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LMS Route: Birmingham New Street to Nuneaton

Castle Bromwich Station: mrcb1031

An unidentified British Railways built 5MT 4-6-0 'Black Five' roars through the station on an up express service to Derby

An unidentified British Railways built 5MT 4-6-0 'Black Five' roars through the station on an up express service to Derby. The lower running plate fitted to Caprotti locomotives emphasises the size of the outside steam pipes and gives the locomotive a very ungainly look when compared to other members of the class. The first Caprotti fitted Black Five, M4748, emerged from Crewe in February 1948. Other modifications to the original design included a boiler pitched 2 inches higher than previously, an extended smokebox, a modified cab and a lowered running plate, necessitating the use of splashers over the wheels. The locomotive's designated number, M4748, later became 44748 as BR replaced the short-lived M prefix by adding 40000 to most LMS numbers. Locomotives No 44748 to No 44757 were also fitted with Timken roller bearings. The last three of these, No 44755 to No 44757, were also fitted with a double chimney. Locomotives Nos 44738 to No 44747 were fitted with plain bearings. In service, the Caprotti Black Fives were regarded by railwaymen as being faster but less powerful than their Walschaerts valve-geared classmates. The last two Black Fives to be built, No 44686 and No 44687, emerged in 1951 with Caprotti valve gear but with more detail variations. Later BR built thirty of the closely related Standard Class 5MT design which were also fitted with Caprotti valve gear.

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