LMS Stanier Class 5 45110

LMS Stanier Class 5 45110
45110 at Highley
Built By	Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows
Configuration	4-6-0
BR rating	5MT
Status	Out of service
Loco Number	45110
Other Numbers	5110
History
Built	1935
Designed By	William Stanier
Type	Black Five
1970	Arrived on SVR in working order
1971	Named "R.A.F. Biggin Hill"
1980	Withdrawn for overhaul
1998	Reentered service
2008	Withdrawn for overhaul
Technical
Length	63ft 7¾"
Weight	72t 4cwt
Tractive effort	25,455 lb
Pressure	225 lb/sq in
Steam Locomotives

45110 is an LMS Stanier 'Black Five' 4-6-0 mixed traffic locomotive. It worked the return portion of the ‘Fifteen Guinea Special’, the last steam passenger service run by British Railways.

Contents

45110 in Service

The LMS Stanier Class 5 was an immediate success when introduced into service in 1934. It was a mixed traffic locomotive that could handle anything from express passenger traffic to goods trains. 842 were built, more than any other class of locomotive before or since, and they worked all over the LMS network. Following nationalisation they were classified 5MT by British Railways and quickly became used throughout the country. They were never painted any colour but black, earning them the nickname ‘Black 5s’. The design of the British Railways Standard Class 5 was based on the Black 5.

45110 was built by the Vulcan Foundry as works number 4653/1934, and entered service in June 1935 as LMS 5110. Following nationalisation it was renumbered as 45110 by BR in 1949, and it was one of the very last steam locomotives still in use by BR when it finished its working life at Lostock Hall Shed, Preston.

The last ‘official’ train run by BR was a ‘farewell to steam’ special on 11 August 1968, 8 days after regular steam services had ended. The special train ‘1T57’ became known as the ‘Fifteen Guinea Special’ after the price of tickets. 45110 took the train from Liverpool to Manchester, from where 70013 Oliver Cromwell continued to Carlisle. Two other Black 5s (44781 and 44871) began the return leg, while the honour of the final return to Liverpool fell to 45110, which thereby entered history as the last BR-owned standard gauge steam locomotive to haul a service on the national network.

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  45110 hauling the 15 Guineas Special (Wikimedia Commons)

45110 in preservation

45110 was initially saved for preservation mainly through fund raising efforts of Mr David Porter, Principal of the “Flairavia Flying Club” at Biggin Hill Civil Airport. After a temporary move from Lostock Hall to Clapham Sidings in January 1969, 45110 found a temporary home at the former BR Ashford shed. During an open day there, 45110 first carried temporary name plates bearing the name “R.A.F. Biggin Hill”.

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  45110 at Ashford (Wikimedia Commons)

45110 arrived on the SVR on 20 August 1970 in working order and entered service on Sunday 20 September 1970. A naming ceremony was held on 12 September 1971, at which the locomotive was formally named “R.A.F. Biggin Hill”.

The first period of service ended 10 years later in 1980 after recording 21,185 miles in use. Following overhaul, a second period of service began in 1998. This lasted until late 2008, including a 6-month boiler ticket extension which enabled the locomotive to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the end of BR main line steam. During this period a number of main line appearances were made as follows:

Date	Tour name	Route	Notes	Web	SVR News
26 Sep 1998	Rose of Shires	Bescot - York + return		UKS	129-13
17 Oct 1998	Blackpool Five	Shrewsbury-Blackpool + return		UKS	128-76
24 Oct 1998	Royal Duchy	Exeter - Plymouth-Newquay	D/H with 48773	UKS	129-12
31 Oct 1998	Stannary Staniers	Ealing Broadway-Penzance	D/H with 48773	UKS
07 Nov 1998	Staffordshire Terrier	Birmingham -Chester-Wolverhampton		UKS	128-76
14 Nov 1998	Colne Dee Express	Nottingham-Chester + return		UKS
28 Nov 1998	Lakes Express	Crewe-Shap-Carlisle + return	D/H with 45407	UKS	129-12
05 Dec 1998	Lincolnian	Dorridge-Lincoln + return		UKS
19 Dec 1998	Christmas Chester Chuffer	Birmingham Int'l-Chester + return		UKS
30 Jan 1999	Merseyman	Bescot-Crewe-Liverpool-Crewe-Walsall-Bescot		UKS	129-52
07 Mar 1999	Ynys Mon Express	Crewe-Holyhead + return		UKS	129-13
21 May 1999	Private Charter	Harrow-Amersham (2 trips)		UKS
22 May 1999	Steam on the Met	Amersham-Watford shuttles		UKS
23 May 1999	Steam on the Met	Amersham-Watford shuttles		UKS
29 May 1999	Steam on the Met	Amersham-Watford shuttles		UKS
30 May 1999	Steam on the Met	Amersham-Watford shuttles		UKS
31 May 1999	Steam on the Met	Amersham-Watford shuttles		UKS	130-38
15 Aug 1999	Mayflower	Bristol-Plymouth-Bristol	D/H with 45407, ran as scheduled	UKS
02 Oct 1999	Welsh Dragon	Birmingham Int-Bescot- Llandrindod- Port Talbot-Newport	Driver Ray Churchill, Fireman Arthur Bromley	UKS	132-45
23 Oct 1999	Fishburn Flyer	Crewe-Carnforth-Crewe	To be confirmed	UKS
13 Nov 1999	North Wales Venturer	Crewe-Holyhead-Crewe	To be confirmed	UKS
11 Dec 1999	Midlander	Nuneaton-Lickey-Gloucester+return, Bromsgrove-Blackwell*	*80079 as banker	UKS	132-46
18 Dec 1999	Christmas Chester Chuffer	Birmingham Int-Rugeley-Chester -Wrexham-Birmingham Int		UKS
05 Feb 2000	Peak Forester	Derby - Buxton - Crewe		SBJ
27 May 2000	Laird of Stranraer Day 1	Crewe - Carnforth (tender swap)-Glasgow	D/H with 45407. Borrowed tender from 48151	SBJ
29 May 2000	Laird of Stranraer Day 3	Glasgow Central - WCML - Lockerbie Up Passenger Loop*	*Failed with leaking tubes (SBJ has date as 28th)	SBJ	133-29
For further information on sources and references, see The Severn Valley Railway on the main line

Following expiry of the second 'ticket' in 2008, 45110 moved on loan to Barrow Hill Roundhouse for a period on static display there. In October 2013 the locomotive returned to the SVR and was moved into The Engine House, taking the place of 4930 Hagley Hall which had moved to Bridgnorth for overhaul.

As of 2018 the locomotive remains on display in The Engine House while awaiting its next overhaul. It is now owned by SVR(H).

See also

Steam Locomotives
The Severn Valley Railway on the main line
SVR-based locomotives visiting other events

Links

LMS Stanier Class 5 on Wikipedia