Caprotti 73126 at speed near Ambergate. |
A total of 172 Standard Class 5 mixed traffic locomotives were built by British Railways between 1951 and 1957. 73000 to 73099 and 73125 to 73154 were constructed at Derby; 73100 to 73124 and 73155 to 73171 were built at Doncaster. The batch from 73125 to 73154 differed from the remaider of the class by being fitted with Caprotti valve gear as opposed to the Walschaerts valve gear of the other engines.
All the class were fitted with taper boilers, designated as BR type 3 which were virtually identical to the boilers of the Stanier/Ivatt LMS "Black 5" locomotives except for minor alterations to allow the use of standard BR fittings.
The bogie wheels, driving wheels and tender wheels were all fitted with Timken roller bearings.
The initial allocation of the Caprotti locos was as follows:
73125 - 73134 WR Shrewsbury 73135 - 73139 LMR Holyhead 73140 - 73144 LMR Leicester 73145 - 73154 ScR St.Rollox
The Western Region and London Midland Region Caprotti locos were all eventually concentrated at Patricroft, but in the interim period, a number of the LM locomotives were based at Derby, Rowsley and Nottingham.
All the Scottish Region locos remained north of the border but some were eventually dispersed to Ayr, Stirling, Kilmarnock, Motherwell and Polmadie.
It was one of the Scottish locos, 73147, that was the first to be withdrawn from service on August 1965 after a scandalously short life of just 8½ years. Less than three years later, all 30 Caprotti locos had disappeared. Amongst the last to go was the first one of the batch, 73125, which was then just 12 years old when it was withdrawn, along with 73133, 73134 and 73143 when Patricroft shed closed at the end of June 1968.
Building and Withdrawl Dates
73125 07/56 07/68 73135 10/56 04/68 73145 01/57 11/66 73126 08/56 04/68 73136 11/56 03/68 73146 02/57 12/65 73127 08/56 11/67 73137 11/56 06/67 73147 02/57 08/65 73128 08/56 05/68 73138 11/56 05/68 73148 03/57 09/65 73129 08/56 12/67 73139 11/56 05/67 73149 03/57 12/66 73130 09/56 09/67 73140 12/56 10/57 73150 04/57 12/66 73131 09/56 01/68 73141 12/56 09/67 73151 04/57 08/66 73132 10/56 04/68 73142 12/56 05/68 73152 05/57 12/65 73133 10/56 07/68 73143 12/56 07/68 73153 05/57 12/66 73134 10/56 07/68 73144 12/56 09/67 73154 06/57 12/66
|
|
Copyright © Standard Five Fund - 2003