LMS Stanier 8F 48773
LMS Stanier 8F 48773 | |
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48773 at Bridgnorth, running as LMS 8233 | |
Built By | North British Locomotive Co., Glasgow |
Configuration | 2-8-0 |
BR rating | 8F |
Status | Out of service |
Loco Number | 48773 |
Other Numbers | 8233, 41.109, WD 70307, WD 500, 90733 |
History | |
Built | 1940 |
Designed By | William Stanier |
Type | Stanier 8F |
1969 | Arrived on SVR in working order |
Technical | |
Length | 60ft 0½" |
Weight | 72t 2cwt |
Tractive effort | 32,438 lb |
Pressure | 225 lb/sq in |
48773 is an LMS Stanier Class 8F 2-8-0 heavy freight locomotive. A total of 852 were built between 1935 and 1946 (not all to LMS order). 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.
Stanier 8Fs saw occasional use on Alveley Colliery coal trains during the last days of the Severn Valley Branch. Classmate 48531, then based at Wolverhampton's Oxley MPD, was photographed working a southbound coal train at Bewdley on 29 June 1966[1].
Contents
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.
Following the Soviet Union’s entry into the War, the locomotive was requisitioned and sent to Iran as Iranian State Railways No 41.109. There it worked on the Trans-Iranian Railway, hauling double-headed 700 ton trains of supplies intended for the Soviet Union up steep gradients in the searing desert heat. On 19 August 1942, the locomotive was famously derailed after colliding with a camel, and later in 1944 was converted to oil-burning.
In 1946 the locomotive was sent to the British Army's Middle East Forces (MEF) in Egypt where, numbered WD 70307, it worked in the Suez Canal zone. For a while the locomotive was loaned to Egyptian State Railways, but by 1948 was in need of a new firebox and scheduled to be scrapped.
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 at first was misallocated the number 90733 (now carried by another preserved locomotive), following the Austerity 2-8-0s series with which it had been confused, but quickly altered to 48773 at the end of the LMS 2-8-0s.[2] Although withdrawn twice for scrapping, 48773 survived each time, finally ending BR service in August 1968 based at Rose Grove.[3]
It participated in several end of steam railtours including two organised by the Manchester Rail Travel Society in conjunction with the emergent Severn Valley Railway Society, the latter being the 'Farewell to B.R. Steam', the grand finale of steam over the trans-Pennine route via Copy Pit summit.[4] Also notable is the LCGB ‘Farewell to Steam’ on 4 August 1968[5].
48773 in preservation
During the early years 48773 ran under its LMS number as 8233. On 1 September 1971 8233 was briefly renumbered 48188 for a film concerning the heroism of Driver John Axon G.C. who was killed when the real 48188 ran away at Chapel-en-le-Frith in 1957. Filming involving freight train scenes took place on 1 September 1971.[11]
The locomotive has achieved the greatest mileage in preservation of any of the SVR locos, logging 151,805 miles (including a few main line excursions) and going through a set of tyres in the process.
One of the main line excursions was in 1975 when 48773 travelled to Shildon to take part in the Rail 150 celebrations, piloting a short train which also included 43106 and three carriages. A full list of main line activities is as follows:
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 | 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 | SBJ | |
16 May 1998 | Stanier Hind | Bristol-Exeter-Plymouth | Photos on Stanier 8F web site | 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 | SBJ | 133-29 | |
For further information on sources and references, see The Severn Valley Railway on the main line |
Not camera shy, 48773 took part in filming for The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1975), Survivors (1997) and Rosie and Jim (1991).
On 27 September 1986 a service took place at Highley in which 48773 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.
In Summer 1992 48773 was hired out for a period to the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, and the following year to the West Somerset Railway.
On 25 November 2000 it was involved in a collision with a vehicle on Northwood Crossing, fortunately with no fatalities involved.
It is owned by the Stanier 8F Locomotive Society. 48773 was last in traffic on 13 January 2008 and, following cosmetic restoration, the following September it moved to be displayed in The Engine House awaiting eventual overhaul. The locomotive was one of those which in 2011 had copper sheets stolen, the cost of which the SVR's insurers met in full. In 2018 the Society's archivist reported:
- That engine's last ticked [sic] started before the SVR installed the reverse osmosis water treatment, as a result both boiler and firebox need major work. All tyres are down to scrapping size. The right hand cylinder is broken, and although the welded repair has so far held up, a new cylinder is highly desirable. The tender tank is badly corroded and a replacement tank is needed, all these above all the normal work needed for an overhaul.[12]
The Society's new website in 2024 stated that to get 48773 back into traffic it is estimated that over £1 million will be required, and the Society have agreed to make a substantial contribution of £200,000.
On 20 June 2018 48773 was moved from the Engine House to storage in Kidderminster in readiness for an event to mark the 50th anniversary end of BR steam in August 1968. The locomotive appeared in WD livery as WD 307, complete with mock air brake equipment, for the 2018 'Step Back to the 1940s' event which began on 30 June, before reverting to the BR 48773 livery for the 'Last Days of Steam' event on 4 August 2018. She was again displayed at Kidderminster between 16-24 February 2019, offering further opportunities for footplate visits, before returning to the Engine House in March 2019.
Railway Royal Engineers' memorial
As a locomotive with a unique military history, it was suggested that 48773 should be dedicated as a Memorial to those military railwaymen of the Corps of Royal Engineers (Transportation) who lost their lives in World War II. In 1986 a Service of Dedication was held at Highley led by the Dean of Hereford, and conducted with full Military Honours. In 2002 the Society compiled a Roll of Honour and Books of Remembrance commemorating 354 known casualties. The dedication was made by the Chief Royal Engineer, Lieutenant-General Sir Scott Grant KCB, at a Service held at Kidderminster. Since 2008 these have been on display the Engine House. The names of a further 54 WWII casualties have been identified and an additional Roll of Honour was been produced by the Stanier 8F Locomotive Society. This was unveiled by Brigadier Mike Stephens at a ceremony at the Engine House on 1 October 2011, 25 years after the locomotive’s dedication, together with a Roll of Honour commemorating the Railway Sappers killed in an accident on the Longmoor Military Railway on 13 October 1956 involving sister locomotive WD512. Over 200 ex-servicemen, family members and visitors were present. Visitors can see the Rolls of Honour and information panels describing the history of the Railway Royal Engineers alongside the locomotive.[13]
See also
Steam Locomotives
The Severn Valley Railway on the main line
SVR-based locomotives visiting other events
Locomotives running under different identities
Classes of locomotives used on the Severn Valley Branch in commercial service
References
- ↑ Vanns (2017) p. 55.
- ↑ Casserley (1976) p. 208.
- ↑ 48773 on BR database (Retrieved 26 December 2020)
- ↑ ‘Farewell to B.R. Steam’ 28 July 1968 on Six Bells Junction (Retrieved 26 December 2020)
- ↑ ‘Farewell to Steam’ 4 August 1968 on Six Bells Junction (Retrieved 26 December 2020)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 SVR News 11
- ↑ SVR News 10
- ↑ Norman, J., National Preservation 22 April 2020 (Retrieved 22 April 2020)
- ↑ SVR-Online Forum
- ↑ Maggs (2009)
- ↑ Williams (1974) p. 44.
- ↑ National Preservation, 20 April 2018
- ↑ War Memorials online (Retrieved 22 April 2018)
Links
Stanier 8F Locomotive Society website
8F Society gallery of photographs (includes some main line tours)
LMS Stanier Class 8F on Wikipedia
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