Great Central Railway Locomotives - Mainline Steam Locomotives

Mainline Steam Locomotives

The Great Central can call upon a varied and powerful fleet of steam classes representing each of the United Kingdom's "Big Four" railway companies and British Rail. Some of them once worked along the original route, and others are a part of classes which did see service there.

Number & Name Description History & Current Status Livery Owner(s) Date Photograph
Operational
No. 1744 GNR Class N2
0-6-2T
1744 was built by the North British Locomotive Company, and was one of the many of the class fitted with condensing units for work in the London Underground. Based for most of her working life at King's Cross (34A) her main duties were on suburban trains. Withdrawn in 1962 at New England depot (35A), she was purchased for preservation, first at Doncaster and then at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, where several broken tubes caused her to be moved to Loughborough in 1975. Boiler ticket is due to expire in 2019, now her third since preservation. GNR Apple Green. The Gresley Society. 1921
777
Sir Lamiel
LSWR Class N15
4-6-0
777 was built by North British in the later batches of N15s, which became known as "Scotch Arthurs", Based mostly in service at Nine Elms (70A). After the war she moved to Eastleigh (71A), but the Southern Region's electrification policy caused withdrawal in 1959. The NRM had earmarked her for preservation before then, and in 1978 she returned to steam, after an extensive overhaul at Hull Dairycoates (53A). A third overhaul, completed in 2006 has allowed for further operations on the national network, including the current 2012 season. Boiler ticket expires in 2013. SR Malachite Green. National Railway Museum.
5305 Locomotive Association.
1925
No. 47406 LMS Fowler Class 3F
0-6-0T
47406 was built by the Vulcan Foundry. First based at Warrington (8B) and Crewe South (5B), in 1928 she started a long period of work at Carnforth (11A), which lasted for 32 years. From 1960 many more allocations were made, ending at Edge Hill (8A) in 1967. Delivered to Woodham Brothers in the summer of 1968, all mechanical parts had been sold by the time she was rescued by the Rowsley Locomotive Trust in 1983. In 1989, owner Roger Hibbert took her to Loughborough, where restoration was completed in early 2010. Boiler ticket expires in 2019. BR Unlined Black with the Early Crest. Private owner. 1926
No. 45305
Alderman A.E.Draper
LMS Stanier Class 5
4-6-0
45305 was built by Armstrong Whitworth of Newcastle and was allocated to several depots before becoming based at Lostock Hall (10D) by 1968, one of only three steam sheds left at the end of BR steam. Withdrawn at the very end on 4 August 1968, she was sold to Draper's Scrapyard, before being saved for restoration. In preservation she has continued the Five's 'Ubiquity' by working across Britain, even going up into the Highlands in the 1980s. Since 1996 she has been based at Loughborough, where her current boiler ticket expiring in 2020. BR Lined Black with the Late Crest. 5305 Locomotive Association. 1936
No. 48624 LMS Stanier 8F
2-8-0
Restored at Peak Rail in 2009, after nearly 30 years of work, she was repainted into an LMS maroon livery (only ever worn authentically by express-passenger classes of the company). She ran at the railway for about a year, & was then put on loan to other lines, but became a semi-permanent resident of the Great Central in early 2011. Now sporting the same livery with BR numbering, her boiler ticket expires in 2019, & this gives the footplate crews an opportunity to continue using an 8F while 48305 is in the works. BR Maroon with the Late Crest. 48624 Locomotive Company. 1943 ~
No. 70013
Oliver Cromwell
BR Standard Class 7
4-6-2
70013 was built by Crewe Works as an Eastern Region allocation, being based at Norwich (32A) until transfer to the LMR. Thanks to an overhaul undertaken at Crewe, she was the only member of the class operational in 1968 and was selected to haul the Fifteen Guinea Special at the end of steam. The importance of the train meant that she would join the National Collection, and in 2004 was moved to GCR for restoration to celebrate 40 years of the 1T57. Boiler ticket expires in 2018, though now performing on mainline, she is maintained annually at Loughborough prior to each season. BR Lined Green with the Late Crest. National Railway Museum.
5305 Locomotive Association.
1951
No. 46521 Blossom LMS Ivatt Class 2
2-6-0
46521 was built at Swindon Works as part of a batch of Western Region Ivatt Class 2s. Because of this she was based at ex-Great Western depots, including Oswestry (89A) and Machynlleth (89C), but was withdrawn from service in 1966 and was sent to Barry scrapyard during 1967. Her first home in preservation was at the Severn Valley Railway from 1971, restored at Bridgnorth in 1974. After several years of work a complete rebuild was finished at Loughborough in late 2011. And (now painted for the first time in black) her boiler ticket now expires in 2021. BR Unlined Black with the Early Crest. Loughborough Standard Locomotive Group.
Private owner.
1953
No. 78019 BR Standard Class 2
2-6-0
78019 was built by Darlington Works and was allocated to Kirkby Stephen (51H), working on local and banking duties through the Lake District. After turns to Willesden (1A), Nuneaton (2B) and Crewe South (5B) she was withdrawn in 1966 and sold to Barry Scrapyard, being moved there the next year. In 1973 she was moved to the Severn Valley Railway, but restoration was never carried out there due to more pressing projects. A contract was signed to finish the restoration at the Great Central and operate there until her boiler ticket expires in 2014. BR Lined Black with the Late Crest. Loughborough Standard Locomotive Group.
Private owner.
1954
Undergoing overhaul, restoration or repairs
No. 45491 LMS Stanier Class 5
4-6-0
In 2011 she was delivered to Loughborough from Butterley for restoration, which is hoped will be completed in 2014/15. The tender has already been completed, with most of the work now concentrated on the boiler, which was removed from the frames in Easter 2012. BR Black. Private owner. 1943 ~
No. 48305 LMS Stanier 8F
2-8-0
Built at Crewe Works, 48305 was based for much of her career at Cricklewood (14A), operating across the Midlands. After moving between other sheds, including Crewe South (5B) and Speke Junction (8C), she was withdrawn in 1968, just before the end of steam. During the time spent at Barry she was sprayed with the words "Please don't let me die!" on the smokebox door, but was saved by Roger Hibbert in 1985 and was restored back to steam in the next 10 years. In 2011, half way though her boiler ticket the decision was taken to perform another major overhaul, with no date given for completion. BR Unlined Black with the Early Crest. Private owner. 1943
No. 34039
Boscastle
SR West Country Class
4-6-2
34039 was built at Brighton Works, and was based at Stewarts Lane TMD (73A). She was rebuilt at Eastleigh for use in Bournemouth (71B), and was withdrawn from service in 1965. She became the first motive power at Loughborough in 1973. Restoration was not completed until 1992, with many issues causing withdrawal in 2000. A group was formed in 2005 which is now working to return her to working order with a £200,000 overhaul programme. The boiler is off site, while the chassis and wheels are under maintenance for completion in 2012/13. BR Lined Green with the Late Crest. Boscastle Locomotive Limited. 1946
No. 6990 Witherslack Hall GWR 6959 Class
4-6-0
Built at Swindon Works, 6990 was selected as a post-nationalisation locomotive to participate in the Locomotive Exchanges of 1948, on the former Great Central Main Line. Following the trials she was based at Old Oak Common TMD (81A) until 1966 and was then sold to Woodham Brothers Ltd. She was purchased for preservation and returned to the Great Central in 1975. After running on two boiler tickets since then she is once again up for overhaul, with the boiler now out of the frames, but the excess of locomotives shall put most of the work on hold for now. BR Lined Green with the Late Crest. David Clarke Railway Trust. 1948
No. 73156 BR Standard Class 5
4-6-0
73156 is the last survivor of all Doncaster-built BR standards. Allocated to Neasden depot (34E), from where she would regularly work on the ex-Great Central line. After several spells at sheds on the London Midland Region, she was withdrawn in 1967. When rescued from Barry and taken to the East Lancashire Railway, most minor parts had already been sold, but many new ones were purchased and fitted by 2003, when she was transferred to the Great Central to continue restoration, which is now progressing well. A new BR1B tender is being built off-site to replace the original. BR Lined Black with the Late Crest. 73156 Standard 5 Support Group.
Loughborough Standard Locomotive Group.
1956
No. 63601 GCR Class 8K
2-8-0
63601 was built at Gorton locomotive works and was based at Doncaster (36A), primarily hauling slow goods on former Great Central metals. She was withdrawn from service in 1966, as a veteran of two World Wars and three rail companies, but the role the O4s played in the early 20th century caused her to become custodian of the National Collection. An appeal was raised by Steam Railway to return her to steam, which was completed at Loughborough in 2000. Boiler ticket expired in late 2010, but overhaul was completed in 2011, but sadly, it's boiler certificate expired again in July 2012. It is now being overhauled. BR Unlined Black with the Late Crest. National Railway Museum. 1912
Stored or static
No. 1631 USATC S160 Class
2-8-0
1631 was one of more than 2000 identical locomotives built for use in Europe during World War II. After the war she was retained for service in Hungary as number 411.388. She was withdrawn in the 1980s and converted into a static generator before being taken to England in 1995 for storage on the East Lancashire Railway. The locomotive changed hands twice before being moved to Ruddington in 2004. A large collection of parts from two other locomotives are also stored as a source of spares, and restoration should proceed as finances allow. ~ Private owner. 1942
No. 567 GCR Class 2
4-4-0
The Class 2s were a series of express locomotives built between 1887 and 1892 for use on the MSLR. When the LNER formed they became the D7s, by then they were already obsolete, and all were withdrawn between 1926 and 1939, with no preserved examples. in 2011, a campaign was launced to build a new member of the class to modern engineering standards for running on the Great Central Railway. It will be a semi-new build locomotive, with a potential boiler, cylinder block and tender chassis already found, and the rest costing about £450,000. ~ D7 (LNER) Project. ~ ~

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