45000 (LMS 4500 & BR 45000)

45000 on Carlisle Kingmoor shed - August 1967.jpg

5000 was built at Crewe in 1935, at a cost of £7,062, and was initially the first numerically of its class. It however was not the first to be built because the Vulcan Foundry had turned out the first of their simultaneous order, 5020 in 1934. It also ceased to be the first numerically when 4800 was built in 1944, after the LMS ran out of available numbers after 5499 was built.

5000 was built with a low degree superheat domeless boiler.

5000 had 40000 added to its number to become 45000 after nationalisation in 1948 by British Railways.

BR motive power depot allocations since 1948.

Date Arrived	Depot
January 1948	Rugby
January 1952	Speke Junction
February 1952	Rugby
March 1956	Crewe North
October 1956	Crewe South
June 1959	Holyhead
September 1959	Crewe South
June 1961	Carnforth
September 1961	Crewe South
June 1963	Holyhead
November 1963	Chester
May 1967	Lostock Hall

After withdrawal from Lostock Hall shed, near Preston in 1967, 5000 was selected to represent its 842-strong class as part of the National Railway Collection. Part of the reason for this was that it had a domeless boiler and was roughly in the condition as built. It was therefore painted in its original LMS lined black livery. However there had been changes over its lifetime and as a result there are numerous detail differences between 5000 as built and 5000 as preserved.

The oldest preserved Black Five is 45025 which was completed in August 1934 whilst 45000 was turned out in February 1935.

The mileage in service for this locomotive is not complete as around 1960 its mileage ceased to be recorded. By that stage it had completed 961,000 miles.

For some time 45000 was stored at Preston Park in Brighton for some time prior to going to the Severn valley railway. Whilst there it was on display at Brighton Station Open Day in 1974 along with M7 tank 30245, Beattie well tank 30587, 30850 Lord Nelson , Q1 class 33001, Battle of Britain 34051 Winston Churchill and diesel class 33 D6582. For the display an attempt had been made to make it appear that 45000 was in steam by burning newspapers in the chimney.

45000 arrived at the Severn valley Railway (SVR), on loan from the NRM in September 1977, with the intention of being restored for main line working. Restoration started in late 1978 and was completed in 1979 and the locomotive entered service in LMS livery as 5000.

45000 took part in the grand parade at the Rocket 150 celebrations at Rainhill in May 1980. Other main line working was carried out from Steam Centres around the country, including the Bulmers Railway Centre at Hereford. Between 1979 and 1988 the locomotive accumulated 21,185 miles on the SVR and in the course of over twenty rail tours on the main line.

The locomotive failed a steam test at the start of the 1989 season, and was returned to the National Railway Museum in the spring of 1991 and went on static display at York.

During the period that the locomotive was under the custodianship of the Severn Valley Railway in ran a total of 34,774 miles on the SVR and the main line.

Home Base

Current Status

Owner

Locomotion Shildon

Static display

National Railway Museum

NRM Object Number{1978-7040}