BR Standard 5MT
4-6-0
The first BR Standard
to emerge was 7MT No. 70000 ‘’Britannia’’, in January 1951, which was open to
mixed emotions. Many of the older railwaymen, steeped in the days of the
Grouping, viewed the engine as worse than their existing express passenger
locomotive fleets which they came to augment. However, the ‘’Standard’’ range of
engines became comparatively cheap to run, and were easier to maintain for less
competent servicing and maintenance teams. Based heavily on pre-nationalisation
designs of the LMS, the ‘’Standard’’ engines were generally built to a more
restrictive loading gauge than their predecessors, improving route availability
and versatility.
The design team for what became the second BR Standard type was based at
Doncaster, and Riddles observed his Chief Draftsmen produce a locomotive - on
paper - which heavily resembled Stanier’s ‘’Black Five’’ engines of the LMS. Of
the latter, 842 had been produced in stages between 1934 and 1951; where the
Black Five production left off, that of the BR Standard version took over. The
first engine, classified as a ‘’Standard 5MT’’ and numbered 73000, left Derby
Works in April 1951, subsequently heading to Sheffield on the Eastern Region.
Like the Stanier engines, it utilised a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement (one which was
heavily used by the GWR), had a virtually identical boiler (measuring 13 foot 2
inches in length, and tapering in diameter from 5 foot 8 inches to 4 foot 11
inches), and had outside cylinders for ease of maintenance. The cab, however,
was noticeably of ‘’Britannia’’ lineage, the tender was also of a BR design, and
the driving wheels were two inches larger than the six-foot diameter examples of
Stanier’s engines.
Derby was responsible for the construction of locomotive Nos. 73000 to 73089;
thereafter, Nos. 73110 to 73171 were assembled at Doncaster Works. Of the latter
batch, there was a significant variation: that of the valve gear. The majority
of the 172 engines built were fitted with Walschaerts Valve Gear, but Nos. 73125
to 73154 instead had Caprotti Valve Gear installed. In brief, the latter,
designed by Italian engineer Arturo Caprotti, was fitted to a number of
locomotive classes over the years under the impression that it was more
efficient than existing systems. Subsequently, the Caprotti system transpired to
be an expensive and difficult arrangement to maintain, eventually causing a
reduction in efficiency compared with its Walschaerts counterpart. The valve
gear was not the only variation within the batches, however - there was also the
issue of tenders. When the 5MT construction had reached completion in 1957,
there were six tender variations among the class, each subsequent build offering
varying water and coal capacity combinations.
In total, twenty were delivered to the Southern Region when new: Nos.
73080 to 73089 and Nos. 73110 to 73119. Seven went to Stewarts Lane on the South
Eastern Division, whilst the remaining thirteen went to Nine Elms on the South
Western. The largest recipients of the type were the Midland and Scottish
Regions, which acquired 38 and 48 examples respectively. Switching the
concentration to the South Eastern Division examples, Nos. 73080 to 73086, these
engines were generally found on those ex-LC&DR lines to the Kent Coast. When the
‘’Chatham’’ main line was subject to electrification in June 1959, the 5MTs were
re-allocated to Nine Elms, bringing the South Western Division allocation of the
type to twenty. The ‘’Chatham’’ line electrification also resulted in the
withdrawal and scrapping of numerous pre-Grouping and pre-Nationalisation
engines, the graceful ‘’King Arthurs’’ being one of the affected classes.
Indeed, the latter had also experienced a cull with the advent of the Bulleid
Pacifics and, marginally later, the BR Standard classes. In the month preceding
the ex-LC&DR trunk route going ‘’live’’, ex-King Arthur class names began being
applied to the 5MT fleet, but only to those twenty examples which were allocated
to the Southern Region.
Withdrawals of the class began in 1964, after an uneconomically short BR career.
Southern Region examples lasted until the end of steam on the Waterloo main
line, in July 1967, but the very first example, No. 73000, lasted right into the
final year of steam, not being withdrawn until March 1968.
Names: Transferred from Class N15
No. 73080 ''Merlin'' (from No. 30740)
No. 73081 ''Excalibur'' (from No. 30736)
No. 73082 ''Camelot'' (from No. 30742)
No. 73083 ''Pendragon'' (from No. 30746)
No. 73084 ''Tintagel'' (from No. 30745)
No. 73085 ''Melisande'' (from No. 30753)
No. 73086 ''The Green Knight'' (from No. 30754)
No. 73087 ''Linette'' (from No. 30752)
No. 73088 ''Joyous Gard'' (from No. 30741)
No. 73089 ''Maid of Astolat'' (from No. 30744)
No. 73110 ''The Red Knight'' (from No. 30755)
No. 73111 ''King Uther'' (from No. 30737)
No. 73112 ''Morgan le Fay'' (from No. 30750)
No. 73113 ''Lyonnesse'' (from No. 30743)
No. 73114 ''Etarre'' (from No. 30751)
No. 73115 ''King Pellinore'' (from No. 30738)
No. 73116 ''Iseult'' (from No. 30749)
No. 73117 ''Vivien'' (from No. 30748)
No. 73118 ''King Leodegrance'' (from No. 30739)
No. 73119 ''Elaine'' (from No. 30747)
An Aside Note on Tenders
As touched upon in the main text, this class was supplied with no less than six
tender variations:
BR1:
Paired with locomotive Nos. 73000 to 73049
4250 gallon water capacity
7 ton coal capacity
BR1B:
Paired with locomotive Nos. 73080 to 73089 / 73100 to 73109 / 73120 to 73134 / 73145 to 73171
4725 gallon water capacity
7 ton coal capacity
BR1C:
Paired with locomotive Nos. 73065 to 73079 / 73090 to 73099 / 73135 to 73144
4725 gallon water capacity
9 ton coal capacity
BR1F:
Paired with locomotive Nos. 73110 to 73119
Water capacity stood at 5625 gallons, the greatest of all the 5MT tender types. These tenders were paired only with the Nine Elms-based examples listed above. The SR network lacked the water troughs found on other regions, hence the requirement to carry a greater amount of liquid.
7 ton coal capacity
BR1G:
Paired with locomotive Nos. 73050 to 73052
5000 gallon water capacity
7 ton coal capacity
BR1H:
Paired with locomotive Nos. 73053 to 73064
4250 water capacity
7 ton coal capacity
1965
No. 73029 is seen heading southwards from Eastleigh with a freight, equipped with a 4250-gallon tender. In
the background can be seen a Type 3 diesel (later Class 33), whilst far in the distance, at the platforms, can
just be seen a WR Hymek. © David Glasspool Collection
1965
Two BR Standard 5MT locomotives are depicted in this view from about 1965, working a ''Murrayfield
Special'' through Bellshill (situated in-between Glasgow and Motherwell). No. 73098 is piloting No. 73099,
and both locomotives are paired with BR1C tenders. Note this variant of tender includes curved upper
fairings, as per the Scottish-based ''Britannias'', which were designed to improve airflow over the engine.
© David Glasspool Collection
June 1966
In June 1966, BR Standard 5MT No. 73018 is observed piloting West Country Class No. 34004 ''Yeovil''
on Upwey Bank. At this time, No. 73018 was allocated to Weymouth shed, and the West Country was
also devoid of nameplates. Removal of the latter was done to prevent theft, the nameplates then beginning
to accumulate significant value. Many Battle of Britain Class nameplates were presented by British Rail
to the Royal Air Force Museum. © David Glasspool Collection
24th September 1966
Change is imminent as No. 73119 ''Elaine'' approaches Fleet, Hampshire, on 24th September 1966, with a
non-stop Bournemouth express. The platforms have received prefabricated concrete extensions in readiness
for longer electric formations, and colour aspect lights are due to replace the splendid semaphore gantry.
© David Glasspool Collection
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