LMS Jubilee Class No. 5596 Bahamas is a type of LMS Jubilee Class 4-6-0 steam locomotive.
History[]
No. 5596 "Bahamas" was built in 1934 by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow. "She" was named Bahamas in 1936 after the Bahamas, which were then part of the British Empire. After nationalisation in 1948, Bahamas was renumbered by British Railways to 45596 and transferred to Edge Hill, Liverpool.
In 1961, she was unusually fitted with a double blastpipe and chimney, and was returned to traffic and based at Carlisle. She was transferred to Stockport in July 1962, from which she was withdrawn from traffic in July 1966.
Preservation[]
In 1967, "The Bahamas Locomotive Society" was founded with the intention of purchasing Bahamas from British Railways for preservation. After the engine was purchased for preservation it was sent to the Hunslet Engine Company in Leeds for repairs and was repainted into its original LMS Crimson lake livery (however inauthentic as the engine didnt recieve its double chimney until its British Railways days in 1961).
The engines owners secured a lease on a section of track to Dinting railway station near Glossop in Derbyshire where it established the Dinting Railway Museum around a former Great Central steam shed. This was the engine's first operational base in its preservation years and following 1968 banned steam locomotives on the rail network, the ban was eventually lifted in 1971. Bahamas was one of a small selection of steam locomotives selected to run on the British Rail network to haul enthusiasts railtours. The engine was eventually withdrawn from traffic in 1973 following the expiry of the engines boiler certificate and its first preservation overhaul began with the intention of returning the engine to the mainline. The engine retained it's British Railways lined green livery with the late crest on its tender (this being authentic for the engine with its double chimney). Once the overhaul was completed in 1988, it returned to the mainline hauling railtours alongside visits to heritage railways.
In 1990, the Bahamas Locomotive Society relocated to Ingrow West on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway following the closure of Dinting and in 1994 the engine was withdrawn from the mainline following the expiry of its mainline certificate. The engine was withdrawn at the end of 1997 after finishing off its remaining 3 years running only on heritage railways. From 1997 until 2012 Bahamas spent much of its time being moved between storage and static display at locations such as the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway's museums at Ingrow and Oxenhope aswell as the National Railway Museum in York on display inside the Great Hall and at Railfest.
In January 2011, an appeal "Steam's Last Blast" was launched to raise funds for another overhaul to modern mainline standards. Sufficient funds were raised from supporters and with the aid of a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant of £775,800 alongside the funds raised by supporters, an overhaul could now commence and in July 2013 the engine was moved by road to Tyseley Locomotive Works where work commenced on a major boiler overhaul to modern mainline standard's. Following five years work the engine made its first moves and appearance at the Tyseley at 50 open weekend in Sept 2018 and once work was completed in January 2019 alongside its light and loaded test runs the locomotive returned by rail under its own power to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway in February prior to mainline operations starting the same month.
45596 worked "The Bahamas Renaissance" its first railtour for 25 years on 9 February 2019, the tour originated at Oxenhope on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway and ran both ways over the Settle and Carlisle line via Ribblehead and Appleby to Carlisle. Owing to popularity with the first tour being a complete sell-out. A second trip "The Bahamas Renaissance II" was run the weekend after on 16 February and also became a complete sell-out, this tour being over the same route and the same itinerary.
For a brief period In September 2022 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War in 1982, 45596 had a temporary change in identity to become scrapped classmate 45606 Falkland Islands. The engine eventually retained its own identity later in 2022.
From 1 to 3 August 2025, 45596 Bahamas was chosen to appear at The Greatest Gathering at Alstom's site in Derby at Litchurch Lane Works alongside numerous other steam locomotives including fellow classmember and only other operational jubilee 45699 Galatea. 45596 was eventually withdrawn from mainline service in September 2025 following the expiry of it's mainline certificate & although the engine had 2 years left on the boiler certificate, a decision was made to withdraw 45596 from traffic early for it's next overhaul which would include fitment of air brakes to the engine. Following an appearance at the Great Central Railway in October 2025 for their autumn steam gala, 45596 was moved by road to Tyseley Locomotive Works for it's next ongoing overhaul.
Shap Mountaineer[]
On 29 March 2025, Bahamas hauled it's first ever railtour over Shap in preservation. The railtour called "The Shap Mountaineer" had originated at Birmingham New Street and was hauled by Tyseley's flagship diesel (BR Class 47 no 47773) from Birmingham to Carnforth. Bahamas was attached onto the train at Carnforth and travelled north to Carlisle climbing Shap's 1 in 75 gradient unassisted, the return route being from Carlisle heading south down the Settle and Carlisle Line to Hellifield where Bahamas was replaced by 47773 which was also joined by Tyseley's newest diesel locomotive (BR Class 37 no 37240, this tour also being it's inaugural railtour). The tour was a complete sell-out with seats in tourist enthusiast selling out hours after being made available for public sale in December 2024. reports from enthusiasts on-board the special stated that the engine climbed the gradient from Tebay to Shap Summit in 5 Minutes and 49.63 seconds at a minimum speed of 37mph. For the occasion as a one-off the locomotive carried the Coat of Arms of the Bahamas crest above it's nameplates.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
While completed in January 1935, the locomotive now wears builders plates showing that the locomotive was completed in 1934.