LMS Route: Rugby to Tamworth

Trent Valley Lineside - Newbold on Avon: lnwr_nupa1171

LMS 5XP 4-6-0 Patriot class No 5536 'Private W Wood is seen passing under Parkfield Road bridge at the head of a down express as it approaches Newbold Troughs in Aug 1939. Rebuilt from a Claughton class 4-6-0 locomotive (see image 'lnwr_tvl1227') by Crewe works in May 1933 No 5536 was rebuilt in November 1948 to the same specification as the Rebuilt Royal Scots complete with a 2A tapered boiler albeit with slightly smaller cylinders. As British Railways No 45536 she remained in service until October 1962 when it was officially withdrawn from Darnall shed in Sheffield although it had been in store since April 1962 at Barrow Hill shed and was eventually scrapped in March 1964 by Crewe works.

The London North Western Railway had named a number of their premier Claughton class locomotives in recognition of the service of their employees of which 'Patriot' was the remembrance locomotive named to remember all of the fallen employees. In addition several locomotives were named after specific personnel including Private W Woods. The names of these locomotives were perpetuated with the introduction in 1930 of Fowler's 5XP class which combined the boiler of the larger boilered Claughtons with the chassis of the newly introduced Royal Scot class. The LMS were not impressed with their unofficial nickname the 'Baby Scots' so in February 1937 the first member of the class had its name 'Croxteth' removed to be replaced by 'Patriot' thereby creating the Patriot class. Private Wilfred Wood VC unveiled the nameplates bearing his name on LMS No 5536 in 1936.

Wilfred Wood was born in Stockport during 1897. At the outbreak of World War One he enlisted as a Private in the 10th Battalion, The Northumberland Fusiliers. His Victoria Cross citation reads "...on 28 October 1918 near Casa Vana, Italy, when the advance was being held up by hostile machine-guns and snipers, Private Wood on his own initiative worked forward with his Lewis gun, enfiladed the enemy machine-gun nest and caused 140 men to surrender". Private Wood is also reported to have charged and silenced another enemy machine gun. In a further action entirely on his own initiative he attacked a German-held ditch, three officers and 160 men surrendering to him. Today memorials to his heroic actions including a nameplate from ex-LMS Patriot 45536 are held at the Regimental Museum of The Northumberland Fusiliers at Alnwick Castle. Wilfred Wood VC passed away in 1982 at his home near Stockport.

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