LMS Stanier Class 5 45110

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45110 at Highley

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 45100 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.

45110 in preservation

45110 arrived on the SVRSevern Valley Railway on 20 August 1970 in working order and entered service the same year. The first period of service ended 10 years later in 1990 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. Both 10 year 'tickets' included hauling main line rail tours.

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 at February 2015 the locomotive remains on display in The Engine House while awaiting its next overhaul. It is owned by SVRSevern Valley Railway(H).

See also

Steam Locomotives
The Severn Valley Railway on the main line