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'''LMS Stanier Jubilee 45690 Leander''' (LMS No 5690) was resident on the SVR between 1980 and 1981 for a contract overhaul and between 1983 and 1994 as an SVR-owned locomotive. She was also a Gala visitor in autumn to the 2010[[Autumn Steam Gala]].
Leander is an LMS 4-6-0 Jubilee class locomotive, designed by Sir William Stanier. The Jubilee class, of which 191 were built, was an update of the LMS Fowler 3-cylinder Patriot or 'Baby Scot' design of 1930 incorporating a Stanier/Swindon design of tapered boiler and modified cylinders. Jubilees were mainly used on 'second division' express passenger services, and were rated as 5XP by BR following nationalisation.<ref name=SB8>SVR Stock Book Eighth Edition</ref>
==45690 in service==
Leander was built in 1936 at the LMS works at Crewe at a cost of £6,469 as Makers Number 288, Lot Number 121.<ref>[http://www.jubilees.co.uk/details/45690/ Jubilees.co.uk]</ref> The locomotive was named after HMS Leander (see below) and entered service in March of that year as LMS 5690. She worked out of Crewe North depot until 1947, principally on services to London Euston, [[Shrewsbury]], Holyhead, Liverpool, Blackpool, Glasgow, Carlisle and Perth.<ref name=SB8/>
In September 1947 Leander was loaned to Bristol Barrow Road, with the allocation becoming permanent the following month. In May 1948 the locomotive was renumbered 45690 by BR.<ref>[https://www.brdatabase.info/locoqry.php?action=locodata&type=S&id=446007139&loco=5690 BR Database]</ref> Leander was one of a small group of Jubilees at Bristol which worked services to Birmingham, Derby, Sheffield, Leeds and York.
==45690 in preservation==
Leander arrived at [[Barry Scrapyard]] in June 1964. In May 1972 the locomotive became just the 18th to leave there,<ref>[[Bibliography#Other References|Beckett & Hardingham (2010)]] pp. 67, 73.</ref> having been purchased by the Stockport engineering firm Oliver, Taylor and Crossley Limited who financed the move to BREL's Derby Works for restoration to mainline condition. In August 1973 Leander, in LMS maroon livery, moved to the Dinting Railway Museum, Glossop where the locomotive was based until 1979. A small support crew was formed who looked after 5690 on main line trips to York, Hereford, Chester and Didcot and also to [[Rail 150 ]] at Shildon in 1975.<ref name=SB8/>
Ownership was taken over by two Leicestershire businessmen who formed The Leander Locomotive Limited in 1977. While based at Carnforth, main line work continued including visits to Newport, Carlisle and Perth, and also to [[Rocket 150]] at Rainhill in 1980<ref name=SB8/>.
During this time good working relations were established between the owners/support crew and SVR staff. When the owners put Leander up for sale in November 1983, they approached the SVR and [[Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) PLC | SVR(H)]] agreed to purchase the locomotive with part of the deal also involving the sale of [[LMS Ivatt Class 2 46443|Ivatt 2MT 46443]] in exchange.<ref name=SB8/><ref>SVR News 70</ref> The purchase included sister engine [[LMS Stanier Jubilee 45699 Galatea | 45699 Galatea]], then regarded as a source of spare parts for Leander.
Leander was 'on tour' on the main line at the time of purchase, on 18 February 1984 hauling the Steam Locomotive Operators Association's 'Welsh Marches Express' leg from Hereford via Abergavenny and Maindee North Junction to Newport.<ref>[https://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/80s/840218wm.htm Six Bells Junction]</ref> The locomotive first returned to the SVR as a 'home engine ' on 20 February 1984.<ref name=SB8/> Main line work continued with three 'Welsh Marches Expresses' before a return to the SVR for the April [[Spring Steam Gala]].<ref>SVR News 71</ref>
On Monday 30 July 1974 1984 Leander participated in the opening of the extension to [[Kidderminster]], hauling the inaugural [[Bridgnorth ]] to Kidderminster service, "The Kidderminster Envoy".<ref>SVR News 73</ref> Later that year 5690 returned from Didcot to Bridgnorth on 6 October, double-heading the 14:38 2.38pm from Kidderminster with [[GWR 4930 Hagley Hall ]] in the process.<ref name=SVR75>SVR News 75</ref>
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In 1985 Leander became the first SVR-based locomotive to work in Scotland, doing a 'Fair Maid' rail tour on 30 March and 6 April (Edinburgh-Perth-Edinburgh).<ref name=SVR75/> Having returned from the successful Scottish tour, the locomotive was 'embargoed' from further main line outings until excessive side play in the axle boxes could be addressed. This was made difficult by the lifting jacks being unable to lift 5690 when fitted with a boiler as they were limited to 60 ton maximum lift; the SVR having no wheel drop at the time. Later that year the locomotive left Bridgnorth with Tyseley's 7029 Clun Castle to attend a Tyseley Open Day as a reciprocal arrangement for 7029's visit to the SVR. While at Tyseley, their wheel drop was used to remove the axle boxes which were re-metalled and machined at Bridgnorth and refitted at Tyseley.<ref>SVR News 77, 78</ref>
The repair enabled Leander to return to the main line in 1986, including a Hereford-Shrewsbury-Hereford run on 29th 29 March. [[75069 ]] and 5690 then worked a rail tour from Hereford via Gloucester to Swindon on 31 May, remaining at Didcot until returning on via same route on 28 June. This enabled the SVR to exchange the two locomotives with Didcot's 6998 Burton Agnes Hall and 5051 Drysllwyn Castle which worked the opposite legs of the tours, enabling them to visit the SVR between those two dates.<ref>SVR News 79, 80</ref> During August 1986, 5690 was one of three SVR locomotives used in filming Granada TV's [[A Wreath of Roses]].
During 1987 Leander was wholly based on the SVR, with occasional mutterings from drivers about "steam by-passing the cylinders and blowing through the steam chest straight up the chimney". A report in SVR News in summer 1988 noted that the locomotive had "…made an appearance at the Spring Gala, but has otherwise remained spare so far this year". Later in 1988 5690 was still "trundling up and down", although in need of a piston and valve repair with "…an off-beat sound and occasional bits of ring found stuck in drain taps".<ref>SVR News 88, 89, 90</ref> Over that winter a complete steam chest and cylinder re-bore was carried out, after which new pistons, rings and piston valves were fitted. While shunting the locomotive back to the shed after taking final dimensions for valve setting, a cotter pin fouled a valve cover resulting in a badly bent radius rod. Fortunately a forging company was able to straighten the damage out.<ref>SVR News 91, 92</ref>
