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[[File:LMS Class 8F No 48733 (8233) (8062220835).jpg|thumb|200px300px|right|48773 at Bridgnorth, running as LMS 8233]]==48773 in service==
48773 is an LMS Stanier Class 8F 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive. As well as being used on the LMS, the Stanier 8F was adopted as the Country’s standard WW2 freight locomotive. The War Department had more than 200 built to order and requisitioned more than 50 others, before the cheaper WD Austerity 2-8-0 was introduced in 1943.
==48773 in service==
48773 was built by the North British Locomotive Co. in Glasgow as Works No 24607 of 1940. The locomotive was part of a War Department order for use in France, for which it was numbered WD 307. France fell to Germany before the locomotive could be exported, so it was loaned back to the LMS and numbered 8233.
Fortunately, the locomotive was not scrapped but repatriated to the UK and overhauled at Derby between 1952 and 1954. The locomotive then adopted yet another identity as WD 500 at the Longmoor Military Railway.
In 1957 the locomotive was bought by British railways and entered service as No 48773. Although withdrawn twice for scrapping, 48773 survived each time, finally ending BR service based at Rose Grove in July 1968 when it participated in the ‘grand finale of steam’ over the trans-Pennine route via Copy Pit summit. It also worked the LCGB ‘Farewell to Steam’ on 4 August 1968.
==48773 in preservation==
48773 arrived on the SVR in January 1969 in working order direct from BR. During the early years it ran under its LMS number as 8233. Since then it has achieved the greatest mileage in preservation of any of the SVR locos, logging 151,805 miles (including a few [[The Severn Valley Railway on the main line | main line excursions]]) and going through a set of tyres in the process.
One of the main line excursions was in [[Severn_Valley_Railway_Timeline_1970-1979#1975 | 1975]] when 48773 traveled to Shildon to take part in the Rail 150 celebrations, piloting a short train which also included [[LMS Ivatt Class 4 43106 | 43106]] and three carriages. A full list of main line activities is as follows: {| class="wikitable"!Date!!Tour name !! Route !! Notes !! Web !!SVR News|-|11 Aug 1975||Rail 150 Shildon || Kidderminster-Shildon || As LMS 8233, with 43106 || 8F ||37-24|-|06 Sep 1975||Rail 150 Shildon || York-Kidderminster || Darlington to York some days earlier || ||37-24|-|03 Oct 1987||Cotswold Engineer || Honeybourne - Long Marston - Honeybourne || As LMS 8233 || [http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/80s/871003ns.htm SBJ] ||86-26|-|03 May 1989||Cumbrian Mountain Express || Carlisle-Shap-Crewe || || UKS |||-|21 Sep 1991||Welsh Marches Express || Hereford - Crewe || As LMS 8233. Also had visited Derby, Sheffield, Worcester || ||101-50|-|01 Feb 1992||Lancastrian || Shrewsbury - Bolton? - Blackburn || Photo at Manchester with this headboard on 8F web site || [http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/90s/920201la.htm SBJ] |||-|16 May 1998||Stanier Hind || Bristol-Exeter-Plymouth || Photos on Stanier 8F web site || [http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/90s/980516pr.htm SBJ] ||127-3|-|12 Sep 1998||Central Wales Adventurer II || Newport-Shrewsbury || Photos on Stanier 8F web site || UKS, 8F ||132-46|-|24 Oct 1998||Royal Duchy || Exeter - Plymouth-Newquay || D/H with 45110 || UKS ||129-12|-|31 Oct 1998||Stannary Staniers || Ealing Broadway-Penzance || D/H with 45110 || UKS |||-|02 Jan 1999||Midlander || Gloucester-Lickey-Tyseley-Kidderminster-Gloucester || Photo at Gloucester on Stanier 8F web site || UKS, 8F ||133-40|-|16 Jan 1999||Barrow Hill Collier || Nottingham-Chesterfield-Nottingham || Photo light engine but with tour headboard || UKS, 8F |||-|10 Apr 1999||Copy Pitfinder || Crewe-Copy Pit-Pontefract-York || || UKS ||130-56|-|17 Apr 1999||Cotton Weaver || York-Copy Pit-Crewe || D/H with 45407, photo on Stanier 8F web site || UKS, 8F |||-|24 Apr 1999||Cumbrian Mountain Express || Crewe-Shap-Carlisle || D/H with 45407, photo on Stanier 8F web site || UKS, 8F |||-|05 Sep 1999||Midland Devonian || Gloucester-Stourbridge Jct-Bescot || D/H with 6024 || UKS, 8F |||-|01 Apr 2000||Buxton Peaks || Crewe-Manchester Vic-Buxton-Derby || || [http://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/00s/000401pr.htm SBJ] ||133-29|-|colspan="6"|<small>For further information on sources and references, see [[The Severn Valley Railway on the main line#SVR-based locomotives which hauled revenue-earning services on the main line | The Severn Valley Railway on the main line]]</small>|-|}
On 27 September 1986 a service took place at Highley in which 47383 was dedicated as a memorial to British military railway personnel who lost their lives on active service during the Second World War. The event was marked by a flypast of an Air Atlantique Douglas DC3 and the last working de Havilland Mosquito. The locomotive carries a plaque commemorating the dedication service.
{{As of | 2016}} 48773 is currently (February 2015) on display in [[The Engine House]] awaiting overhaul. It is owned by the [[Stanier 8F Locomotive Society]].
==See also==
[[Steam Locomotives]]<br>
[[The Severn Valley Railway on the main line]]
==References==
<references />
==Links==
[http://www.8fsociety.co.uk/index.html Stanier 8F Locomotive Society website]<br>
[http://www.8fsociety.co.uk/gallery1.html 8F Society gallery of photographs] (includes some main line tours)
