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LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0

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London, Midland and Scottish Railway
IndustryRailway transport
Founded1923
FateNationalised into British Railways in 1948
Headquarters
London
,
United Kingdom
ProductsSteam locomotives, including Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 (Black Five)


Template:Infobox locomotive

The Stanier Class 5 4-6-0, widely referred to as the Black Five, represents a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotives operated by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). Designed by William Stanier, these engines were produced from 1934 until 1951, with a total of 842 units constructed. Initially assigned numbers ranging from 4658 to 5499, they were later renumbered by British Railways as 44658 to 45499. Several locomotives from this series remained in service until the final days of steam on British Railways in 1968, and eighteen examples have been preserved.

Origins

Conceived as versatile mixed-traffic engines capable of handling diverse duties across the network, the Black Five was developed under the direction of Stanier, who had previously worked at the Great Western Railway. Early in his tenure at LMS, Stanier designed the LMS Stanier Mogul, a 2-6-0 type that incorporated some design philosophies inspired by the GWR. However, he soon determined that certain features employed in that locomotive would not be adopted again, recognising the advantages of alternative design elements absent from GWR practice. Identifying a requirement for more powerful locomotives, Stanier aimed to create an LMS counterpart to the GWR Halls, though not direct replicas due to the Hall class's excessive width for many routes in Britain. Both classes shared characteristics such as two outside cylinders, comparable internal boiler dimensions, and driving wheels measuring approximately six feet in diameter.

Initially nicknamed "Black Staniers" because of their black paint scheme—contrasting with Stanier's other class of 4-6-0 locomotives, the LMS Jubilee Class, which bore a crimson livery and were known as "Red Staniers" until April 1935—the former eventually became known simply as "Black Five." This moniker refers to their power classification on LMS and later British Railways, originally designated as 5P5F but simplified to '5' on cab sides from 1940 onwards. Over seventeen years, a total of 842 units were manufactured. The class earned a reputation among crews for its adaptability and reliability. One locomotive was documented achieving a top speed of nearly ninety-six miles per hour during regular operation.

Construction

The locomotives exhibited several detail differences and did not all retain their original specifications throughout their service. Under British Railways management, some units served as experimental platforms to trial various design changes aimed at integrating successful features into the Standard Classes produced from 1951 onwards. These trials encompassed the installation of outside Caprotti valve gear, the use of roller bearings—both Timken and Skefco varieties—applied in different combinations on coupled and tender axles, as well as testing an innovative steel firebox. Additionally, certain locomotives were equipped with modified draughting systems designed to "self-clean" the smokebox, thereby reducing turnaround times and cutting down on one of the most disliked maintenance tasks.

The domeless engines

File:Black 5 45073 at Rose Grove.jpg
45073 at Rose Grove shed, spring 1968. Despite having a domeless boiler, the casing over the top feed is often mistaken for a dome

Template:More citations needed section The numbering sequence began at 5000, with the initial twenty units commissioned from Crewe Works in April 1934. An additional fifty (5020–5069) were ordered from the Vulcan Foundry in 1933.[1] The Vulcan Foundry's first locomotive entered service in 1934, completing all fifty orders before Crewe's first unit, No. 5000, was finished in February 1935.[2]

The initial batch of 57 engines featured domeless boilers with straight throatplates and a modest superheat level (14 elements arranged in two rows). The boilers on the subsequent 13 units (5007–5019) incorporated a three-row superheater (21 elements), offering increased surface area and improved gas flow dynamics.[3][2] Later, the original 57 boilers were upgraded to higher superheat capacity (24 elements) and fitted with a dome. Further orders came from Crewe (5070–5074), Vulcan Foundry (5075–5124), and Armstrong Whitworth (5125–5224), totaling 155 locomotives built with domeless boilers featuring straight throatplates and 21-element superheaters. These boilers—including early converted domed versions—were interchangeably fitted across any of the first 225 locomotives, resulting in appearances alternating between domed and domeless boilers over time.

Many early frames were later adapted to accommodate sloping throatplate boilers as detailed below. This change aimed to create a pool of spare boilers compatible with early models to minimize workshop downtime during boiler replacements. All locomotives numbered from 5225 onward were constructed new with sloping throatplate boilers. Additional boilers manufactured thereafter adopted this sloping throatplate design exclusively; only one later locomotive—no. 45433—is known to have been fitted with a straight throatplate boiler post-construction. The locomotives utilized numerous boiler variants, numbering into double digits. While throatplate design was the primary differentiator, variations also existed in superheater flue count, firegrate layout, stay materials, dome and water feed configurations, washout plug locations, among others.

The locomotives listed below were originally built with straight throatplate boilers but underwent conversion to sloping throatplate boilers (conversion dates indicated). This modification involved repositioning the frame stretcher immediately ahead of the firebox. Some reverted back to straight throatplate boilers later; these instances are noted where known. Those marked with an asterisk received a boiler featuring the top feed on the front ring at the specified date. Locomotive no. 45087 had previously undergone such a conversion. The earliest conversion recorded was no. 5022, while no. 45163—the preserved example—was the last known conversion.

5002 (12/37), 45007 (1/60), 45008 (1/60*), 45011 (1/49*+), 5020 (2/37), 5022 (10/36) reverted (10/58), 5023 (2/38) reverted (3/53), 5026 (2/37) reverted (1/59), 5027 (12/36), 5040 (11/36), 5045 (11/54), 5047 (1/37), 45049 (7/54) reverted (8/59), 5054 (1/37), 5057 (11/37), 5058 (11/37), 5059 (7/45), 45066 (4/60), 45082 (12/56*), 45087 (9/55) (12/60*), 5097 (1/37), 5108 (6/45), 45109 (5/48), 5142 (12/37), 45151 (3/51), 45163 (5/61), 45169 (7/55), 45197 (5/60)

Pre-war domed locomotives

In 1936, an additional 227 units were commissioned from Armstrong Whitworth, marking the largest single locomotive contract awarded by a British railway to an external manufacturer. Crewe Works produced a further 20 locomotives featuring boilers with a higher superheat capacity, equipped with 28 elements, in contrast to the 24-element boilers supplied by Armstrong Whitworth.

The last locomotive built before a five-year hiatus was No. 5471, completed at Crewe in 1938. At the onset of the Second World War, production priorities shifted towards heavy freight engines, resulting in substantial manufacturing of the closely related 8F class.

Domed locomotives during and after the war

Production resumed in 1943 with Derby Works constructing its initial unit. Manufacturing continued through to No. 5499. Since numbers from 5500 onward were reserved for the Patriot Class, a subsequent series of 200 locomotives was assigned numbers ranging from 4800 to 4999, followed by another set numbered 4658 to 4799. Following nationalisation of the LMS, British Railways added 40000 to all locomotive numbers, resulting in a total of 842 units numbered between 44658 and 45499.

Ivatt locomotives and trial modifications

Starting in early 1947, new builds featured the top feed positioned on the front ring of the boiler (beginning with No. 4998). Locomotives Nos. 44758–44767 incorporated an extended wheelbase (measuring 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m) rather than 27 ft 2 in (8.28 m)), with the coupled wheelbase lengthened from 7 + 8 ft (2.1 + 2.4 m) to 7 + 8.25 ft (2.13 + 2.51 m) to make room for Timken roller-bearing housings without interfering with the ashpan. In 1948, George Ivatt introduced further enhancements to bearings and valve gear systems; experimental features included steel fireboxes replacing copper on select engines and the installation of double blastpipes and chimneys on some examples. Locomotives 44738–44757 were equipped with Caprotti valve gear. The final two engines, Nos. 44686 and 44687, constructed at Horwich in 1951, featured a redesigned Caprotti valve gear arrangement later adopted on certain BR Standard Class fives and the BR Class 8 4-6-2.

No. 4767, assembled at Crewe and delivered in December 1947, was fitted with outside Stephenson valve gear. This design replaced eccentrics with double return cranks driving the eccentric rods and utilized a launch-type expansion link. The locomotive’s cost was £13,278—approximately £600 more than contemporaneous models employing Walschaerts valve gear. This experiment aimed to evaluate whether a valve gear with variable lead (contrasting with Walschaerts' constant lead) would influence performance. Trials indicated no significant advantage; however, it earned a reputation as an effective performer on gradients during regular operation.

Accidents and incidents

  • On 13 October 1939, locomotive No. 5025 was pulling an express passenger service from Euston to Stranraer, serving as pilot to engine 6130 The West Yorkshire Regiment, an LMS Royal Scot Class 4-6-0. During this journey, it collided with LNWR Class G1 0-8-0 number 9169, which was in the process of attaching a van to the rear of an Inverness-bound train at Template:Rws, Buckinghamshire. The impact caused significant damage to No. 5025. The accident resulted in five fatalities and over thirty injuries. No. 5025 was subsequently repaired and is now preserved at the Strathspey Railway.
  • In 1941, locomotive No. 5425 sustained heavy damage during a Luftwaffe bombing raid but was later restored at Crewe Works.[4]
  • On 1 January 1946, engine No. 5495 was involved in the Lichfield rail crash when the freight train it was hauling derailed at Template:Rws station, Staffordshire, due to malfunctioning points. This derailment caused a collision with a passenger train hauled by LNWR Prince of Wales Class 4-6-0 no. 25802, resulting in twenty deaths and twenty-one injuries.[5]
  • Locomotive No. 45274 was pulling an express passenger train on 23 January 1955 when it derailed on a curve due to excessive speed during the Sutton Coldfield rail crash. This tragic event claimed nineteen lives and injured sixty-four individuals.[6]
  • On 16 January 1958, a member of this class was hauling a passenger train that collided with a stationary light engine obstructing the line at Template:Rws because of a signalman's mistake. Both trains were derailed, causing injuries to thirteen people.[7]
  • Locomotive 45305 Alderman A. E. Draper collided with six carriages at Template:Rws on 4 February 2006, damaging both the locomotive and one carriage and causing injuries to two people. An investigation by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) revealed that the driver was not wearing his required spectacles while operating the train.[8]
  • On 2 October 2015, locomotive No. 45231 was operating a private charter for West Coast Railways (WCRC) near Doncaster when it was discovered that its TPWS (Train Protection and Warning System) had been deactivated by the crew on the footplate. This action mirrored issues from the earlier 2015 Wootton Bassett SPAD incident that year and led to WCRC being prohibited from running services on the national rail network by the Office of Rail and Road.

Construction details

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Sound

In fiction

Within the children's book series The Railway Series by the Rev. W. Awdry and its TV adaptation Thomas and Friends, the character Henry the Green Engine originally drew inspiration from the imperfect LNER Gresley A1 prototype locomotives. Following a collision with a freight train while hauling the Flying Kipper—a nightly fish service from Tidmouth on Sodor to Manchester—in 1935, Henry was reconstructed as a Black Five at Crewe Works.

In artwork

A Black Five engine is depicted in René Magritte's 1938 painting Time Transfixed.

See also

Citations

  1. ↑ Rowledge & Reed 1984, p. 48.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Rowledge & Reed 1984, p. 50.
  3. ↑ Cook 1999, p. 147.
  4. ↑ Trevena 1981, p. 29.
  5. ↑ Gerard & Hamilton 1981, pp. 66–69.
  6. ↑ Earnshaw 1993, p. 28.
  7. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  8. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  9. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  10. ↑ See, for example, David Hunt, Bob Essery and Fred James with David Jennison and David Clarke, LMS Locomotive Profiles (three volumes, with pictorial supplements).Template:Full citation needed
  11. ↑ Rowledge & Reed 1984, p. 74, for example.
  12. ↑ Rowledge 1975, p. 11.
  13. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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  16. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named SR553, 39
  17. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named auto

Further reading

  • David Hunt, Bob Essery, and Fred James with David Jennison and David Clarke, LMS Locomotive Profiles (three volumes plus three pictorial supplements):
    • Volume 5: The mixed traffic class 5s, Part 1, covering numbers 5000–5224 (includes pictorial supplement)
    • Volume 6: The mixed traffic class 5s, Part 2, focusing on Walschaerts and Stephenson valve gear engines from series 5225–5499 and 4658–4999 (with pictorial supplement)
    • Volume 7: Mixed traffic class 5s featuring Caprotti valve gear engines and a class overview (plus pictorial supplement)
  • J.S. Whiteley and Gavin Morrison, The Power of the Black Fives

External links

Bibliography

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0.Template:Preview warning
  • Wilbert Awdry and G. Awdry, The Island of Sodor: Its People, History and Railways, Kaye & Ward, 1987, ISBN 0-434-92762-7
  • A.F. Cook, Raising Steam on the LMS, Railway Correspondence and Travel Society, 1999, ISBN 0-901115-85-1
  • Alan Earnshaw, Trains in Trouble: Vol. 8, Atlantic Books, Penryn, 1993, ISBN 0-906899-52-4
  • Malcolm Gerard and J.A.B. Hamilton, Trains to Nowhere, George Allen & Unwin, London, 1981 (originally published 1967), ISBN 0-04-385084-7
  • Brian Haresnape, Stanier Locomotives, Ian Allan, 1970, ISBN 0-711010-9-86
  • David Hunt, Fred James, R.J. Essery, John Jennison and David Clarke, LMS Locomotive Profiles No.6 - The Mixed Traffic Class 5s Nos.5225-5499 and 4658-4999, Wild Swan Publishing, Didcot, 2004, ISBN 1-874103-93-3
  • John Jennison, A Detailed History of The Stanier Class Five 4-6-0s Volume 2 - on 45472-45499, 44658-44999, Railway Correspondence and Travel Society (RCTS), Maidenhead, 2015, ISBN 978-0-901115-99-7
  • John Jennison, David Clarke, David Hunt, Fred James and R.J. Essery, Pictorial Supplement to LMS Locomotive Profile No.6 - The Mixed Traffic Class 5s - Part 2 Nos.5225–5499 and 4658–4999, Wild Swan Publishing, Didcot, 2004, ISBN 1-874103-98-4
  • O.S. Nock, Great Locomotives of the LMS, Patrick Stephens Ltd., Wellingborough,1989, ISBN 1-85260-020-9
  • J.W.P. Rowledge and Brian Reed, The Stanier 4-6-0s of the LMS, David & Charles, Newton Abbot,1984 (originally published in1977), ISBN 0-7153-7385-4
  • Arthur Trevena, Trains in Trouble Volume 1, Atlantic Books, Redruth,1980, ISBN 0-906899-01-X
  • Arthur Trevena,Trains in Trouble: Vol.2, Atlantic Books, Redruth,1981 ISBN0-906899-03-6

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