LMS Stanier 8F 48773

LMS Stanier 8F 48773
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
History
Built	1940
Designed By	William Stanier
Type	Stanier 8F
1969	Arrived on SVR in working order
Technical
Length	60ft 0½"
Weight	72t 2cwt
Steam Locomotives

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.

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 Russia’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 Russia up steep gradients in the searing desert heat. On 19th 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 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 Although withdrawn twice for scrapping, 48773 survived each time, finally ending BR service based at Rose Grove in July 1968 when it participated in the ‘grand finale of steam’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 main line excursions) and going through a set of tyres in the process.

One of the main line excursions was in 1975 when 48773 traveled 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

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.

As of 2016 48773 is on display in The Engine House awaiting overhaul. It is owned by the Stanier 8F Locomotive Society.

See also

Steam Locomotives
The Severn Valley Railway on the main line

Links

Stanier 8F Locomotive Society website
8F Society gallery of photographs (includes some main line tours)
LMS Stanier Class 8F on Wikipedia