels, driven by a Portescap RG7 motor/gear unit and plunger pickups. The model is wired for DCC control and good sound and works well on my rolling road to the address of “9000”.
No. 9000 was built at Doncaster in 1945 as Mr. Thompson’s prototype 2-6-4T and was thoroughly tested throughout the LNER system before the rest of the class were built, with various detail differences, three years later. It became BR no. 67701.