London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Jubilee Class No. 5699 (BR No. 45699) Galatea is a preserved British steam locomotive.
Operational history[]
5699 was built at Crewe in April 1936 and named Galatea after HMS Galatea. From April 1936 it was based at Newton Heath shed where it remained until September 1937 when it was later transferred to Millhouses shed. It was later transferred in November 1944 to Derby and for a brief period from October 1946 and in November 1946 the engine was transferred to Leeds (Holbeck). After nationalisation in 1948, it was renumbered 45699 by British Railways.
From May 1948 the engine was transferred to Bristol (Barrow Road) and in October 1961 the engine had it's final shed transfer to Shrewsbury, it would remain here until withdrawn from service in November 1964. Following withdrawal after spending a brief period in storage in Eastleigh, Galatea was sold to Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, South Wales
Preservation[]
During its time at Barry Island the engine was involved in a shunting accident and the middle driving wheel was cut through and when purchased in April 1980 by the late Brian Oliver, she was moved to the Severn Valley Railway originally provide spare parts and a boiler for preserved sister engine 45690 Leander. The engine was later stored at Tyseley Locomotive Works until 2002 when it was purchased by West Coast Railways and moved to Carnforth Motive Power Depot for a full mainline standard restoration.
Following restoration which included the casting of a brand new middle driving wheelset and motion from scrapped clasmate 45562 Alberta, 45699 returned to traffic in April 2013 to begin its mainline test runs and emerged wearing in plain crimson wearing the identity of its fellow Carnforth based class member 5690 Leander. Galatea later made its railtour debut on 19 May 2013 working a private charter from King's Lynn to Norwich.
From 2013 until 2019 the engine wore inauthentic BR Lined Crimson with the late crest, but in November 2019 the engine was repainted into BR Lined Green with the late crest but no yellow cabside stripe and now wearing the identity of scrapped classmate 45562 Alberta, the engine had also had it's 10A shedcode for Carnforth changed for the original engines shed which for the majority of it's life which was Leeds, Holbeck (shedcode 55A).
Prior to the UK going into full lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Alberta hauled a Railway Touring Company trip known as "The Cotton Mill Express" on 29 February which ran from Lancaster to Blackburn travelling via Wigan North Western, Eccles, Manchester Victoria, Stalybridge (first circuit travelling via Ashton-under Lyne), Huddersfield, Sowerby Bridge and Copy Pit. Then from Blackburn to Manchester Victoria via Bamber Bridge, Horwich Parkway and Bolton to Manchester Victoria. The second circuit from Manchester to Stalybridge then ran via Ashburys before continuing the outward route to Sowerby Bridge then back to Manchester Victoria via Rochdale & then returning to Lancaster via the outward route. Three attempts had been made previously in 2010 on 30 January, 13 February and 17 July with 46115 Scots Guardsman, but all three trips got cancelled on the day due to problems with 46115. January's trip was cancelled at Preston on the outward journey due to problems with 46115's brakes, February's trip saw 46115 suffer a severe center cylinder and big end failure (the tour being cancelled in Eccles on the outward leg) & July's trip saw 46115 failed once again with cylinder issues at Manchester Vic prior to it's second trip via Stalybridge and Huddersfield. The trip with Alberta was successful.
In July 2021 the engine had another change of identity and became scrapped classmate 45627 Sierra Leone, but retained the cabside numbers of scrapped sister 45562 Alberta. The change to 45627 Sierra Leone came from an agreement between the engines owners and the Sierra Leone National Railway Museum which would see the engine become 45627 with the yellow cabside stripe, this however wasn't to happen.
The engine was withdrawn from traffic in March 2022 for overhaul and returned to service eleven months later in February 2023 still wearing the identity of scrapped classmate 45627 Sierra Leone and the cabside numbers of 45562 Alberta (resulting in the engine recieving the nickname Galberta Leone by enthusiasts). The cabside numbers were later changed to 45627 in April 2024 but the engine still hasn't yet recieved yellow cabside stripes. (The engine now goes by the nickname Galaea Leone by enthusiasts).
Gallery[]
