LMSR Class 5MT 4-6-0

Welcome to scot-rail.co.uk, Scotland's online railway community. The group is for any rail enthusiast interested in the railways and trains of Scotland. It not only consists of the wiki that you're reading now, but a busy online forum and mailing list, which was accessible to registered users. From April 2024 the forum has closed, with a replacement started on Groups.io.

45407 at Glasgow Works, 2nd September 2005. Photo by class47man


The LMS 4-6-0 class 5 locomotives, known as Black 5s, were designed by Sir William Stanier and introduced in 1934.

These general purpose 2-cylinder taper boilered locos were equally at home on express passenger and goods trains.

Locomotives were built by Armstrong Whitworth (Newcastle), Vulcan Foundry (Newton-le-Willows) and the LMS works at Crewe. 472 locos were constructed before World War II.

Production resumed in 1943, with more locomotive built at Crewe, Derby and Horwich, and building continued into BR days until the 'Standard Class 5' was introduced in 1951. In total 842 'black 5's were built.


The Scottish region had a sizeable allocation, with 258 locos (inluding those at Kingmoor) in 1954.


Only a few of the locomotives were named by the LMS, (all Scottish locos):
LMS No. BR No. Name
5154 45154 Lanarkshire Yeomanry
5156 45156 Ayrshire Yeomanry
5157 45157 The Glasgow Highlander
5158 45158 Glasgow Yeomanry



The class dominated on the former Highland Railway lines north of Perth and Inverness, and also on the routes out of Glasgow Buchanan Street to Oban, Dundee and Aberdeen.

By the mid 1950s Black Fives were also working on former LNER routes, including the West Highland line from Glasgow Queen Street to Fort William.

Replacement by diesel locomotive commenced in 1960 with the introduction of Sulzer Type 2s (Class 24 and Class 26) at Inverness in 1960.

Steam lasted on the Scottish region until 1967.

Scottish Region allocation by shed:
Shed 1945 1954 1962 1966
Inverness - 60A 25 31 6
Aviemore - 60B 1
Ferryhill, Aberdeen - 61B 2 4 2
Dundee - 62B 2 5
Perth - 63A 46 65 34 2
Fort William, 63B 3
Stirling - 63B, 65J 4 11
St Margarets, Edinburgh - 64A 2 5
Dalry Road, Edinburgh - 64C 1 7 17
Carstairs - 64D, 66E 6 17 8
Eastfield, Glasgow - 65A 3 10
St Rollox, Glasgow - 65B 27 32 18
Grangemouth - 65F 3 7
Polmadie, Glasgow - 66A 10 12 12 1
Motherwell - 66B 6 15 19 5
Hamilton - 66C 4
Corkerhill, Glasgow - 67A 11 14 6
Hurlford, Kilmarnock - 67B 2 9 6
Ayr - 67C 2 3 11
Ardrossan - 67D 8
Kingmoor, Carlisle - 68A, 12A 35 55
Dumfries - 68B 3 5
Stranraer - 68C 1 1
Totals 150 258 202 52



Preservation

18 of the class have been preserved, one of these 5025 is based on the Strathspey Railway, but at present out of service awaiting an overhaul. In the early 1980's it saw use on many mainline steam specials.

Other preserved Black 5s which have operated in Scotland, including use on the regular Fort William - Mallaig Jacobite service include:
BR.No Name (in preservation)
44767 George Stephenson
44871 Sovereign
45231 The Sherwood Forester
45305 Alderman A E Draper
45407 The Lancashire Fusilier



External Links: