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 in 1934 and 1951 842 were built they numbered 4658-5499 BR then renumbered 44658-45499. Several members of the class survived to the last day of steam on British Railways in 1968, and eighteen are preserved.

Origins

The Black Fives were 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 in which he experimented 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 not a copy, as the Hall was too wide to run most places in Britain. They shared similar cylinder arrangement, internal boiler design and size and 6 foot driving wheel diameters.
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 Stanier 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. Eight hundred and forty-two were constructed.

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 subsequent history of 45011 is not clear. Official records have gone missing and have not been relocated. There is a photograph in existence dated April 1963, showing 45011 ex-works with a straight throatplate boiler and simple top feed, i.e. without the dome-like shape.
NB: The official records were not always updated after around 1960/61, although some were. For example, in the case of no. 45082, it was fitted with a brand new boiler at the end of 1956, one of the last batch of four boilers that were manufactured for this class. Since it survived in service for a further nine and a half years, there is no doubt that 45082 will have had at least one further boiler lift and indeed a photograph exists of it at Hellifield with a given date of May 1962 showing it with an older boiler with the dome and feed both on the tapered ring. Unfortunately it is not clear from the photo whether it is a straight or sloping throatplate boiler.

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 necessary in order 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 & 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

LMS No.BR No.Lot No.DateBuilt atBoiler typeValve gear Bearings Additional notes
44658–671991949CreweForward topfeedCoupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3"
-44668/91991949HorwichForward topfeedSkefco roller bearings on driving axlesCoupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3"
-44670–71991950HorwichForward topfeedSkefco roller bearings on driving axlesCoupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3"
-44678–851991950HorwichForward topfeedSkefco roller bearings throughoutCoupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3"
-44686/71991951HorwichForward topfeedBritish CaprottiSkefco roller bearings throughoutCoupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3"
-44688–971991950HorwichForward topfeedTimken roller bearings on driving axlesCoupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3"
-44698–7171921948HorwichForward topfeedCoupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3"
-44718–271921948CreweForward topfeedSteel firebox, Coupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3"
-44728–371921948CreweForward topfeedCoupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3"
-44738–471871948CreweForward topfeedCaprottiTimken roller bearings throughoutCoupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3"
4748–5344748–531871948CreweForward topfeedCaprottiTimken roller bearings throughoutCoupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3"
-44754–51871948CreweForward topfeedCaprottiCoupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3"
-44756–71871948CreweForward topfeedCaprottidouble chimney, Coupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3"
4758–6644758–661871947CreweForward topfeedTimken roller bearings throughoutCoupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3"
4767447671871947CreweForward topfeedStephenson link motionTimken roller bearings throughoutdouble chimney, preserved - Coupled wheelbase 7'+ 8'3"
4768–8244768–821871947CreweForward topfeed
4783–9944783–991871947HorwichForward topfeed
4800–644800–61531944DerbyDomed
4807–2544807–251701944DerbyDomed
4826–6044826–601701945DerbyDomed
4861–7144861–711701945CreweDomed
4872–92044872–9201741945CreweDomed
4921–3144921–311741945CreweDomed
4932–4344932–431741945HorwichDomed
4944–6644944–661741946HorwichDomed
4967–8144967–811741946CreweDomed
4982–9044982–901831946HorwichDomed
4991–644991–61831947HorwichDomed
4997–944997–91871947HorwichForward topfeed4997 was fitted with boiler 12462 from new which had the top feed on the 2nd ring, the other two had later pattern boilers.
5000–1945000–191141935CreweDomeless
5020–6545020–651191934Vulcan FoundryDomeless
5066–945066–91191935Vulcan FoundryDomeless
5070–445070–41221935CreweDomeless
5075–512445075–51241231935Vulcan FoundryDomeless
5125–522445125–52241241935Armstrong WhitworthDomeless
5225–9845225–981311936Armstrong WhitworthDomed
5299–545145299–54511311937Armstrong WhitworthDomed
5452–7145452–711421938CreweDomed
5472–8145472–811511943DerbyDomed
5482–9145482–911521944DerbyDomed
5492–945492–91531944DerbyDomed

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.NameDate namedName removed
515445154Lanarkshire Yeomanry19371966
515545155The Queen's Edinburgh19421944
515645156Ayrshire Yeomanry19361968
515745157The Glasgow Highlander19361962
515845158Glasgow Yeomanry19361964

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 survived to the last day of steam on BR in August 1968.
YearQuantity in
service at
start of year		Quantity
withdrawn		Locomotive numbers
1961842145401.
19628412145030/36/85/96/98,
45119/25/51–52/57/59/65/69/74/79/65–66/55/52–53/58.
19638202944706/40/44/47/50/55,
44855,
44969,
45010/22–23/49/87/99,
45100/23/66/75/89/99,
45244/51,
45315/17/20/58/67,
45457/85.
19647916744660/76,
44701/19/38/42/45–46/48–49/51–52/54/56/83–85/89/93,
44801/49,
44922–23/57/61/67–68/76/94/96,
45007–08/32/35/66/88,
45103/21–22/36/44/53/55/58/70/72–73/83,
45356/61/66/84,
45400/13/56/59/62/65/58/70/76/79/82/84/87/96–97.
19657249744673/86,
44702/16/21/39/41/53/57/63–64/69/89/99,
44823/27,
44901/04/21/24/31/33/55/59/70/73/75/78–80,
45002/09/11/20/26/37/68/74/77–78/81/90/93,
45102/08/13/17/42–43/46/48/63/71/78/80/84/92/94,
45229–30/37/45/47/72/86/91/93,
45300–01/06/13–14/27/34–35/37/51/54/60/62/78–80/87/89/98,
45414/16/29/39/43/60/71/86/91/98–99.
196662717144668/70/87–88/92/98,
44700/03–05/07/10/12/14/18/20/23–24/26/29/31/43/60/62/79/82/86/88/91/97–98,
44808/10–11/13/20/39/41/47/50/69/80–81,
44908/19/25/35/41/45/51–54/56/60/66/72/74/77/84/87/92/95/99,
45004/12/16/18/29/33/44–45/47/51/53/58/63/82/84/91/97,
45105/12/15/18/27–29/37–38/40/54/60–62/64/68/76–77/81–82/85/95,
45205/07/10/13–14/16–18/20/23–24/33/35/38/48–49/52/89,
45309/11/22/25/29/32–33/38/44/48/57/64–65/70/72/85/93/96/99,
454403/08/10/18–19/22/27/30/32–34/38/42/51/61/63–64/67/69/72–75/77–78/80/83/89/90/92.
196745630544658–59/61–62/66–67/69/71/74–75/77–82/84–85/89/91/93–97/99,
44717/22/25/27/30/32–34/36–37/59/65–68/70–76/78/90/92/94–96,
44805/12/14/17/19/21–22/24–26/28/30–35/37/40/43–44/52–54/56–63/65–67/70/72–73/75–76/79/82–83/86–87/92–93/95–96/98,
44900/02/05/07/09/11–18/20/27–28/30/33–34/36–38/43–44/46/48/58/62/64/81–83/85–86/88–91/93/97–98,
45000/03/06/14–15/19/21/24/28/31/39–43/48/50/52/56–57/59–62/64/67/69–72/75/79–80/83/89/92/94,
45106–07/09/11/16/20/24/26/30/32/35/39/41/45/47/67/86/88/91/93/96–98,
45204/08/11/15/19/21–22/25–26/28/32/34/36/39/40–43/46–47/50/56/59/61/63–64/67/70–71/73–78/80–81/83/85/88/92/95/97–99,
45302–04/07–08/19/21/23–24/26/28/31/36/39–41/43/46–47/49/52/59/63/68–69/71/73–74/77/83,
45402/04–06/09/12/15/17/23/25/28/31/37/40–41/46/48–50/54–55/66/81/94–95.
196815115144663–65/72/83–90
44708–09/11/13/15/28/35/58/61/77/80–81
44800/02–04/06–07/09/15–16/18/29/36/38/42/45–46/48/51/55/64/68/71/74/77–78/84/88–91/94/97/99
44903/06/10/26/29/32/40/42/47/49–50/63/65/71
45001/05/13/17/25/27/34/38/46/54–55/65/73/76/95–96
45101/04/10/14/31/33–34/49–50/56/87/90
45200–03/06/09/12/27/31/53–55/58/60/62/68–69/79/82/84/87/90/94/96
45305/10/12/16/18/30/42/45/50/53/75–76/81–82/86/88/90–92/94–95/97
45407/11/20–21/24/26/35–36/44–45/47/93.

Preservation

Eighteen Black 5s have been preserved with twelve of them being purchased directly from BR for preservation, the remaining six being rescued from Woodham Brothers' Barry Scrapyard. One of each of the builders batch has survived into preservation: 7 LMS built engines & 11 by outside contractors. Of the seventeen 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 also been operated on the mainline in preservation: 44767, 44871, 44932, 45000, 45025, 45110, 45212, 45231, 45305, 45337, 45407 & 45428.
As of January 2020 there are six black 5s in traffic, all of which have valid mainline certificates. 44871, 45212, 45231, 45305 & 45407 have full mainline certificates for use over the national network while 45428 is certified for mainline use only between Grosmont and Whitby with occasional visits to Battersby. 44767, 44806, 44932, 45025 & 45337 are in the process of undergoing overhauls while others are undergoing restorations from ex Barry Scrapyard condition.
Note: Some locos may usually have a nameplate but marked names indicate that the loco is not presently wearing them & Loco numbers in bold mean their current number.

Preserved locos

† In all cases names are historically inaccurate, i.e. they have all been applied since preservation. Some engines might still have their names but where marked indicates that they currently do not carry them. Either for authenticity or other reasons like the engine is running in another identity.
Loco NumberBoiler NumberFirst Loco when newDescription -
4476712870479028 element with dome on second ring, and top feed on front ring
448069349522924 element with dome and top feed on second ring
448719478535824 element with dome and top feed on second ring
4490111322Spare28 element with dome and top feed on second ring, manufactured 5/42, first used on 5455 7/43
4493210344545728 element with dome and top feed on second ring
450009030510021 element domeless, vertical throatplate
450259018508821 element domeless, vertical throatplate
451108963518321 element domeless, vertical throatplate
451639459533924 element with dome and top feed on second ring
452128682506524 element, vertical throatplate with dome. Originally 14 element domeless, re-built to 24 element
452319358523824 element with dome and top feed on second ring
452939514539424 element with dome and top feed on second ring
453059515539524 element with dome and top feed on second ring
4533712136493228 element with dome and top feed on second ring
453799455533524 element with dome and top feed on second ring
454079509538924 element with dome and top feed on second ring
454289567544724 element with dome and top feed on second ring
4549112823477828 element with dome on second ring, and top feed on front ring

Sound

In The Railway Series children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry as well as the television adaption Thomas and Friends the character Henry the Green Engine, was rebuilt into a Black Five after his accident with the Flying Kipper.