45407 (LMS 5407 & BR 45407)

45407 leaving Shrewsbury for Crewe - April 1989.jpg

5407 was built in 1937 for the LMS by the Armstrong Whitworth Company at Scotswood, Newcastle-on-Tyne. When new the engine was delivered to Kettering where it worked for a considerable time on the Midland mainline.

After the nationalisation of the railways in 1948 the locomotive became 45407.

BR motive power depot allocations since 1948.

Date Arrived	Depot
January 1948	Sheffield Grimesthorpe
March 1954	Millhouses
October 1954	Derby
November 1954	Saltley
March 1956	Derby
May 1956	Kentish Town
January 1960	Nottingham
April 1962	Burton
March 1965	Speke Junction
May 1968	Lostock Hall

45407 was withdrawn from service when steam operation ended on BR in August 1968.

The engine was purchased from BR by David Davis for £3,300 and was subsequently moved to Carnforth for restoration. In 1974 it was bought by Paddy Smith who operated the engine on the BR system, notably the Settle & Carlise, Cumbrian Coast and Crewe to Holyhead routes. Initialy it was painted in Furness Railway red but later reverted to LMS black lined livery. The engine best known for its exploits in Scotland on the Fort William to Mallaig route, where it spent three seasons in the late 1980’s. After the last season in Scotland, 45407 was moved to Carnforth for new tyres and onto the East Lancs Railway (ELR) for running on heritage railways for the last three years of its boiler ticket.

In 1997 Ian Riley bought the engine from Mr Smith and had the engine overhauled at his works in Bury. Works included a new tender tank with greater water capacity, the fitting of air brake equipment to enable the engine to haul modern coaching stock and the fitting of A.W.S. to comply with Railtrack’s modern Safety and Signaling requirements.

In 2010 45407, under went a rapid overhaul, which is believed to be the fastest undertaken on a mainline locomotive in preservation at just 14 weeks.

45407 now carries the name The Lancashire Fusillier.

It has travelled extensively on the mainline, often double heading with other engines owned by Ian Riley including Black Five 44871. 45407 has a main line certificate which is valid until 2017 and a boiler certificate that is valid until 2020.

In early 2017 the locomotive was taken out of service for an overhaul by its owner at Heywood.

During 2018 the locomotive will run as 45157 The Glasgow Highlander. It previously ran as 45157 between 2000 and 2003.

In June 2020 the locomotive underwent steaming trials on the East Lancs Railway in readiness for returning to duties on the main line with ther Jacobite trains.