44932 (LMS 4932 & BR 44932)

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4932 was the first of the class to be built at Horwich in September 1945. In all 120 were built at Horwich at a cost of £9,500 each for the locomotive and tender, which was £3,000 more than for the first ones built at Crewe in 1935. It became 44932 following the nationalisation of the railways in 1948.

BR motive power depot allocations since 1948.

Date ArrivedDepot
January 1948Blackpool Central
January 1952Accrington
February 1957Agecroft
October 1959Leicester Central
January 1960Annesley
January 1963Cricklewood
February 1963Annesley
January 1965Rose Grove
July 1965Annesley
December 1965Derby
May 1966Rose Grove

44932 was officially withdrawn August 1968 from Rose Grove but had been in store at Carlisle Kingmoor for the previous eight months. At the end of steam on BR metal it was moved to Carnforth following its purchase as part of the establishment of Steamtown museum. It made an attractive purchase as it had only run for 5,000 miles since its last intermediate overhaul.

Steamtown was established by Dr Beet with financial support from Sir Bill McAlpine who became a shareholder in 1974 and subsequently acquired a controlling interest in the company. Steamtown closed in 1997 following sale of the site to David Smith who owns the West Coast Railway Company which now has its major based there.

Whilst Steamtown was open, and once the ban on operating steam trains on the main line was lifted in 1972, Carnforth was used as a base to operate trains to York and to Sellafield. The first test run took place to Ulverston with 44871 and 44932 preceded special trains to Barrow in Furness.

At this time 44932 was painted in Brunswick green livery which it had never previously worn.

When steamtown closed 44932 moved to the Midland Steam Centre at Butterley where it was completely overhauled.

By 2010 44932 was owned by David Smith and back in operation on the main line. Since then it was continued to operate on the main line, often from the West Coast Railway Company base at Southall.

The main line certificate is valid until 2017 and the boiler certificate to 2020 but the locomotive is currently undergoing an overhaul at Carnforth.

In August 2022 the locomotive undertook a test run between Carnforth and Hellifield and back.

The locomotive is to be trial fitted with European Train Control System equipment to see if the fitment can be rolled out across other main line locomotives.

Home BaseCurrent StatusOwner
West Coast Railways – SouthallOperationalDavid Smith
44932 on Rose Grove shed – September 1966
44932 on Carlisle Upperby shed – August 1967
44932 at Steamtown carnforth – April 1972
44932 at York after working a special train there with 45407 – April 1978
44932 at Glenfinnan - July 1986.jpg
44932 at Glenfinnan – July 1986
44932 at Cudworth – October 1986
44932 at Earles Sidings, Hope – October 1988
44932 heads the Cathedrals Express at Radley heading for Oxford – December 2010
44932 at Salisbury with a Cathedrals Express destined for Sherborne – December 2010
44932 at Northampton - March 2011.jpg
44932 at Northampton – March 2011
44932 at Wimbledon heading a train from Waterloo to Bath – March 2012
44932 and 45231 head towards Ais Gill summit – August 2013
44932 heads the Great Britain VII north through Winwick – April 2014
44932 passing through Wandsworth Town station with a Cathedrals Express from Victoria to Yeovil Junction – June 2014
44932 on the turtable at the Yeovill Railway Centre – June 2014

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