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The British Railways Standard Class 5MT 4-6-0 is one of the 12 BR standard classes of steam locomotive built by British Railways in the 1950s. It was essentially a development of the LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 ("Black Five"). A total of 172 were built between 1951 and 1957.
William Stanier's Black Five had been the most successful mixed-traffic type in Great Britain. Construction of the Black Fives had started in 1934 and continued past nationalisation to 1951. A new set of 'standard' locomotives was to be built by British Railways, based on LMS designs and incorporating modern ideas.
In particular, the Standard design incorporated features designed to make disposal of the engine after a working "turn" easier: a self-cleaning smokebox and a rocking grate removed the necessity for crews to undertake dirty and strenuous duties at the end of a long shift. [1] This was a necessary investment with the ever-increasing costs of labour following the Second World War.
The original design proposal for the class 5 locomotive had a 4-6-2 wheel arrangement, [2] similar in concept to the Bulleid Light Pacifics that performed impressively during the 1948 Locomotive Exchanges. However this was deemed unnecessarily large and costly for a class 5 power requirement, so the successful LMS Class 5 4-6-0 design was used as the basis instead. The pacific design went on to be enlarged and used for the BR Standard Class 6.
The design work was done at the ex-LNER Doncaster Works but the bulk of the construction was done at Derby Works. The locomotive featured a BR standard boiler very similar in dimensions to the Stanier Type 3B fitted to the Black Fives, but made from manganese steel instead of nickel steel. The most obvious visible changes were a higher running plate, slightly enlarged driving wheels (from 6 ft 0 in (1.829 m) to 6 ft 2 in (1.880 m)), increased cylinder bore (from 18½ in (457 mm) to 19 in(483 mm)), a standard cab with external pipework and the regulator gland on the driver's side of the boiler below the dome. Many of these changes were to reduce maintenance or to incorporate standard components that could be shared between other standard classes.
The first of the class, 73000, was outshopped from Derby in April 1951 and 30 were in service by January 1952. There was then a gap in construction before Derby resumed building its remaining 100 engines. 42 were built at Doncaster, starting in August 1955 and finishing in May 1957, with Derby's last engine following a month later.
Thirty engines, numbers 73125 to 73154, were built with Caprotti valve gear and poppet valves.
| Number | Date | Builder | Tender | Valve gear | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 73000–29 | 1951 | Derby | BR1 | Walschaerts | 25 for LMR, 5 for ScR |
| 73030–49 | 1953 | Derby | BR1 | Walschaerts | 10 for LMR, 10 for ScR |
| 73050–52 | 1954 | Derby | BR1G | Walschaerts | for SR (S&DJR) |
| 73053–64 | 1954 | Derby | BR1H | Walschaerts | 10 for LMR, 2 for ScR |
| 73065–71 | 1954 | Derby | BR1C | Walschaerts | for LMR |
| 73072–79 | 1955 | Derby | BR1C | Walschaerts | 3 for LMR, 5 for ScR |
| 73080–89 | 1955 | Derby | BR1B | Walschaerts | for SR |
| 73090–99 | 1955 | Derby | BR1C | Walschaerts | for LMR |
| 73100–09 | 1955 | Doncaster | BR1B | Walschaerts | for ScR |
| 73110–19 | 1955 | Doncaster | BR1F | Walschaerts | for SR |
| 73120–-24 | 1956 | Doncaster | BR1B | Walschaerts | for ScR |
| 73125–34 | 1956 | Derby | BR1B | Caprotti | Poppet valves; for WR |
| 75135–44 | 1956 | Derby | BR1C | Caprotti | Poppet valves; for LMR |
| 73145–54 | 1957 | Derby | BR1B | Caprotti | Poppet valves; for ScR |
| 73155–59 | 1956 | Doncaster | BR1B | Walschaerts | for ER |
| 73159-71 | 1957 | Doncaster | BR1B | Walschaerts | for NER |
These locomotives had a trouble-free introduction in comparison to several of the other Standard classes and were used interchangeably with the pre-nationalisation class 5 engines they supplemented. They were utilised as the haulage power on duties varying from fast passenger trains to slow unfitted freight trains, displaying their versatility.
Different regional allocations had differing tender designs, with locomotives assigned to the Southern Region having tenders with high water capacity to make up for the lack of water troughs.
Like the "Clan" class locomotives, the Standard 5s, with their high-stepped running board, were partly conceived to be more economical and serviceable replacements for the Bulleid Pacific. The Standard 5s were also quite the speedy engines, they could really fly when fired hard, with many engine men claiming they could easily reach just under 100 mph. Like the Clans, which could only manage one more carriage on an express than a 'Five' the Standard Fives took a long time to shake down, and only started to really pull when different firing techniques, which allowed them to steam using poor quality coal were developed. [3] They pulled much of the traffic on the last express lines for steam in the mid and late 1960s: Edinburgh-Aberdeen, London- Southampton-Bournemouth- Weymouth and local express traffic in the North and Midlands around Sheffield and Leeds. They were also used on the locals between Liverpool, Manchester and Blackpool, some steam hauled to the last day of steam in 1968.[ citation needed ]
In 1959, 20 of the Southern Region locomotives were named, the names being transferred from SR King Arthur class locos that were then being withdrawn. These were:
| Year | Quantity in service at start of year | Quantity withdrawn | Locomotive numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 172 | 15 | 73012/17/24/27/46–47/52/58/61/74/76, 73109/16/61/64. | |
| 1965 | 157 | 43 | 73001/03/08/15/21/23/30–32/36/38/41–42/44/49/51/54/56/62–63/68/75/77/84/90–91, 73103–04/06/11–12/22–24/47–48/52/62–63/65–68. | |
| 1966 | 114 | 38 | 73005/07/09/13/16/28/55/57/72/78/80–83/86–89/95/98–99, 73101–02/05/07–08/14/20–21/45/49–51/53–54/69–71. | |
| 1967 | 76 | 53 | 73002/04/06/11/14/18–20/22/25–26/29/37/39/43/45/48/59–60/64–66/70–71/73/79/85/92–94/96–97, 73100/10/13/15/17–19/27/29–30/37/39–41/44/46/55–56/58–60. | |
| 1968 | 23 | 23 | 73000/10/33–35/40/50/53/67/69, 73125–26/28/31–36/38/42–43/57. | |
The main variation across the class was the valve gear, with 142 using Walschaerts valve gear and the remaining 30 using British Caprotti valve gear. There was little difference in performance between the two groups, but the Caprotti fitted engines had a reputation for being good performers at higher speeds. There was potential for more BR standard locomotives to have Caprotti valve gear fitted as it allowed for longer periods between inspections, offsetting the higher initial cost of this valve gear.
Doncaster had designed double chimneys for the class, similar to the ones used on several of the BR Standard Class 4 4-6-0. If applied, this would have improved the draughting and increased the efficiency of the locomotives. With the Modernisation Plan of 1955 and the good performance of the class from the outset, these plans were shelved permanently.
Another proposal was to produce freight locomotives based from this design in response to criticism by the Western Region on the BR Standard Class 9F. The management believed that the 9Fs were too large and powerful for most heavy freight traffic, along with being far more expensive to build and operate than the older 2-8-0 locomotives they supplemented. In response to this, the British Transport Commission drew a 2-8-0 Class 8F based on the Standard Class 5, like the LMS class 5 and 8Fs. Changes included a higher boiler pressure of 250 psi and driving wheels 5 ft 0 in (1.52 m) in diameter to increase tractive effort. Preparations were made for series production to begin, but the work ceased after the Modernisation Plan was published.
Five members of the class survive and all have steamed in preservation with examples from both builders. 73050 was purchased directly from British Railways for preservation while the other four engines were rescued from Woodham Brothers scrapyard at Barry Island. To date 73096 has been the only member of the class to operate on the main line hauling railtours but in 2018 no. 73082 was moved by rail from its home at the Bluebell Railway to the West Somerset Railway. [5]
| Number & Name | Tender Attached | Builder | Built | Withdrawn | Service life | Location | Livery | Status | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 73050 "City of Peterborough" | BR1G | Derby Works | April 1954 | June 1968 | 14 Years, 2 months | Nene Valley Railway | BR Lined Black, Early Emblem | Boiler ticket expired in 2015, Under Overhaul |  |
| 73082 "Camelot" | BR1B | Derby Works | July 1955 | June 1966 | 10 years, 11 months | Bluebell Railway | BR Lined Black, Early Emblem | Operational until 2031 |  |
| 73096 | BR1G | Derby Works | Nov 1955 | Nov 1967 | 12 years | Mid Hants Railway | BR Lined Green, Late Crest | Purchased by and transferred to the Watercress Line, at which it was formerly a resident under private ownership, in November 2017. Boiler certificate expired in September 2011 awaiting overhaul |  |
| 73129 | BR1B | Derby Works | Aug 1956 | Dec 1967 | 11 years, 4 months | Midland Railway - Butterley | BR Lined Black, Early Emblem | Static Display, Boiler ticket expired in 2016. One of only two engines left in Britain with Caprotti valve gear. |  |
| 73156 | BR1B | Doncaster Works | Dec 1956 | Nov 1967 | 10 Years, 11 months | Great Central Railway | BR Lined Black, Late Crest | Recently emerged from scrapyard condition and came into full traffic in May 2018. |  |
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway had the largest stock of steam locomotives of any of the 'Big Four' Grouping, i.e. pre-Nationalisation railway companies in the UK. Despite early troubles arising from factions within the new company, the LMS went on to build some very successful designs; many lasted until the end of steam traction on British Railways in 1968. For an explanation of numbering and classification, see British Rail locomotive and multiple unit numbering and classification.
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Jubilee Class is a class of steam locomotive designed for main line passenger work. 191 locomotives were built between 1934 and 1936. They were built concurrently with the similar looking LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0. They were nicknamed Red Staniers and Jubs.
The steam locomotives of British Railways were used by British Railways over the period 1948–1968. The vast majority of these were inherited from its four constituent companies, the "Big Four".
The BR Standard Class 8 was a class of a single 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive designed by Robert Riddles for use by British Railways. Only the prototype was constructed, which was christened the name Duke of Gloucester. Constructed at Crewe Works in 1954, the Duke, as it is popularly known, was a replacement for the destroyed LMS Princess Royal Class locomotive number 46202 Princess Anne, which was involved in the Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash of 1952.
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway Fowler Class 7F was a class of 0-8-0 steam locomotives. They were a Midlandised version of the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Class G2 and Class G2A 0-8-0s. They were also classified as Class G3 under the former LNWR system. The class were sometimes known as Baby Austins, or Austin 7s, after a motor car that was becoming popular at the time.
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Stanier Class 5 4-6-0, commonly known as the Black Five, is a class of 4-6-0 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.
The Caprotti valve gear is a type of steam engine valve gear invented in the early 1920s by Italian architect and engineer Arturo Caprotti. It uses camshafts and poppet valves rather than the piston valves used in other valve gear. While basing his design on automotive valves, Caprotti made several significant departures from this design to adapt the valves for steam. Having agreed a joint-venture with Worcester-based engineering company Heenan & Froude from 1938, Heenan & Froude fully acquired Caprotti post-World War II in 1947.
The London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Stanier Class 5 2-6-0 or Stanier Mogul is a class of 2-6-0 mixed traffic steam locomotives. Forty were built between October 1933 and March 1934.
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Hughes Crab or Horwich Mogul is a class of mixed-traffic 2-6-0 steam locomotive built between 1926 and 1932. They are noted for their appearance with large steeply-angled cylinders to accommodate a restricted loading gauge.
The Stephenson valve gear or Stephenson link or shifting link is a simple design of valve gear that was widely used throughout the world for various kinds of steam engines. It is named after Robert Stephenson but was invented by his employees.
British Railways built twenty locomotives of the LMS Stanier Black Five type, fitted with Caprotti valve gear, in 1948; the BR Caprotti Black Fives. These were numbered 44738-57, 44686 and 44687. The Black Fives had been fitted with Walschaerts valve gear as standard. In 1947, as part of an experimental programme by George Ivatt to try to improve the already good design, (4)4767 was built with Stephenson link motion. The Caprotti-fitted Black Fives were part of the same programme.
Edward Thompson was an English railway engineer, and was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway between 1941 and 1946. Edward Thompson was born at Marlborough, Wiltshire on 25 June 1881. He was the son of Francis Thompson, assistant master at Marlborough College. He was educated at Marlborough before taking the Mechanical Science Tripos at Pembroke College, Cambridge, earning a third class degree. Thompson entered the railway scene after education, contrasting that of his predecessor Nigel Gresley, who had also attended Marlborough after gaining practical experience as a pupil at Horwich Works.
London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 No. 5305 is a preserved British steam locomotive. In preservation, it has carried the name Alderman A.E. Draper, though it never carried this in service. It was named after Albert Draper, the man who rescued the locomotive in his own scrapyard.
British Railways Standard Class 5 No. 73129 is a preserved British steam locomotive. It is the only surviving Standard Class 5 built by British Railways which was fitted with Caprotti valve gear.
British Railways Standard Class 5 No. 73096 is a preserved British steam locomotive, unnamed in service. It has spent most of its time in preservation in the care of the Watercress Line.
The London and North Western Railway (LNWR) Claughton Class was a class of 4-cylinder express passenger 4-6-0 steam locomotives.
No. 73082 Camelot is a preserved British Railways Standard Class 5 4-6-0 based on the Bluebell Railway in Sussex, England, and owned by the 73082 Camelot Locomotive Society. It was outshopped from Derby Works in 1955, and worked on the Southern Region of British Railways. In August 1959, it received the name Camelot from withdrawn Urie King Arthur Class engine no. 30742.
Southport MPD (Motive Power Depot) is a former LMS railway depot located in the town of Southport, Merseyside.
A double chimney is a form of chimney for a steam locomotive, where the conventional single opening is duplicated, together with the blastpipe beneath it. Although the internal openings form two circles, the outside appearance usually forms a single elongated oval.
