LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway Stanier Class 5 4-6-0, commonly known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotives. It was introduced by William Stanier and built between 1934 and 1951. A total of 842 were built, initially numbered 4658-5499 then renumbered 44658-45499 by BR. Several members of the class survived to the last day of steam on British Railways in 1968, and eighteen are preserved.
Origins
The Black Five was a mixed-traffic locomotive, a "do-anything go-anywhere" type, designed by Stanier, who had previously been with the GWR. In his early LMS days, he designed his Stanier Mogul, experimenting with the GWR school of thought on locomotive design. A number of details in this design he would never use again, realising the superiority of details not used on the GWR. Stanier realised that there was a need for larger locomotives. These were to be the LMS version of the GWR Halls, but they were not direct copies, as the Hall was too wide to run in most places in Britain. They shared a similar cylinder arrangement, internal boiler design and size and diameter driving wheels.In their early days the locomotives were known as the "Black Staniers" from their black livery, in contrast to Stanier's other class of 4-6-0, the LMS Jubilee Class, which were painted crimson. Later on, the nickname of the former became "Black Five", the number referring to the power classification. This was originally 5P5F, but from 1940 was shown on cabsides as the simple figure 5. A total of 842 were constructed over 17 years. The locomotives were well-liked by their crews for their versatility. One of them was recorded reaching a speed of in service.
Construction
There were a number of detail variations in the locomotives and they did not all remain in the same condition as built. Some locomotives built under British Railways administration were used as test beds for various design modifications, with a view to incorporating the successful modifications in the Standard Classes of locomotives built from 1951 onwards. These modifications included outside Caprotti valve gear, roller bearings on the coupled and tender axles in varying combinations, and an experimental steel firebox. Other locomotives had modified draughting to "self clean" the smokebox.The domeless engines
Numbering started from 5000, with the first twenty being ordered from Crewe Works in April 1934, and a further fifty ordered from the Vulcan Foundry in 1933. The first of the Vulcan Foundry engines entered service in 1934, and the entire order of 50 was delivered before the first Crewe-built engine, No. 5000, was completed in February 1935.The first 57 locomotives were built with domeless boilers with straight throatplates and a low degree of superheat, the boilers of the remaining 13 were provided with a three-row version having greater total surface area and giving less obstruction to gas flow. The original 57 boilers were converted later to higher superheat and fitted with a dome. Further orders were placed with Crewe, Vulcan Foundry and Armstrong Whitworth for a total of 155 locomotives which were also built with domeless boilers with straight throatplates and 21 element superheaters. All these boilers, including the early converted ones with a dome, were fitted indiscriminately to any of the first 225 engines, which could appear at various times with domed or domeless boilers.
However, many of the early frames were converted to accept sloping throatplate boilers, as listed [|below]. This modification was carried out to provide a stock of spare boilers for the early engines, which would minimise the time spent in works by engines awaiting a fresh boiler. All locomotives from no. 5225 were fitted when new with the sloping throatplate boiler. All extra boilers made had the sloping throatplate arrangement, and only one example of a later engine having been fitted with a straight throatplate boiler is known - no. 45433. Several different patterns of boiler were used on the locomotives, running into double figures. The throatplate design was the most significant, but there were also different numbers of superheater flues, firegrate arrangement, stay material, dome and water feed arrangements, washout plug placement, etc. in various combinations.
The following locomotives were built with straight throatplate boilers, but were later fitted with a sloping throatplate boiler. Conversion was done by relocating the frame stretcher immediately in front of the firebox. Some of them reverted to straight throatplate at a later date, and these are also shown where known. Those marked with an asterisk were fitted with a boiler which had the top feed on the front ring on the date shown. In the case of no. 45087 it had previously been converted. The first conversion was carried out on no. 5022, and the last known was on no. 45163, which has been preserved.
5002, 45007, 45008, 45011, 5020, 5022 reverted, 5023 reverted, 5026 reverted, 5027, 5040, 5045, 5047, 45049 reverted, 5054, 5057, 5058, 5059, 45066, 45082, 45087 , 5097, 5108, 45109, 5142, 45151, 45163, 45169, 45197
The pre-war domed engines
A further 227 were ordered from Armstrong Whitworth in 1936, the largest single locomotive order ever given by a British railway to an outside contractor. Crewe built a further 20, which had higher degree superheat boilers, with 28 elements, unlike the AW boilers, which had 24 elements.5471, built at Crewe in 1938, would be the last built for five years. During the early stages of the Second World War, the priority was for heavy freight engines, and the closely related 8Fs were produced in large numbers.
Wartime and postwar domed engines
In 1943 construction was restarted, with Derby Works building its first. Construction continued up to no. 5499. As the numbering block from 5500 was allocated to the Patriot Class, a further batch of 200 locomotives were numbered from 4800 to 4999, followed by a batch from 4658 to 4799. By this time the LMS had been nationalised, and British Railways added 40000 to all numbers. Eventually the 842 examples would number 44658–45499.Ivatt engines and experimental modifications
From early 1947, engines were built with the top feed on the front ring of the boiler, and Nos 44758-767 had a longer wheelbase ; this was done to accommodate the Timken roller-bearing housings without fouling the ashpan. In 1948, George Ivatt introduced more modifications to bearings and valve gear; other experimental Ivatt features included the use of steel rather than copper fireboxes on certain engines, and the fitting of double blastpipes and chimneys in some instances. 44738-57 were built with Caprotti valve gear. The last two, Nos. 44686 and 44687 built at Horwich in 1951, were fitted with a new arrangement of Caprotti valve gear, which was later used on some of the BR standard Class fives, and the BR class 8 4-6-2.No. 4767, built at Crewe and delivered in December 1947, had outside Stephenson valve gear: instead of eccentrics, double return cranks were used to drive the eccentric rods, and a launch-type expansion link was used. This one cost £13,278, which was about £600 more than those built at the same time with Walschaerts' valve gear. The aim of the experiment was to find out if a valve gear having variable lead would affect performance. On trial, it proved to have no advantage, although in normal service it did gain a reputation as a good performer on banks.
Accidents and incidents
- On 13 October 1939, No. 5025 was hauling an express passenger train from Euston to Stranraer when it was in collision with locomotive LNWR Class G1 0-8-0 9169, which was attaching a van to the rear of an Inverness train at, Buckinghamshire, severely damaging it. Five people were killed and more than 30 were injured. No. 5025 was repaired and survives at the Strathspey Railway.
- In 1941, locomotive No. 5425 was severely damaged in a Luftwaffe air raid. It was subsequently repaired at Crewe Works.
- On 1 January 1946, engine No. 5495 was involved in the Lichfield rail crash, in which the freight train it was hauling was derailed at station, Staffordshire due to faulty points. The train collided with a passenger train, which was hauled by LNWR [Prince of Wales Class] 4-6-0 no. 25802, killing 20 people and injuring 21.
- On 23 January 1955, locomotive No. 45274 was hauling an express passenger train that was derailed due to excessive speed on a curve, in the Sutton Coldfield rail crash. Nineteen people were killed and 64 were injured.
- On 16 January 1958, a locomotive of the class was hauling a passenger train that collided with a light engine that was standing foul of the line at due to a signalman's error. Both trains were derailed; thirteen people were injured.
- On 4 February 2006, locomotive 45305 Alderman A. E. Draper collided with a rake of six carriages at, damaging the locomotive and one of the carriages. Two people were injured. An investigation by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch found that the driver was not wearing spectacles at the time of the accident, despite it being a requirement on his medical certificate to do so when driving.
- On 2 October 2015, locomotive No. 45231 was working a private charter train for West Coast Railways through Doncaster when it was noticed that its TPWS had been isolated by the footplate crew. Isolation of the TPWS had been a factor in the 2015 [Wootton Bassett SPAD incident|Wootton Bassett SPAD incident] in March of the same year. As a result, WCRC were suspended from operating on the national network by the Office of Rail and Road.
Construction details
| LMS No. | BR No. | Lot No. | Date | Built at | Boiler type | Valve gear | Bearings | Additional notes |
| 44658–67 | 199 | 1949 | Crewe | Forward topfeed | Coupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3" | |||
| - | 44668/9 | 199 | 1949 | Horwich | Forward topfeed | Skefco roller bearings on driving axles | Coupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3" | |
| - | 44670–7 | 199 | 1950 | Horwich | Forward topfeed | Skefco roller bearings on driving axles | Coupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3" | |
| - | 44678–85 | 199 | 1950 | Horwich | Forward topfeed | Skefco roller bearings throughout | Coupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3" | |
| - | 44686/7 | 199 | 1951 | Horwich | Forward topfeed | British Caprotti | Skefco roller bearings throughout | Coupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3" |
| - | 44688–97 | 199 | 1950 | Horwich | Forward topfeed | Timken roller bearings on driving axles | Coupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3" | |
| - | 44698–717 | 192 | 1948 | Horwich | Forward topfeed | Coupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3" | ||
| - | 44718–27 | 192 | 1948 | Crewe | Forward topfeed | Steel firebox, Coupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3" | ||
| - | 44728–37 | 192 | 1948 | Crewe | Forward topfeed | Coupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3" | ||
| - | 44738–47 | 187 | 1948 | Crewe | Forward topfeed | Caprotti | Timken roller bearings throughout | Coupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3" |
| 4748–53 | 44748–53 | 187 | 1948 | Crewe | Forward topfeed | Caprotti | Timken roller bearings throughout | Coupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3" |
| - | 44754–5 | 187 | 1948 | Crewe | Forward topfeed | Caprotti | Coupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3" | |
| - | 44756–7 | 187 | 1948 | Crewe | Forward topfeed | Caprotti | double chimney, Coupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3" | |
| 4758–66 | 44758–66 | 187 | 1947 | Crewe | Forward topfeed | Timken roller bearings throughout | Coupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3" | |
| 4767 | 44767 | 187 | 1947 | Crewe | Forward topfeed | Stephenson link motion | Timken roller bearings throughout | double chimney, preserved - Coupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3" |
| 4768–82 | 44768–82 | 187 | 1947 | Crewe | Forward topfeed | |||
| 4783–99 | 44783–99 | 187 | 1947 | Horwich | Forward topfeed | |||
| 4800–6 | 44800–6 | 153 | 1944 | Derby | Domed | |||
| 4807–25 | 44807–25 | 170 | 1944 | Derby | Domed | |||
| 4826–60 | 44826–60 | 170 | 1945 | Derby | Domed | |||
| 4861–71 | 44861–71 | 170 | 1945 | Crewe | Domed | |||
| 4872–920 | 44872–920 | 174 | 1945 | Crewe | Domed | |||
| 4921–31 | 44921–31 | 174 | 1945 | Crewe | Domed | |||
| 4932–43 | 44932–43 | 174 | 1945 | Horwich | Domed | |||
| 4944–66 | 44944–66 | 174 | 1946 | Horwich | Domed | |||
| 4967–81 | 44967–81 | 174 | 1946 | Crewe | Domed | |||
| 4982–90 | 44982–90 | 183 | 1946 | Horwich | Domed | |||
| 4991–6 | 44991–6 | 183 | 1947 | Horwich | Domed | |||
| 4997–9 | 44997–9 | 187 | 1947 | Horwich | Forward topfeed | 4997 was fitted with boiler 12462 from new which had the top feed on the 2nd ring, the other two had later pattern boilers. | ||
| 5000–19 | 45000–19 | 114 | 1935 | Crewe | Domeless | |||
| 5020–65 | 45020–65 | 119 | 1934 | Vulcan Foundry | Domeless | |||
| 5066–9 | 45066–9 | 119 | 1935 | Vulcan Foundry | Domeless | |||
| 5070–4 | 45070–4 | 122 | 1935 | Crewe | Domeless | |||
| 5075–5124 | 45075–5124 | 123 | 1935 | Vulcan Foundry | Domeless | |||
| 5125–5224 | 45125–5224 | 124 | 1935 | Armstrong Whitworth | Domeless | |||
| 5225–98 | 45225–98 | 131 | 1936 | Armstrong Whitworth | Domed | |||
| 5299–5451 | 45299–5451 | 131 | 1937 | Armstrong Whitworth | Domed | |||
| 5452–71 | 45452–71 | 142 | 1938 | Crewe | Domed | |||
| 5472–81 | 45472–81 | 151 | 1943 | Derby | Domed | |||
| 5482–91 | 45482–91 | 152 | 1944 | Derby | Domed | |||
| 5492–9 | 45492–9 | 153 | 1944 | Derby | Domed |
Names
Only five Black Fives received names during their mainline working lives, a small percentage of the total produced, although seven more have been named in preservation. All of those named in mainline service were named after Scottish regiments. Locomotive 5155 carried the name The Queen's Edinburgh for only two years during the Second World War. Some sources have noted that no photographic confirmation of this naming is extant, although this is neither unique to the class, nor unexpected given restrictions on photography during wartime. The evidence for the naming of the locomotive is set out in full in various sources.| LMS No. | BR No. | Name | Date named | Name removed |
| 5154 | 45154 | Lanarkshire Yeomanry | 1937 | 1966 |
| 5155 | 45155 | The Queen's Edinburgh | 1942 | 1944 |
| 5156 | 45156 | Ayrshire Yeomanry | 1936 | 1968 |
| 5157 | 45157 | The Glasgow Highlander | 1936 | 1962 |
| 5158 | 45158 | Glasgow Yeomanry | 1936 | 1964 |
Withdrawal
The class remained intact until 1961 when 45401 was the first Black Five to be withdrawn from stock following a collision at Warrington, although the boiler was re-used and actually lasted to the end of steam on BR. The remainder of the class were withdrawn between 1962 and 1968. Some members of the class, 46 in total, survived to the List of [British Railways steam locomotives as of 31 December 1967|last day of steam on BR in August 1968]. No. 45318, a Lostock Hall based engine, hauled the last scheduled train on 3 August 1968; a Preston to Liverpool exchange. The locomotive was withdrawn a few days later and then scrapped the following year at Drapers.| Year | Quantity in service at start of year | Quantity withdrawn | Locomotive numbers | Notes |
| 1961 | 842 | 1 | 45401. | |
| 1962 | 841 | 21 | ||
| 1963 | 820 | 29 | ||
| 1964 | 791 | 67 | ||
| 1965 | 724 | 97 | 44901, 45163, 45293, 45337/79, 45491 preserved | |
| 1966 | 627 | 171 | ||
| 1967 | 456 | 305 | 44767, 45000/428 preserved | |
| 1968 | 151 | 151 | 44806/71/932, 45025/110, 45212/31, 45305, 45407 preserved |
Preservation
Eighteen Black Fives have been preserved, with twelve of them being purchased directly from BR for preservation, the remaining six being rescued from Woodham Brothers' Barry Scrapyard. Members of each of the builder's batches have survived into preservation: seven LMS-built engines and eleven by outside contractors. Of the eighteen to be preserved, fourteen have operated in preservation, the class members that have not yet run being 44901, 45163, 45293 & 45491. Twelve Black Fives have been operated on the main line in preservation: 44767, 44871, 44932, 45000, 45025, 45110, 45212, 45231, 45305, 45337, 45407 & 45428.As of November 2024, there are seven Black Fives in traffic, five of which have valid main line certificates. 44871, 44932, 45212 & 45407 have full main line certificates for use over the national network, while 45428 is certified for main line use between Grosmont and Whitby only. Both 45025 and 44806 are only able to operate on preserved lines, although the latter is currently awaiting more work on its AWS and GSM-R equipment so it can run to Whitby. 44767 & 45337 are in the process of undergoing overhauls, 45231 boiler certificate expired in January 2024 while four, 44901, 45163, 45293 and 45491, are undergoing restorations from Barry Scrapyard condition.
No. 44781 was a candidate for preservation, but was scrapped. In 2019, parts were rediscovered in Bartlow and in the National Railway Museum's collection in York.
Numbers in bold are those carried.
Sound
- 45212 passing Green End