LMS Jubilee Class No. 5593 Kolhapur is a type of LMS Jubilee Class 4-6-0 steam locomotive.
History[]
No. 5593 "Kolhapur" was built in December 1934 by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow. "She" was named Kolhapur in May 1936 after the Canadian region Kolhapur which were then part of the British Empire.
The engine was first based at Carlisle Upperby and was to remain as a resident at the shed for the duration of it's days working for the LMS and upto the first day of British Railways operation in January 1948 when the engine was re-allocated to Longsight, Manchester. For a brief period from July to September 1951 the engine was allocated to Preston before returning to Carlisle Upperby. The engine was briefly transferred to Carlisle's second shed Kingmoor in September 1960 and in March 1961 the engine was re-allocated to Willesden. Further shed allocation's during it's days in BR service included Aston, Burton, Patricroft and Newton Heath. By March 1965 the engine was tranferred to it's final shed, Leeds Holbeck which was to be it's home until it's final withdrawal from BR service. Kolhapur alongside it's sister 45562 Alberta we're the final two members of the class to be withdrawn from service by British Railways in October 1967.
Preservation[]
45562 Alberta and 45593 Kolhapur we're both offered for preservation with The Standard Gauge Steam Trust (later becoming Birmingham Railway Museum) looking to aquire a member of the class for preservation. Due to Kolhapur being in better condition than Alberta number 45593 was purchased direct from British Railways service for preservation and following British Railways lifting the ban on steam locomotives running on BR metals, the engine was eventually restored to mainline standards wearing it's original LMS Crimson Lake livery and became a popular performer hauling railtours around the UK aswell as visiting heritage railways. It was one of the chosen engines to haul the popular "Southport Visitor" trains from Southport to Wigan and back with the loco hauling one leg of the tours tender first.
In 1994, the engine temporarily assumed the identity and special livery of scrapped sister and class pioneer 5552 Siliver Jubilee (the livery being plain LMS black with metal LMS letters and metal 5552 cabside numbers). The engine wore this livery for the silver jubilee of the Great Central Railway, while also wearing this special livery the engine was dressed up as a fictional member of the class becoming 5750 British Standard (the class being numbered from 5552 Silver Jubilee to 5742 Connaught). For a brief period in 1994 during a visit to the East Lancashire Railway while paired with a smaller 3,500 gallon tender the engine was repainted into BR Lined Black with the early emblem and ran as scrapped classmates 45698 Mars followed by 45700 Amethyst for a series of photo charters.
Kolhapur was withdrawn from service in 1997 following the expiry of it's boiler certificate to await it's turn in the overhaul queue at Tyseley Locomotive Works. The engine by now had been repainted into BR lined green with the late crest but in 2012 the engine was repainted into LMS crimson lake for Railfest at the National Railway Museum in York.
Fundraising was later started in the early 2020's to finance an overhaul for Kolhapur but the plan was later dropped and by January 2024 the engine was still stored at Tyseley Locomotive Works awaiting a mainline standard overhaul which was now expected by Tyseley to cost around £750,000. In the same month it was announced by Tyseley that the engine was not expected to be sent into the works for an overhaul as it wasn't intended to be used as part of Tyseley's growth plans aswell as due to the estimated cost of an overhaul, the funds raised for 5593's overhaul will now be used for the overhaul of fellow Tyseley resident 4965 Rood Ashton Hall which was also awaiting an overhaul. With an overhaul of the engine more likely to be carried out under the ownership of a new owner, discussion's later began to find a buyer for the engine. In May 2024 it was announced that West Coast Railways chairman David Smith had purchased the engine from Tyseley and that the locomotive would move to Carnforth Motive Power Depot where a full mainline standard overhaul is expected to be undertook.
In an interview with David Smith on 29th May about plans for running 5593 on the mainline, Mr Smith stated: "there's nothing else you can really do with it is there. It's probably the situation that by the time we get Kolhapur going Galatea will need redoing". Once returned to service it's intended that Kolhapur will operate at Carnforth as part of their operational pool of mainline certified locomotives. The livery for the engine however hasn't yet been confirmed.
Gallery[]
