GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Olton Station: gwro1583

Ex-Great Western Railway 2-6-2T 5101 class No 5192 arrives at the Down Main platform of Olton Station at 8:22 a.m. on Monday 17th August 1959 with the Lapworth to Birmingham Snow Hill local passenger service. The long early morning shadow of the telegraph pole stretches across both island platforms. The 51xx and 5101 class locomotives were the main stay of the local passenger motive power in the Wolverhampton Division from the 1930's until they were replaced with DMUs in the 1960's, their high boiler pressure and small wheels gave them excellent acceleration and made them ideal for the frequent stops and starts associated with commuter service work. No 5192 was built at Swindon Works in October 1934 as part of Lot 284. At nationalisation in December 1947 this locomotive was known to have been allocated to Leamington shed (LMTN) No 5192 was finally withdrawn in June 1963.

Robert Ferris

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