44932

Stanier Black 5 4-6-0

The Black 5 (or Class 5 Mixed Traffic) was designed by Sir William Stanier when he was Chief Mechanical Engineer for the London Midland & Scottish (LMS) railway. The 5-MT was first introduced in September of 1934. Locomotives No. 44932-44966 were Lot No. 174 dating from 1945 when built at Horwich Works.

With the exception of engines with various types of valve gear they all looked remarkably similar. With their 6ft driving wheels and boiler pressure of 225 lb.sq. in. they had a tractive effort of 25,455 lb. which combined with the 9 tons of coal and 4,000 gallons of water made them very suitable for mixed traffic work in all areas. A total of 842 of these locos were built and they became one of the most numerous classes in Britain.

Black 5 No. 44932 is currently owned and operated by the West Coast Railway Company based in Carnforth and is painted in British Railways lined black livery.