45212 (LMS 5212 & BR 45212)

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5212 was produced by Armstrong Whitworth at their works in Newcastle in 1935 and gained the British Railways number 45212 after nationalisation.

In LMS days it was employed in the Bradford area based at Low Moor shed. From here it worked passenger trains between Leeds or Bradford and Manchester or Liverpool.

BR motive power depot allocations since 1948.

Date ArrivedDepot
January 1948Fleetwood
October 1964Carnforth
March 1965Speke Junction
June 1965Carnforth
September 1965Carlisle Kingmoor
January 1968Lostock Hall

45212 hauled the penultimate steam train on the Preston – Blackpool operated by BR just a few days before the Fifteen Guinea Special on 11th August. It is of interest that the train it hauled on 4th August 1968 was the last BR regular service passenger train to be steam powered.

It was withdrawn that month and purchased by Ron Ainsworth for use on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway (KWVR) where it arrived in October 1968.

Later in 1968 it was covered in wallpaper as part of an advert for Solvite wallpaper paste.

In 2000 it moved to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway where it remained until July 2011 when it moved back to the KWVR a few months before its boiler certificate expired in October 2011.

Whilst on the NYMR it was overhauled and also had its tyres turned at Thornaby in 2007.

As a result of an agreement reached in 2013 between the KWVR and the Bury-based engineering company Riley & Son (E) Ltd 45212 is being rebuilt to mainline condition..

As part of a ten-year agreement, 45212 will undergo a major overhaul which will allow it to operate on main line specials. Additionally, it will spend three months per year on the Worth Valley Railway and is also likely to visit other heritage railways around the country.

In July 2016 the locomotive was towed from Bury to the KWVR following its restoration and repainted in the livery it carried in 1968. In October 2016 the locomotive was successfully steam tested and it entered service on the KWVR later that month.

Having undergone work at Riley & Sons (E) Ltd at Heywood which included fitting air brakes 45212 was run in on the Est Lancs Railway before travelling to Carnforth for trials before operating on the main line.

In April 2017 it moved north to work on the West Highland line where it was operated by the crews of West Coast Railways.

During 2018 the locomotive was based at Southall as a standby for Cathedral Express trips.

Home BaseCurrent StatusOwner
Keighley Worth Valley RailwayOperationalKeighley Worth Valley Railway
45212 passes Dent – Date unknown
45212 at Farrington Junction near Preston - May 1967.jpg
45212 at Farrington Junction near Preston – May 1967
45212 at Carlisle – September 1967
45212 heads a Liverpool Exchange – Glasgow Central express through Ormskirk – Late 1960s
45212 on the left on Carnforth shed - February 1968.jpg
45212 on the left on Carnforth shed – February 1968
45212 passing through Todd Lane Junction Station, near Preston, – April 1968
45212 at Farrington Junction near Preston - May 1968.jpg
45212 at Farrington Junction near Preston – May 1968
45212 on the Preston station avoiding lines - 1st August 1968.jpg
45212 on the Preston station avoiding lines – 1st August 1968
45212, 45305 and 45156 Ayshire Yeomanry on Lostock Hall shed – August 1968
45212 at Haworth on the KWVR – July 1969
45212 at Haworth on the KWVR – July 2011
45212 on Haworth shed along with 7822 Foxcote Manor – October 2016
45212 & 58926 hauling the goods towards Haworth-2016
45212 at Keighley on the KWVR – October 2016
45212 at Keighley on the KWVR – October 2016
45212 at Haworth on the KWVR – October 2016
45212 at Bournemouth with a West Brompton to Swanage special – October 2017
45212 at Steventon hauling the Cathedrals Express from Southend to Bath – March 2018
45212 at Keighley on the KWVR – March 2019
45212 on the West Highland line – August 2021
45212 at Oxenhope on the KWVR – November 2021

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