LONDON, MIDLAND & SCOTTISH RAILWAY ‘5MT’ No. 5000 (1979-1989)
Withdrawn from Lostock Hall in October 1967, ‘Black Five’ No. 45000 was selected for preservation in the National Collection as the first Crewe-built member of the class and an example retaining the original short firebox and domeless boiler.
Despite its prestigious status, like many National Collection locomotives in the late 1960s, No. 45000 was destined to spend many years in storage, hidden from the public eye – in the ‘Black Five’s’ case, at the former Pullman works at Preston Park, Brighton. It did appear at the Brighton station open day on July 6 1974 however, sharing the stage with ‘M7’ No. 30245, Beattie well tank No. 30587, ‘Lord Nelson’ No. 30850, ‘Q1’ No. 33001 and ‘Battle of Britain’ No. 34051 Winston Churchill. No. 45000, still in ex-BR condition, appeared to be in steam with burning newspapers in its smokebox.
The ‘Black Five’ arrived at the SVR from Preston Park on November 19 1977, with a view to restoring it in time for ‘Rocket 150’ at Rainhill in 1980. However, its restoration to main line condition did not begin in earnest until late the following year, owing to the pressing needs of some of the line’s own locomotives, which took priority. The boiler was lifted around Christmas 1978 and required replacement of all the flue and small tubes, as well as some firebox stays.
It was returned to the frames on April 14 1979 and the engine moved under its own power for the first time since 1967 a fortnight later, on April 28, in time for its first main line railtour on June 2.
It was restored in an approximation of its original LMS guise as No. 5000, and the Stanier 4-6-0 was one of the operational exhibits at the ‘Rocket 150’ celebrations at Rainhill on May 24-26 1980, where it hauled the replica Novelty and the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway’s Beyer Peacock 0-6-0T The Earl on a pair of well wagons.
Unlike the majority of the NRM’s ‘one hit wonders’, No. 5000 had a very active preservation career during its one and only boiler ticket. According to the Severn Valley Railway, its custodians during that period, it accumulated 34,774 miles, either hauling main line railtours or working on the SVR itself.
Its stint in service came to an end at the start of the 1989 season when it failed a steam test, and No. 5000 returned to the NRM in 1991.