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GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Lapworth Station: gwrl1439

British Railways built 2-6-2T 51xx class 'Large Prairie' No 4172 is seen on a Birmingham service on 21st June 1960

British Railways built 2-6-2T 51xx class 'Large Prairie' No 4172 is seen on a Birmingham service on 21st June 1960. The safety valve is simmering indicating a full head of steam.

At the end of the platform the Stop Signal has a route indicator and a similar arrangement can also be seen on the adjacent Stop Signal at the end of the Down Goods Loop. Route indicators were used on slow lines where instead multiple semaphore signals would be required to confirm to the driver the route set. Screens with various designations written on them could be raised or lowered using levers in the signal box, so that the appropriate screen was displayed against an illuminated white background. At Lapworth the bay platform Stop Signal route indicator could display the following route options:

            Up Refuge Siding (lever 68) interlocked switches 39, 37, 33, 31, 41 & 42
            Down Relief Line (lever 71)
            Down Main Line (lever 74)

Locomotive No 4172 was built at Swindon works as part of Lot 369 in October 1949. The prototype locomotive (No 99) in the 51xx class had been designed by the Great Western Railway’s Chief Mechanical Engineer - George Churchward in 1903, specifically for the expanding suburban passenger duties. It could operate equally well in both directions, so did not need to be turned, had good acceleration and a good turn of speed. After successful trials another thirty-nine locomotives were built between 1905 and 1906. Over twenty years later a further 210 locomotives were built between 1929 and 1949. This second group are often referred to as the 5101 class and although essentially the same design, have some identifiable external differences including; curved drop ends, lower cab height, enlarged coal bunker, outside steam pipes and the motion plate. They were three tons heavier and had a slightly increased tractive effort at 85% of 24,300 lbs (Power Class - C). The maximum axle weight of 17 tons 12 cwt restricted them to main lines and some branches (Route Colour – Blue). No 4172 was initially allocated to Tyseley shed (84E) and was known to be allocated there in both August 1950 and March 1959. No 4172 remained in service until January 1965, when it was withdrawn from Stourbridge Junction shed to be scrapped in April 1965 by J Cashmore of Great Bridge.

The unganged non-corridor composite coach with six third class and four first class compartments is a British Railways 63 foot, 6 inch long standard suburban design. Note the lower height of the droplight windows on the doors and the handle designs on a flush sided steel body. The second coach No W4127W, is a 63 foot long unganged, non-corridor (diagram D132) suburban brake third with six third class compartments, which was built as part of lot 1764. This lot of fifteen coaches was constructed in 1953 by the wagon and carriage builders; R Y Pickering & Company Ltd of Wishaw, near Glasgow.

Robert Ferris

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