LMS Stanier 8F 48773
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.
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.
When Russia entered the War, the locomotive was sent to Iran as 41.109, working on the Trans-Iranian Railway carrying supplies intended for Russia. On 19th August 1942, the locomotive was derailed after colliding with a camel! It was later sent to the British Army's Middle East Forces (MEF) in Egypt, working in the Suez Canal zone.
The locomotive was repatriated to the UK via the Longmoor Military Railway, and subsequently returned to service with BR in September 1957 as No 48773. Although withdrawn several times for scrapping, 48773 survived each time, finally ending BR service in July 1968.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 8733. Since then it has achieved the greatest mileage in preservation of any of the SVR locos, logging 151,805 miles and going through a set of tyres in the process.
48773 is currently on display in The Engine House awaiting overhaul. It is owned by the Stanier 8F Locomotive Society.