The LMS Jubilees
The LMS Jubilees were a type of 4-6-0 express passenger locomotive designed by William Stanier after he became Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). In 1932 William Stanier arrived from the Great Western Railway (GWR) and his task was to produce a modern range of standard locomotives to replace many indifferent and varied pre-group designs. The Jubilees were a second-line 4-6-0 power-classified 5XP as were the Claughton class and the Patriot class.
Back in 1927 the LMS had solved the problem of first-line motive power with the development of the Royal Scot class a 3-cylinder 4-6-0 design. After the loan of GWR 4-6-0 No. 5000 Launceston Castle in 1926 to work the ex-LNWR main line for trial purposes had been a success, the LMS authorities decided that a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement would be sufficient. Ideas of developing a new compound 4-6-2 or double-heading 4-4-0s were dropped. With the aid of Southern Railway ‘Lord Nelson’ drawings and the efforts of the North British Locomotive Company the ‘Royal Scot’ was born. The North British Locomotive Company delivered 50 locomotives in good time and Derby Works built another 20 in 1930. As first-line 4-6-0s they displaced the Hughes 4-6-0s and some of the Claughtons.
The Claughton class 4-6-0s were a 1912/13 design from the old London & North Western Railway by Bowen-Cooke with 4 cylinders. The Claughtons were good locomotives and on introduction an improvement over existing LNWR express passenger classes. However the Claughtons were inferior to the GWR 4-6-0s then in service. An outstanding feature of the GWR 4-6-0s was the taper boiler which would be used extensively by William Stanier for his designs including the Jubilees. After 1927 as second-line locomotives the Claughtons were in need of improvement as despite many modifications repair bills were heavy. Twenty locomotives were re-boilered but even then all was not well.
There was a need for a new type of 4-6-0 lighter than the ‘Royal Scots’ and able to operate on restricted routes. The approach was to pair the new ‘Claughton’ boiler design with the ‘Royal Scot’ chassis. Some ‘Claughton’ components were utilised for the first two locomotives and although they were practically new locomotives the LMS considered them to be ‘Claughton’ rebuilds for accountancy purposes. The locomotives were unofficially called ‘Baby Scots’ but became the ‘Patriot’ class when the name ‘Patriot’ was transferred from the ‘Claughton’ LNWR war memorial locomotive to one of the new engines. The ‘Patriots’ proved to be superior on test to the rebuilt ‘Claughtons’ and also cheaper to maintain.
When William Stanier arrived from the GWR to take up his post as CME he was content to allow some current production to continue and a batch of forty ‘Patriots’ was built followed by a further ten in 1934. The ten ‘Patriots’ were part of an order for fifteen 4-6-0s the last five being earmarked to receive taper boilers of type 3A together with improvements to all fifteen in the way of wheels, tyres, bogies and axleboxes. The 3A taper boiler, design of which had commenced in June 1932, combined with the 3-cylinder ‘Patriot’ chassis defined the basic form of the new ‘Jubilee class. The first taper-boilered locomotive No.5552 was exhibited at Euston station on 23 April 1934 and was soon followed into service by the remainder of the batch Nos.5553-6. The new locomotives were finished in LMS standard passenger livery of crimson lake, lined in yellow and edged in black. The cab differed from that of the ‘Patriots’ in having two windows on each side, instead of a window and cut-out. Many Stanier improvements had not been designed in time to be incorporated in the early examples. Some bogies used were modified ex-‘Claughton’ units, made available from withdrawn members of that class.
The first 53 locomotives were built at Crewe Nos.5552-6 and 5607-54 together with 10 at Derby Nos.5655-64. The gap of 50 running numbers (5557-5606) was to be filled by an order placed with the North British Locomotive Company in October 1933 to be delivered in the summer of 1934. All three orders were executed in 1934/5 the last NBL locomotives going into service during February 1935. The orders were placed straight from the drawing board and as such there was an element of risk involved.
All the new 4-6-0s were in traffic by April 1935, a total of 113 by that date. Early examples were put to work on the Euston to Birmingham services and unfortunately proved inferior to the ‘Patriots’ they were intended to replace. The main reason was an impaired steam-producing capacity. The boilers based on Swindon practice and thinking did not prove entirely suitable for LMS conditions with a three-cylinder locomotive. The calorific value of the coal used was less than that of the best Welsh steam coal used on the Great Western. During tests it was found that the smokebox retained excessive ash deposits each day indicating that all was not well and focussing attention on the draughting. Modifications to increase the superheating level were put in hand on 4-6-0s then being built at Crewe and in December 1934 Nos.5642 to 5646 were completed, with modified tubeplates and a 21-element superheater. As soon as possible No.5642 was inserted into the Wolverhampton to Euston service for a one day dynamometer trial. Steaming was still not adequate, although the fuel and water consumption had improved.
Tests resumed in February 1935 using locomotives 5646 and 5556 with modified blastpipe and superheating arrangements. Results of the trials were encouraging but not entirely so. Further tests in April compared three ‘Jubilees’ with two ‘Patriot’ 4-6-0s and still the taper-boiler 4-6-0s were not reaching full expectations. The operating department did not place any great reliance on the new locomotives for the accelerations of the Euston and Birmingham services due in the winter 1935 timetable. As a result most of the Midland Division ‘Patriots’ were transferred to the Western Division in exchange for the taper-boiler 4-6-0s.
In 1935 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V the LMS decided to name one of the 4-6-0s Silver Jubilee and in April selected one of the newest locomotives for this honour. No. 5642 was repainted a very high gloss unlined black, with chrome plated boiler bands, cab window beading, handrails and domecover. It was also given chrome-plated raised numerals and letters of block pattern, in similar style to that which was introduced in transfer form generally in 1936. No. 5552 and 5642 exchanged identities so that No. 5642 became the official first member of the class. Silver Jubilee went on a publicity tour of the LMS system in 1935. The locomotive also gave its name to the class as a whole, although the title was soon abbreviated to the ‘Jubilees’.
The final orders for ‘Jubilees’ were placed on Crewe, thirty (5665-5694) in June 1934 followed by forty-eight (5695-5742) in July 1935. These were the last orders bringing the class total to 191.
The ‘Jubilee’ problems continued to receive attention, there were several boiler variations in existence and each was being tested, events were now reaching well into 1935. Modifications were applied to new locomotives as they were being built. From 5665 onwards (new in November 1935) the locomotives received redesigned boilers with larger superheaters, a larger grate area, sloping throatplate, smaller tubes, separate dome and top feed, and reduced blastpipe diameter(from 5 1/8in to 4 7/8in). Tests recommenced in February 1936 with the dynamometer car on the Euston to Wolverhampton route, and continued for nearly a month, using locomotives 5665, 5669 and 5684. No.5665 was the best and the one which pointed the way ahead to success. The solution was clearer by May 1936 when No.5702 went into traffic fitted with the 15th boiler variation, having 24-element superheating and l 7/8 in diameter tubes. With much effort, overseen by Stanier’s Chief Draughtsman Tom Coleman, the problems were mainly overcome. Tests continued during 1937 and results on the former Midland lines south of Leicester were encouraging. No.5614 was tested between St.Pancras and Leeds with good results. During October No.5660 Rooke was tested for four days between Bristol and Carlisle (via Leeds and Ais Gill) and produced some remarkable performances. The schedules involved a very high power development from No.5660 and consequently a high combustion rate. It was felt that the rate of working was ‘beyond that which could be recommended in all circumstances for daily operation’. Perhaps the most impressive feat was the climb of 1,150 ft in 48.4 miles from Carlisle to Ais Gill summit, achieved in 48.5 minutes. Perhaps any lingering doubts that remained were that this ‘standard’ class now had so many variations which could influence performance.
The ‘Jubilees’ were a named class of locomotive but it took a while for the LMS to decide on a naming policy. In 1936 the LMS released its list of selected names. The themes were British colonies, Commonwealth countries, dependencies, states, provinces, admirals of the Royal Navy, famous sea battles, and warship names.
Towards the end of 1939 the class had settled down to everyday usage. They were well dispersed on the LMS system including Scotland and the Midland Division where, ‘Patriots’ excepted, they were the best passenger locomotives to appear since the compounds.
During the war the Jubilees were to tackle slower but heavier trains, with reduced maintenance, poor coal, and unkempt appearance due to shortage of manpower for cleaning. The frequent starting of semi-fast trains was within the adhesive capability of the ‘Jubilees’ but their power to do it quickly, with loads approaching half as much again as in peacetime, was insufficient. In addition to passenger and mixed traffic duties the ‘Jubilees’ were also employed on heavy freight work.
During the war two ‘Jubilees’ were rebuilt with larger taper boilers – Nos.5735 Comet and 5736 Phoenix. The new boiler started development with No.6170 British Legion which was a ‘Royal Scot’ chassis with the taper boiler, designated No.2. British Legion was created by rebuilding the experimental 4-6-0 No.6399 Fury a failed high pressure steam design. The boiler No.2 fitted in 1935 suffered from indifferent performance but design work on a development the 2A started in 1939. The boiler 2A fitted to Comet and Phoenix retained the firebox design but had a new shorter barrel with 13 feet between tube-plates. There were twenty-eight superheater elements and 198 small tubes 1 ¾ in diameter. The smokebox was fitted with a plain double blastpipe and chimney. Comet and Phoenix went into surface in April and May 1943, used on the Leeds to Glasgow and Leeds to Bristol services. The 2A boiler was eventually used to re-boiler all 70 parallel boiler ‘Royal Scots’ and 18 parallel boiler patriots, the ‘Royal Scot’ conversions not being completed until 1955. More ‘Jubilees’ could have been converted but a drawback to the idea was that the ‘Jubilees’ had comparatively new taper boilers.
The post-war LMS period only lasted 2 ½ years. The railway had to accept a continuation of some wartime restrictions during a period of austerity and shortages. Much maintenance needed to be done particularly of the permanent way. Many express trains did not achieve pre-war timings until 1954.
After some experiments it was decided that black would be the basic livery for all classes and that lining would be applied to passenger locomotives only. The lining was a straw shade with maroon being used for edging and between two straw lines along the valances. A few ‘Jubilees’ received this 1946 livery, the nameplates were maroon with lettering and surround picked out in straw.
The LMS ceased to exist on 31st December 1947 after which it formed the nucleus of the London Midland Region of British Railways, with lines north of the border becoming part of the Scottish Region. After a number of experiments in BR days the final livery for the ‘Jubilees’ was the passenger livery of Brunswick green similar to that used by the GWR for many years. Around 1950 smoke deflectors were fitted to the rebuilt ‘Jubilees’ Comet and Phoenix, the same small curved type used for the rebuilt ‘Royal Scots’ and ‘Patriots’. The following year the rebuilt locomotives were all reclassified 7P while the unrebuilt ‘Jubilees’ were reclassified from 5XP to6P.
The first ‘Jubilee’ to be lost from service was No.45637 Windward Islands which was damaged beyond repair in the Harrow and Wealdstone disaster on 8th October 1952. The locomotive was so badly damaged that she had to be cut up on the spot and transported to Crewe works in manageable sections. The final death toll from the multiple collision was 108 passengers and four locomotive crew.
In 1957 passenger services were accelerated on the Midland main line and the ‘Jubilees’ bore the brunt of these as the largest passenger locomotives on the line. Inferior fuel and maintenance left much to be desired in the performances and pilot locomotives were often needed. The official answer was to bring in ‘Royal Scots’ and later ‘Britannia’ class locomotives and the better examples of these eliminated much of the piloting.
The next ‘Jubilee’ to be withdrawn was no.45609 in 1960. Dieselisation affected the ‘Jubilees’ from an early date and they were put onto a mixture of secondary workings. Occasionally they were picked out to replace failed diesels on express passenger workings. The number of withdrawals peaked in 1964 at 66 engines and in 1965 a further 33 were withdrawn leaving 15 examples in service. After the last general overhauls in 1965 the last examples were outshopped in unlined green. Survivors during the early 1960s were given a diagonal stripe across the cabside indicating that they were not allowed beneath the 25 KV electrified sections of the West Coast route. The final three were withdrawn in 1967 the last officially being no.45562 Alberta.
Three examples of the ‘Jubilees’ were bought privately for preservation and a fourth purchased as a source of spare parts for one of them. The preserved locomotives are no.45593 Kolhapur, no.45596 Bahamas, no.45690 Leander and no.45699 Galatea to act as a source of spare parts for Leander.
The LMS Jubilees were a type of 4-6-0 express passenger locomotive designed by William Stanier after he became Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). In 1932 William Stanier arrived from the Great Western Railway (GWR) and his task was to produce a modern range of standard locomotives to replace many indifferent and varied pre-group designs. The Jubilees were a second-line 4-6-0 power-classified 5XP as were the Claughton class and the Patriot class.
Back in 1927 the LMS had solved the problem of first-line motive power with the development of the Royal Scot class a 3-cylinder 4-6-0 design. After the loan of GWR 4-6-0 No. 5000 Launceston Castle in 1926 to work the ex-LNWR main line for trial purposes had been a success, the LMS authorities decided that a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement would be sufficient. Ideas of developing a new compound 4-6-2 or double-heading 4-4-0s were dropped. With the aid of Southern Railway ‘Lord Nelson’ drawings and the efforts of the North British Locomotive Company the ‘Royal Scot’ was born. The North British Locomotive Company delivered 50 locomotives in good time and Derby Works built another 20 in 1930. As first-line 4-6-0s they displaced the Hughes 4-6-0s and some of the Claughtons.
The Claughton class 4-6-0s were a 1912/13 design from the old London & North Western Railway by Bowen-Cooke with 4 cylinders. The Claughtons were good locomotives and on introduction an improvement over existing LNWR express passenger classes. However the Claughtons were inferior to the GWR 4-6-0s then in service. An outstanding feature of the GWR 4-6-0s was the taper boiler which would be used extensively by William Stanier for his designs including the Jubilees. After 1927 as second-line locomotives the Claughtons were in need of improvement as despite many modifications repair bills were heavy. Twenty locomotives were re-boilered but even then all was not well.
There was a need for a new type of 4-6-0 lighter than the ‘Royal Scots’ and able to operate on restricted routes. The approach was to pair the new ‘Claughton’ boiler design with the ‘Royal Scot’ chassis. Some ‘Claughton’ components were utilised for the first two locomotives and although they were practically new locomotives the LMS considered them to be ‘Claughton’ rebuilds for accountancy purposes. The locomotives were unofficially called ‘Baby Scots’ but became the ‘Patriot’ class when the name ‘Patriot’ was transferred from the ‘Claughton’ LNWR war memorial locomotive to one of the new engines. The ‘Patriots’ proved to be superior on test to the rebuilt ‘Claughtons’ and also cheaper to maintain.
When William Stanier arrived from the GWR to take up his post as CME he was content to allow some current production to continue and a batch of forty ‘Patriots’ was built followed by a further ten in 1934. The ten ‘Patriots’ were part of an order for fifteen 4-6-0s the last five being earmarked to receive taper boilers of type 3A together with improvements to all fifteen in the way of wheels, tyres, bogies and axleboxes. The 3A taper boiler, design of which had commenced in June 1932, combined with the 3-cylinder ‘Patriot’ chassis defined the basic form of the new ‘Jubilee class. The first taper-boilered locomotive No.5552 was exhibited at Euston station on 23 April 1934 and was soon followed into service by the remainder of the batch Nos.5553-6. The new locomotives were finished in LMS standard passenger livery of crimson lake, lined in yellow and edged in black. The cab differed from that of the ‘Patriots’ in having two windows on each side, instead of a window and cut-out. Many Stanier improvements had not been designed in time to be incorporated in the early examples. Some bogies used were modified ex-‘Claughton’ units, made available from withdrawn members of that class.
The first 53 locomotives were built at Crewe Nos.5552-6 and 5607-54 together with 10 at Derby Nos.5655-64. The gap of 50 running numbers (5557-5606) was to be filled by an order placed with the North British Locomotive Company in October 1933 to be delivered in the summer of 1934. All three orders were executed in 1934/5 the last NBL locomotives going into service during February 1935. The orders were placed straight from the drawing board and as such there was an element of risk involved.
All the new 4-6-0s were in traffic by April 1935, a total of 113 by that date. Early examples were put to work on the Euston to Birmingham services and unfortunately proved inferior to the ‘Patriots’ they were intended to replace. The main reason was an impaired steam-producing capacity. The boilers based on Swindon practice and thinking did not prove entirely suitable for LMS conditions with a three-cylinder locomotive. The calorific value of the coal used was less than that of the best Welsh steam coal used on the Great Western. During tests it was found that the smokebox retained excessive ash deposits each day indicating that all was not well and focussing attention on the draughting. Modifications to increase the superheating level were put in hand on 4-6-0s then being built at Crewe and in December 1934 Nos.5642 to 5646 were completed, with modified tubeplates and a 21-element superheater. As soon as possible No.5642 was inserted into the Wolverhampton to Euston service for a one day dynamometer trial. Steaming was still not adequate, although the fuel and water consumption had improved.
Tests resumed in February 1935 using locomotives 5646 and 5556 with modified blastpipe and superheating arrangements. Results of the trials were encouraging but not entirely so. Further tests in April compared three ‘Jubilees’ with two ‘Patriot’ 4-6-0s and still the taper-boiler 4-6-0s were not reaching full expectations. The operating department did not place any great reliance on the new locomotives for the accelerations of the Euston and Birmingham services due in the winter 1935 timetable. As a result most of the Midland Division ‘Patriots’ were transferred to the Western Division in exchange for the taper-boiler 4-6-0s.
In 1935 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V the LMS decided to name one of the 4-6-0s Silver Jubilee and in April selected one of the newest locomotives for this honour. No. 5642 was repainted a very high gloss unlined black, with chrome plated boiler bands, cab window beading, handrails and domecover. It was also given chrome-plated raised numerals and letters of block pattern, in similar style to that which was introduced in transfer form generally in 1936. No. 5552 and 5642 exchanged identities so that No. 5642 became the official first member of the class. Silver Jubilee went on a publicity tour of the LMS system in 1935. The locomotive also gave its name to the class as a whole, although the title was soon abbreviated to the ‘Jubilees’.
The final orders for ‘Jubilees’ were placed on Crewe, thirty (5665-5694) in June 1934 followed by forty-eight (5695-5742) in July 1935. These were the last orders bringing the class total to 191.
The ‘Jubilee’ problems continued to receive attention, there were several boiler variations in existence and each was being tested, events were now reaching well into 1935. Modifications were applied to new locomotives as they were being built. From 5665 onwards (new in November 1935) the locomotives received redesigned boilers with larger superheaters, a larger grate area, sloping throatplate, smaller tubes, separate dome and top feed, and reduced blastpipe diameter(from 5 1/8in to 4 7/8in). Tests recommenced in February 1936 with the dynamometer car on the Euston to Wolverhampton route, and continued for nearly a month, using locomotives 5665, 5669 and 5684. No.5665 was the best and the one which pointed the way ahead to success. The solution was clearer by May 1936 when No.5702 went into traffic fitted with the 15th boiler variation, having 24-element superheating and l 7/8 in diameter tubes. With much effort, overseen by Stanier’s Chief Draughtsman Tom Coleman, the problems were mainly overcome. Tests continued during 1937 and results on the former Midland lines south of Leicester were encouraging. No.5614 was tested between St.Pancras and Leeds with good results. During October No.5660 Rooke was tested for four days between Bristol and Carlisle (via Leeds and Ais Gill) and produced some remarkable performances. The schedules involved a very high power development from No.5660 and consequently a high combustion rate. It was felt that the rate of working was ‘beyond that which could be recommended in all circumstances for daily operation’. Perhaps the most impressive feat was the climb of 1,150 ft in 48.4 miles from Carlisle to Ais Gill summit, achieved in 48.5 minutes. Perhaps any lingering doubts that remained were that this ‘standard’ class now had so many variations which could influence performance.
The ‘Jubilees’ were a named class of locomotive but it took a while for the LMS to decide on a naming policy. In 1936 the LMS released its list of selected names. The themes were British colonies, Commonwealth countries, dependencies, states, provinces, admirals of the Royal Navy, famous sea battles, and warship names.
Towards the end of 1939 the class had settled down to everyday usage. They were well dispersed on the LMS system including Scotland and the Midland Division where, ‘Patriots’ excepted, they were the best passenger locomotives to appear since the compounds.
During the war the Jubilees were to tackle slower but heavier trains, with reduced maintenance, poor coal, and unkempt appearance due to shortage of manpower for cleaning. The frequent starting of semi-fast trains was within the adhesive capability of the ‘Jubilees’ but their power to do it quickly, with loads approaching half as much again as in peacetime, was insufficient. In addition to passenger and mixed traffic duties the ‘Jubilees’ were also employed on heavy freight work.
During the war two ‘Jubilees’ were rebuilt with larger taper boilers – Nos.5735 Comet and 5736 Phoenix. The new boiler started development with No.6170 British Legion which was a ‘Royal Scot’ chassis with the taper boiler, designated No.2. British Legion was created by rebuilding the experimental 4-6-0 No.6399 Fury a failed high pressure steam design. The boiler No.2 fitted in 1935 suffered from indifferent performance but design work on a development the 2A started in 1939. The boiler 2A fitted to Comet and Phoenix retained the firebox design but had a new shorter barrel with 13 feet between tube-plates. There were twenty-eight superheater elements and 198 small tubes 1 ¾ in diameter. The smokebox was fitted with a plain double blastpipe and chimney. Comet and Phoenix went into surface in April and May 1943, used on the Leeds to Glasgow and Leeds to Bristol services. The 2A boiler was eventually used to re-boiler all 70 parallel boiler ‘Royal Scots’ and 18 parallel boiler patriots, the ‘Royal Scot’ conversions not being completed until 1955. More ‘Jubilees’ could have been converted but a drawback to the idea was that the ‘Jubilees’ had comparatively new taper boilers.
The post-war LMS period only lasted 2 ½ years. The railway had to accept a continuation of some wartime restrictions during a period of austerity and shortages. Much maintenance needed to be done particularly of the permanent way. Many express trains did not achieve pre-war timings until 1954.
After some experiments it was decided that black would be the basic livery for all classes and that lining would be applied to passenger locomotives only. The lining was a straw shade with maroon being used for edging and between two straw lines along the valances. A few ‘Jubilees’ received this 1946 livery, the nameplates were maroon with lettering and surround picked out in straw.
The LMS ceased to exist on 31st December 1947 after which it formed the nucleus of the London Midland Region of British Railways, with lines north of the border becoming part of the Scottish Region. After a number of experiments in BR days the final livery for the ‘Jubilees’ was the passenger livery of Brunswick green similar to that used by the GWR for many years. Around 1950 smoke deflectors were fitted to the rebuilt ‘Jubilees’ Comet and Phoenix, the same small curved type used for the rebuilt ‘Royal Scots’ and ‘Patriots’. The following year the rebuilt locomotives were all reclassified 7P while the unrebuilt ‘Jubilees’ were reclassified from 5XP to6P.
The first ‘Jubilee’ to be lost from service was No.45637 Windward Islands which was damaged beyond repair in the Harrow and Wealdstone disaster on 8th October 1952. The locomotive was so badly damaged that she had to be cut up on the spot and transported to Crewe works in manageable sections. The final death toll from the multiple collision was 108 passengers and four locomotive crew.
In 1957 passenger services were accelerated on the Midland main line and the ‘Jubilees’ bore the brunt of these as the largest passenger locomotives on the line. Inferior fuel and maintenance left much to be desired in the performances and pilot locomotives were often needed. The official answer was to bring in ‘Royal Scots’ and later ‘Britannia’ class locomotives and the better examples of these eliminated much of the piloting.
The next ‘Jubilee’ to be withdrawn was no.45609 in 1960. Dieselisation affected the ‘Jubilees’ from an early date and they were put onto a mixture of secondary workings. Occasionally they were picked out to replace failed diesels on express passenger workings. The number of withdrawals peaked in 1964 at 66 engines and in 1965 a further 33 were withdrawn leaving 15 examples in service. After the last general overhauls in 1965 the last examples were outshopped in unlined green. Survivors during the early 1960s were given a diagonal stripe across the cabside indicating that they were not allowed beneath the 25 KV electrified sections of the West Coast route. The final three were withdrawn in 1967 the last officially being no.45562 Alberta.
Three examples of the ‘Jubilees’ were bought privately for preservation and a fourth purchased as a source of spare parts for one of them. The preserved locomotives are no.45593 Kolhapur, no.45596 Bahamas, no.45690 Leander and no.45699 Galatea to act as a source of spare parts for Leander.
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