45110 in Service

The LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway StanierWilliam Stanier, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1932-1944 Class 5 was an immediate success when introduced into service in 1934. It was a mixed traffic locomotive that could handle anything from express passenger traffic to goods trains. 842 were built, more than any other class of locomotive before or since, and they worked all over the LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway network. Following nationalisation they were classified 5MTThe British Railways system of classifying steam locomotives by power using a number from 0, least powerful, to 9, most powerful, followed by either F for freight, P for Passenger or MT for Mixed Traffic. by British Railways and quickly became used throughout the country. They were never painted any colour but black, earning them the nickname ‘Black 5s’. The design of the British Railways Standard Class 5 was based on the Black 5.

45110 was built by the Vulcan Foundry as works number 4653/1934, and entered service in June 1935 as LMSLondon Midland & Scottish Railway 5110. Following nationalisation it was renumbered as 45110 by BRBritish Rail or British Railways in 1949, and it was one of the very last steam locomotives still in use by BRBritish Rail or British Railways when it finished its working life at Lostock Hall Shed, Preston.

The last ‘official’ train run by BRBritish Rail or British Railways was a ‘farewell to steam’ special on 11 August 1968, 8 days after regular steam services had ended. The special train ‘1T57’ became known as the ‘Fifteen Guinea Special’ after the price of tickets. 45110 took the train from Liverpool to Manchester, from where 70013 Oliver Cromwell continued to Carlisle. Two other Black 5s (44781 and 44871) began the return leg, while the honour of the final return to Liverpool fell to 45110, which thereby entered history as the last BRBritish Rail or British Railways-owned standard gauge steam locomotive to haul a service on the national network.

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  45110 hauling the 15 Guineas Special (Wikimedia Commons)

45110 in preservation

45110 was initially saved for preservation mainly through fund raising efforts of Mr David Porter, Principal of the “Flairavia Flying Club” at Biggin Hill Civil Airport. After a temporary move from Lostock Hall to Clapham Sidings in January 1969, 45110 found a temporary home at the former BRBritish Rail or British Railways Ashford shed. During an open day there, 45110 first carried temporary name plates bearing the name “R.A.F. Biggin Hill”.

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  45110 at Ashford (Wikimedia Commons)

45110 arrived on the SVRSevern Valley Railway on 20 August 1970 in working order and entered service on Sunday 20 September 1970. A naming ceremony was held on 12 September 1971, at which the locomotive was formally named “R.A.F. Biggin Hill”.

The first period of service ended 10 years later in 1980 after recording 21,185 miles in use. Following overhaul, a second period of service began in 1998. This lasted until late 2008, including a 6-month boiler ticket extension which enabled the locomotive to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the end of BRBritish Rail or British Railways main line steam. During this period a number of main line appearances were made as follows:

Following expiry of the second 'ticket' in 2008, 45110 moved on loan to Barrow Hill Roundhouse for a period on static display there. In October 2013 the locomotive returned to the SVRSevern Valley Railway and was moved into The Engine House, taking the place of 4930 Hagley Hall which had moved to Bridgnorth for overhaul.

As of 2017^[update] the locomotive remains on display in The Engine House while awaiting its next overhaul. It is now owned by SVR(H).

See also

Steam Locomotives
The Severn Valley Railway on the main line

Links

LMS Stanier Class 5 on Wikipedia