William Stanier became Chief Mechanical Engineer of the LMS in 1931 and immediately set to work designing a ‘go anywhere, do anything’ mixed traffic locomotive to succeed the Hughes 2-6-0 ‘Crabs’ that were unsuited to passenger work.
Drawing on his experience from the Great Western Railway, Stanier adopted the principle dimensions of that region’s ‘Hall’ class locomotives as a basis for the new design. He married these to LMS technology to create the resounding success that came to be known as the ‘Black 5’.
842 locomotives were built over a 16-year period and reached almost every corner of the country on all manner of freight and passenger duties. Their mixed traffic nature and 5P5F designation led to them being outshopped in black (as opposed to the broad colour palette seen on other LMS engines) and thus to the nickname that persists today.
Our Black 5s depict the 227 locomotives built by Armstrong Whitworth in Scotswood (Newcastle-Upon-Tyne) between 1936 and 1937 at a cost of £6080 per engine and tender (£360,587 at today’s prices). These locomotives were numbered 5225–5451 by the LMS (45225–45451 when incorporated into BR).
Renowned for their reliability and versatility – as well as their popularity with crews – the Black 5s established themselves as one of Britain's most celebrated steam loco classes. Three of their number were entrusted with the Fifteen Guinea Special, BR’s final steam-hauled passenger train on 11th August 1968.
The Black 5 success story led to 18 of the class entering preservation, with 7 of these belonging to the Armstrong Whitworth batch. With some locomotives certified for main-line use, the sight, sound and smell of Stanier’s classic can fortunately still be enjoyed today.
William Stanier became Chief Mechanical Engineer of the LMS in 1931 and immediately set to work designing a ‘go anywhere, do anything’ mixed traffic locomotive to succeed the Hughes 2-6-0 ‘Crabs’ that were unsuited to passenger work.
Drawing on his experience from the Great Western Railway, Stanier adopted the principle dimensions of that region’s ‘Hall’ class locomotives as a basis for the new design. He married these to LMS technology to create the resounding success that came to be known as the ‘Black 5’.
842 locomotives were built over a 16-year period and reached almost every corner of the country on all manner of freight and passenger duties. Their mixed traffic nature and 5P5F designation led to them being outshopped in black (as opposed to the broad colour palette seen on other LMS engines) and thus to the nickname that persists today.
Our Black 5s depict the 227 locomotives built by Armstrong Whitworth in Scotswood (Newcastle-Upon-Tyne) between 1936 and 1937 at a cost of £6080 per engine and tender (£360,587 at today’s prices). These locomotives were numbered 5225–5451 by the LMS (45225–45451 when incorporated into BR).
Renowned for their reliability and versatility – as well as their popularity with crews – the Black 5s established themselves as one of Britain's most celebrated steam loco classes. Three of their number were entrusted with the Fifteen Guinea Special, BR’s final steam-hauled passenger train on 11th August 1968.
The Black 5 success story led to 18 of the class entering preservation, with 7 of these belonging to the Armstrong Whitworth batch. With some locomotives certified for main-line use, the sight, sound and smell of Stanier’s classic can fortunately still be enjoyed today.
