British Railways 4-6-0 Locomotives in Great_Britain

Class Class 4MT (Locobase 2373)

These RA Riddles-design engines were a standard mixed-traffic locomotive for British Railways. M John Stretton of ([]) explains that like the others in the Standard series, the 4MT had to answer to a requirement for higher availability and lower maintenance cost. The design also had all the modern conveniences. Based on LMS's Class 2 2-6-4Ts, they were the first of the Standards to enter production at Swindon (May 1951 being the debut date). Of the 80 that were built, 7 were modified with a double blastpipe and stack that was not visually pleasing, but did a good job in improving drafting. Those 4MTs on ex-Southern lines (75065-75079) received a different double-blastpipe front end.

Stretton says the engines proved themselves "efficient and economical," as well as ubiquitous. A typical 4MT might take on all manner of traffic and collect anywhere from 30,000 to 55,000 annual miles. They were popular with their crews, although Stretton notes that some of this affection may have stemmed simply from the newness.

As a class, they didn't last long in service, however, simply because steam itself was on the way out. By August 1967, only 22 of the 80 were left in service and these then were withdrawn as a block. Six were preserved. 75029 The Green Knight had run in excursion service until tube problems forced it out of operation in 1997. Steam Powered Services, Ltd refitted the engine for mainline excursion service and it resumed running in 2000.

Class Class 5MT (Locobase 2372)

my.genie.co.uk/sfdesmond/73082/papers/std5.htm reprints an article published by the 73082 Camelot Locomotive Society in June 1996. The writer claims a kinship for this design with Churchward's Great Western Saint design of 1902.

"The link between the Black Five and the BR Standard Five is much clearer of course [it being a similar design] but featuring the rocking grate and hopper ashpan applied to all the BR Standard types , roller bearings throughout and the high running plate." The boiler was basically that of the LMS 3B. Doncaster designed and built 42 of the class, with Derby producing the other 130 from 1951 to 1957. A photo shows a Belpaire firebox behind a tapered boiler.