The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Jubilee Class is a class of steam locomotive designed for main line passenger work. 191 locomotives were built between 1934 and 1936. They were built concurrently with the similar looking LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0. They were nicknamed Red Staniers (due to their crimson liveries) and Jubs.
History[]
The last five locomotives of Henry Fowler's Patriot class on order, 5552 to 5556, were built with William Stanier's taper boiler and so became the first of the Jubilee class. 113 locomotives were ordered straight from the drawing board. They were initially a disappointment; their moderate degree of superheating often left them short of steam. Changes to the blastpipe and chimney dimensions helped to transform them.
On 29 April 1935 no. 5552, the first of the class, permanently swapped identities with no. 5642 which had been named Silver Jubilee on 19 April 1935 in recognition of the Silver Jubilee of King George V on 6 May of that year. This change gave the name to the rest of the class, see LMS Jubilee Class 5552 Silver Jubilee. Earlier on (from summer 1934), they had been known as the "Red Staniers" (because of the crimson livery), to distinguish them from the "Black Staniers" (the LMS Stanier Black Five class).[1]
Until the late 1950s, Jubilees were the largest express engine normally found on the lines running out of St Pancras or radiating from Derby. They could nevertheless be found on main lines throughout the former LMS system. They were also regarded as a powerful upgrade from both of the older Compound 4-4-0 locomotives, both the MR 1000 Class and the LMS Compound 4-4-0 as well.
The power classification was 5XP, in common with the earlier Patriot class.[2] In January 1951 the classification was revised to 6P and in November 1955 to 6P5F but this change was not applied to the locomotives' cabsides, which continued to show 6P.[3]
Five members of the class were fitted with a double chimney at different times. 5684 Jutland was the first, fitted with a double Kylchap in 1937.[4] The double chimney did improve the power of the locos and also improved the coal consumption. It only carried this fitment for one year. 5742 Connaught was the next, being fitted with a plain double exhaust in 1940 which it carried until 1955.[4] 5553 Canada was also fitted in 1940 but carried the double chimney for a short time.[4] 5735 Comet and 5736 Phoenix were rebuilt with a 2A taper boiler and double chimney in 1942.[5] They were to have been the prototypes for the rebuilding of the entire class but were, in the end, the only Jubilees so to be treated. (They were reclassified 6P in July 1943,[6] and 7P in 1951).[7] As part of experiments at the Rugby Locomotive Testing Station, no. 45722 Defence was fitted with a double chimney from 1956 to 1957.[8] In 1961 a double exhaust was fitted to no. 45596 Bahamas which carried it through withdrawal and into preservation.
Accidents and incidents[]
- On 21 January 1938, locomotive No. 5568 Western Australia was hauling an express passenger train which was in a head-on collision with an empty stock train at Oakley Junction due to a combination of driver and signalman's errors. Three people were killed and 46 were injured.
- On 11 October 1943, locomotive 5581 Bihar and Orissa hauling the Leeds - Edinburgh express collided with a freight train being shunted into sidings at Steeton, Yorkshire. No one was killed but four people were injured.
- On 18 May 1948, locomotives 5609 Gilbert and Ellice Islands (train loco) and 5605 Cyprus (pilot), hauling the 11:45 am down (St Pancras to Bradford) express were derailed, along with 8 coaches of a 12-coach train on a 30 ft high embankment near Wath Road Junction, Rotherham, Yorkshire. The cause was track distortion in hot weather. Poor track maintenance was a contributing factor. 8 people died and 56 were injured. Both locos were repaired at Derby Works and returned to service.
- On 8 October 1952, a three-train collision occurred at Harrow & Wealdstone station, Middlesex. Locomotive No. 45637 Windward Islands was one of two locomotives hauling an express passenger train which crashed into wreckage. A total of 112 people were killed and 340 were injured. This remains the worst peacetime rail crash in the United Kingdom. The locomotive was consequently scrapped due to damage sustained.
- On 16 August 1953, locomotive No. 45699 Galatea was hauling a passenger train which became divided and was derailed at Kingsbury, Warwickshire due to a combination of defects on the locomotive and the condition of the track.
- On 20 July 1959, locomotive No. 45730 Ocean overran a signal and consequently crashed into Dock Junction Signal Box, London. Trains had to be handsignalled into and out of St Pancras station for several days afterwards.
- On 17 January 1964, No. 45695 Minotaur was involved in a head-on collision with a mail train and a freight train. The locomotive was deemed to be uneconomical to repair and was withdrawn and scrapped off-site.
Preservation[]
Four members of the class have survived into preservation with examples from both North British and Crewe, no Derby built examples survived. The two North British engines (45593 and 45596) we're purchased direct from British Railways service for preservation and the two remaining Crewe engines (45690 and 45699) we're rescued from the Woodham Brothers Scrapyard. All four have operated in preservation and all four have run on the mainline in preservation.
As of November 2025, one Jubilee: 45699 Galatea is operational with a valid mainline certificate.
45596 Bahamas was withdrawn from mainline service on 7 September 2025 and was withdrawn from traffic in October 2025 for it's next overhaul following an appearance at the Great Central Railway for their annual steam gala. It's next overhaul which is expected to take between 18 months to 2 years will once again be to mainline standards but will also see the locomotive get dual braked to permit it to haul both air and vacuum braked coaches on the mainline aswell as vacuum coaches at heritage railways. The locomotives overhaul is being carried out at Tyseley Locomotive Works.
Following a change of ownership from Tyseley Locomotive Works, 45593 Kolhapur is now undergoing an overhaul at Carnforth Motive Power Depot alongside classmate 45690 Leander. Leander was withdrawn from traffic on 12 May 2024 following the expiry of it's extended boiler certificate & Kolhapur is yet to run in the 21st century having last run in 1997. Kolhapur is expected to return to traffic before Galatea is due to be withdrawn for another overhaul.
Note: Marked names indicate that the loco is not presently wearing them. Loco numbers in bold mean their current number.
| Image | Number (LMS) | Number (BR) | Name | Built | Withdrawn | Builder | Chimney | Owner | Livery | Yellow Cabside Stripe | Shedcode Fitted | Home Base | Current status | Dual Braked | Mainline Certified | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
5593 | 45593 | Kolhapur | December 1934 | October 1967 | North British Locomotive Company, Glasgow | Single | West Coast Railways | LMS Crimson Lake (TBC) | No | 2A (Tyseley) | Carnforth Motive Power Depot | Under Overhaul, Boiler Certificate Expired: N/A. | TBC | No (to be certified) | Last to be Withdrawn.
|
|
5596 | 45596 | Bahamas | January 1935 | July 1966 | Double | Bahamas Locomotive Society | BR Lined Green, Late Crest (on completion) | No | 9B (Stockport, Edgeley) | Keighley and Worth Valley Railway | Under Overhaul, Boiler Certificate Expired: 2025 | No (to be dual braked) | No (2019-2025)
(to be certified) |
Only preserved Jubilee fitted with a double chimney. | |
|
5690 | 45690 | Leander | March 1936 | March 1964 | Crewe Works | Single | Chris Beet | TBC | No | 10A (Carnforth) | Carnforth Motive Power Depot | Under Overhaul, Boiler Certificate Expired: May 2024 | No | No (2015-2023)
(to be certified) |
Mainline Certificate expired on 1 October 2023 and withdrawn from traffic on 12 May 2024 following expiry of it's boiler certicate. |
|
5699 | 45699
(45627) |
*Galatea
(Sierra Leone) |
April 1936 | November 1964 | Single | West Coast Railways | BR Lined Green, Late Crest | Yes | 55A (Leeds, Holbeck) | Carnforth Motive Power Depot | Operational, Boiler Certificate Expires: Jan 2033 | No | Yes (2023-Ongoing) | Presently running as scrapped classmate 45627 Sierra Leone. |
Trivia[]
Most members of the class have during periods in preservation operated in the disguise of scrapped classmates, scrapped engines that preserved members of the class have worn in preservation include: 45552 Silver Jubilee, 45562 Alberta, 45606 Falkland Islands, 45627 Sierra Leone, 45698 Mars, 45700 Amethyst and even fictional member of the class 45750 British Standard.
As of June 2024, 45699 Galatea since July 2021 is presently dressed up as 45627 Sierra Leone. From 2019 until 2021 following a repaint into BR lined green from BR crimson 45699 was dressed up as 45562 Alberta. From 2021 until it's withdrawal from service the engine ran with the number 45562 from scrapped sibling Alberta and the nameplates and smokebox numberplate from 45627 Sierra Leone. The engine retained this mixed identity following it's return to service in 2023 but by 2024 the locomotive's final three cabside numbers we're changed from 562 to 627 and the cabsides had also been given the yellow cabside stripe. During the engines debut mainline test runs in 2013 following restoration from Barry Scrapyard condition, in an attempt to trick enthusiasts 45699 wore disguise of fellow preserved classmate 5690 Leander using the Leander nameplates and 5690 smokebox numberplate (Leander herself was out of traffic undergoing an overhaul at the time).
Gallery[]
