LMS Patriot Class


The Patriot Class was a class of 52 express passenger steam locomotives built for the London Midland and Scottish Railway. The first locomotive of the class was built in 1930 and the last in 1934. The class was based on the chassis of the Royal Scot combined with the boiler from Large Claughtons earning them the nickname Baby Scots. A total of 18 were rebuilt to create the LMS Rebuilt Patriot Class between 1946 and 1948; thereafter those not subjected to rebuilding were often referred to as the Unrebuilt Patriot Class. These remaining 34 unrebuilt engines were withdrawn between 1960 and 1962.

Overview

The first two were rebuilt in 1930 from the 1912-built LNWR Large Claughton Class, retaining the original driving wheels with their large bosses, the "double radial" bogie truck and some other parts. Of the subsequent 50 locomotives of the class 40 were nominal rebuilds of Claughtons, being in fact new builds classified as rebuilt engines so that they could be charged to revenue accounts, rather than capital. The last ten were classified as new builds.
The two former Claughtons retained their original numbers until 1934, when they were renumbered 5500–1. The 40 built as replacements took the numbers of the Claughtons that they replaced; these were renumbered 5502–41 in 1934. The remainder of the class were allocated nos. 6030–9, but were numbered 5542–51 from new. The numbering of the similar LMS Jubilee Class continued on from where the Patriots left off. This was because 5552–5556 were ordered as Patriots but built with taper boilers as Jubilees on the orders of Sir William Stanier.
Naming of the class was somewhat erratic. Some retained old Claughton names, whilst others continued the military associations of the names Patriot and St Dunstans, and 13 carried names of holiday resorts served by the LMS. Seven remained unnamed, although they had been allocated names in 1943.

Rebuilding

Between 1946 and 1949 eighteen were rebuilt with Stanier 2A boiler, cab and tender, though again these were largely paper rebuilds, based on the LMS Rebuilt Royal Scot Class. Seven had been rebuilt by the start of 1948 when British Railways inherited the remaining 45 Baby Scots. In March 1948 BR added 40000 to their numbers to number them 45500–13/15-20/2-5/7/8/32-9/41-51. Subsequently, BR rebuilt another 11, so that the rebuilt engines were 5512/14/21–23/25–32/34–36/45. The two original members of the class, and the first ten of the nominal rebuilds, were not rebuilt due to their non-standard parts.

Details

Note some never received BR numbers as unrebuilt engines because either they were rebuilt by the LMS. In the table below BR numbers for BR-rebuilt engines are given, but some engines may not have received BR numbers while in an unrebuilt condition as renumbering took several years.
Pre-
1934
LMS
No.		Post
1934
LMS
No.
BR No.Name BuiltWorksRebuiltWithdrawnNotes
5971550045500Croxteth
Patriot 		Derby
5902550145501Sir Frank Ree
St. Dunstans 		Derby
5959550245502Royal Naval Division Crewe
5985550345503The Leicestershire Regiment
The Royal Leicestershire Regiment.		Crewe
5987550445504Royal Signals Crewe
5949550545506The Royal Army Ordnance Corps Crewe
5974550645506The Royal Pioneer Corps Crewe
5936550745507Royal Tank Corps Crewe
6010550845508CreweFitted with stovepipe chimney in 1956.
6005550945509The Derbyshire Yeomanry Crewe
6012551045510Crewe
5942551145511Isle of Man Crewe
5966551245512BunsenCrewen/a
5958551345513Crewe1943 name allocated: Sir W.A. Stanier.
59835514n/aHolyhead Crewen/a
5992551545515Caernarvon Crewe
5982551645516The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment. Crewe
5952551745517Crewe
6006551845518Bradshaw Crewe
6008551945519Lady GodivaCrewe
5954552045520Llandudno Derby
59335521Rhyl Derbyn/a
5973552245522Prestatyn Derbyn/a
6026552345523Bangor Crewen/a
5907552445524Sir Frederick Harrison
Blackpool 		Crewe
5916552545525Colwyn Bay Derbyn/a
59635526n/aMorecambe and Heysham Derbyn/a
5944552745527Southport Derbyn/a
5996552845528Derbyn/a
59265529n/aSir Herbert Walker K.C.B. Crewe
60225530n/aSir Frank Ree CreweName transferred from 5501.
60275531n/aSir Frederick Harrison CreweName transferred from 5524.
6011553245532IllustriousCrewen/a
5905553345533Lord RathmoreDerby
5935553445534E. Tootal Broadhurst Crewe-Name transferred from 5525.
5997553545535Sir Herbert Walker K.C.B. Derbyn/aName transferred from 5529.
6018553645536Private W. Wood V.C. Crewen/a
6015553745537Private E. Sykes V.C.Crewe
6000553845538Giggleswick Crewe
5925553945539E. C. TrenchCrewe
59015540n/aSir Robert TurnbullCrewen/a
5903554145541Duke of SutherlandCrewe
554245542Crewe
554345543Home Guard Crewe
554445544Crewe
554545545Crewe-
554645546Fleetwood Crewe
554745547Crewe
554845548Lytham St. Annes Crewe
554945549Crewe1943 name allocated: R.A.M.C.
555045550Crewe1943 name allocated: Sir Henry Fowler
555145551CreweReplica of original engine under construction. Replica to be named "The Unknown Warrior", original engine never named.

Accidents and incidents

All of the unrebuilt Patriots were withdrawn between 1960 and 1962 in accordance with the BR Modernisation Plan.
YearQuantity in service at start of yearQuantity withdrawnLocomotive numbers
196034245502/08
196132845500–01/03/09/11/16/39/44
1962242445504–07/10/13/15/17–20/24/33/37–38/41–43/46–51

New Build

No Patriot in either rebuilt or unrebuilt form survived into preservation; however, a new replica 'Patriot' is under construction. The LMS-Patriot Project, a registered charity, is building a replica which will carry the number of the last built – LMS number 5551 or British Railways number 45551. It will be named The Unknown Warrior.

In fiction

This class of engine forms the basis of the Big City Engine from the Railway Series of children's books by the Rev. W. Awdry.

Models

Both Hornby and Bachmann have produced OO gauge models.
Hornby first introduced an original Patriot in the 1979 catalogue that has remained in production and now forms part of the 'Railroad' budget range. The following models have been produced:
Product Ref.NumberNameLivery
R3085533Lord RathmoreLMS crimson lake, with smoke deflectors
R3115541Duke of SutherlandLMS crimson lake, with smoke deflectors
R32445519Lady GodivaBR black, lined, BRITISH RAILWAYS lettering
R357 5541Duke of SutherlandLMS crimson lake
R57845537Private E Sykes VCBR Brunswick green, early logo
R218245515CaernarvonBR Brunswick green, late logo
R2182A5539E.C. TrenchLMS crimson lake, with smoke deflectors
R220845514HolyheadLMS crimson lake, with smoke deflectors
R263345545PlanetBR Brunswick green, late logo
R263445512BunsenBR Brunswick green, early logo
R272645536Private W Wood VCBR Brunswick green, early logo
R29365532IllustriousLMS crimson lake, with smoke deflectors
R315445539E.C. TrenchBR Brunswick green, late logo
R327845518BradshawBR Brunswick green, early logo

Bachmann Industries make a more detailed and expensive model of the original Patriot, also in OO gauge. The following models have been produced:
Product Ref.NumberNameLivery
31-21045503The Royal Leicestershire RegimentBR Brunswick green, early logo
31-21145543Home GuardBR Brunswick green, late logo
31-2125541Duke of SutherlandLMS crimson lake, with smoke deflectors)
31-21345504Royal SignalsBR Brunswick green with late logo
31-21445538GiggleswickBR Brunswick green with early logo
31-215Replica 5551The Unknown WarriorPreserved LMS crimson lake with smoke deflectors, as will be preserved