The Patriot Class is 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 These remaining 34 unrebuilt engines were withdrawn between 1960 and 1962.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 (to be numbered 6040–4) 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.

Many of the 52 members of the Patriot Class spent the bulk of their working careers in England, primarily on the West Coast Main Line. Most of them were stationed at the Crewe North and Carlisle Upperby, though a few were stationed at Edge Hill, Bushbury, Camden, Willesden, Carlisle Kingmoor and other locations in the area. They were primarily used as express engines, but were later tasked with occasional mixed traffic work once the diesel engines arrived on the network.

Rebuilding

Between 1946 and 1949, eighteen members 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 (Nos 5514/21/6/9-31/40) 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 (4)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.

Year Number rebuilt Numbers 19462 5521/30 194755514/26/9/31/40 19481045512/23/5/7/8/32/4-6/451949145522 Total 18

Details

Note some never received BR numbers as unrebuilt engines because 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 (sources should indicate these).

+ Pre-1934LMSNo.Post1934LMSNo.BR No.Name(s) (dates)BuiltWorksRebuiltWithdrawnNotes5971550045500Croxteth (until 1937)Patriot (Feb. 1937)Derby5902550145501Sir Frank Ree (until 1937)St. Dunstans (1937)Derby 5959550245502Royal Naval Division (1937)Crewe5985550345503The Leicestershire Regiment (1938)The Royal Leicestershire Regiment (Nov. 1948).Crewe5987550445504Royal Signals (1937)Crewe5949550545506The Royal Army Ordnance Corps (1947)Crewe5974550645506The Royal Pioneer Corps (Sep. 1948)Crewe5936550745507Royal Tank Corps (1937)Crewe6010550845508CreweFitted with stovepipe chimney in 1956.6005550945509The Derbyshire Yeomanry (1951)Crewe6012551045510Crewe5942551145511Isle of Man (1938)Crewe5966551245512BunsenCreweMarch 19655958551345513Crewe1943 name allocated: Sir W.A. Stanier.59835514 n/aHolyhead (1938)Crewe May 19615992551545515Caernarvon (1939)Crewe5982551645516The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment. (1938)Crewe5952551745517Crewe6006551845518Bradshaw (1939)Crewe6008551945519Lady GodivaCrewe5954552045520Llandudno (1937)Derby59335521Rhyl (1937)Derby September 19635973552245522Prestatyn (1939)Derby September 19646026552345523Bangor (1938)Crewe January 19645907552445524Sir Frederick Harrison (until 1937) Blackpool (1937)Crewe5916552545525Colwyn Bay (1937)Derby n/a59635526n/aMorecambe and Heysham (1937)Derby n/a5944552745527Southport (1937)Derby n/a5996552845528Derby n/a59265529 n/aSir Herbert Walker K.C.B. (until 1937)Crewe 60225530 n/aSir Frank Ree (1937)CreweName transferred from 5501.60275531 n/aSir Frederick Harrison (1937)CreweName transferred from 5524.6011553245532IllustriousCrewe n/a5905553345533Lord RathmoreDerby5935553445534E. Tootal Broadhurst (1937)Crewe -Name transferred from 5525.5997553545535Sir Herbert Walker K.C.B. (1937)Derby n/aName transferred from 5529.6018553645536Private W. Wood V.C. (1936)Crewe n/a6015553745537Private E. Sykes V.C.Crewe6000553845538Giggleswick (1938)Crewe5925553945539E. C. TrenchCrewe59015540 n/aSir Robert TurnbullCrewe n/a5903554145541Duke of SutherlandCrewe554245542Crewe554345543Home Guard (1940)Crewe554445544Crewe554545545Crewe554645546Fleetwood (1938)Crewe554745547Crewe554845548Lytham St. Annes (1937)Crewe554945549Crewe1943 name allocated: R.A.M.C.555045550Crewe1943 name allocated: Sir Henry Fowler555145551CreweReplica of original engine under construction. Replica to be named "The Unknown Warrior", original engine never named.

Accidents and incidents On 13 March 1935, a milk train, hauled by LMS Compound 4-4-0 No. 1165, was in a rear-end collision with an express freight train, hauled LNWR Claughton Class 4-6-0 No. 5946, at King's Langley, Hertfordshire due to a signalman's error. No. 5511 was hauling a freight train that collided with the wreckage. A coal train hauled by LMS Class 7F 0-8-0 No. 9598 then ran into the wreck. 1 person was killed. On 16 October 1939, No. 5544 was hauling a train that was in a collision with another train at Winwick Junction, Cheshire and was derailed. On 13 October 1940, No. 5529 was hauling an express passenger train that collided with a platform barrow obstructing the line at station, Middlesex and was derailed. Several people were killed and many more were injured.

Withdrawal

All of the unrebuilt Patriots were withdrawn between 1960 and 1962 in accordance with the BR Modernisation Plan.

Year Quantity in service at start of year Quantity withdrawn Locomotive numbers 1960 34 2 45502/08 1961 32 8 45500–01/03/09/11/16/39/44 1962 24 24 45504–07/10/13/15/17–20/24/33/37–38/41–43/46–51

New Build

No Patriot in either rebuilt or unrebuilt form survived into preservation; however, a replica of no.5551 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 (i.e. toy) range. The following models have been produced:

Product Ref. Number Name Livery R308 5533 Lord Rathmore LMS crimson lake, with smoke deflectors R311 5541 Duke of Sutherland LMS crimson lake, with smoke deflectors R324 45519 Lady Godiva BR black, lined, BRITISH RAILWAYS lettering R357 (1979) 5541 Duke of Sutherland LMS crimson lake R578 45537 Private E Sykes VC BR Brunswick green, early logo R2182 45515 Caernarvon BR Brunswick green, late logo R2182A 5539 E.C. Trench LMS crimson lake, with smoke deflectors R2208 45514 Holyhead LMS crimson lake, with smoke deflectors R2633 45545 Planet BR Brunswick green, late logo R2634 45512 Bunsen BR Brunswick green, early logo R2726 45536 Private W Wood VC BR Brunswick green, early logo R2936 5532 Illustrious LMS crimson lake, with smoke deflectors R3154 45539 E.C. Trench BR Brunswick green, late logo R3278 45518 Bradshaw BR Brunswick green, early logo

Bachmann Industries make a more up-to-date tooling of the original Patriot, also in OO gauge. The following models have been produced:

Product Ref. Number Name Livery 31-210 45503 The Royal Leicestershire Regiment BR Brunswick green, early logo 31-211 45543 Home Guard BR Brunswick green, late logo 31-212 5541 Duke of Sutherland LMS crimson lake, with smoke deflectors) 31-213 45504 Royal Signals BR Brunswick green with late logo 31-214 45538 Giggleswick BR Brunswick green with early logo 31-215 Replica 5551 The Unknown Warrior Preserved LMS crimson lake with smoke deflectors, as will be preserved

References

Bibliography

External links

Class PAT Details at Rail UK The LMS Patriot Project