George Stephenson Black Five locomotive 44767

44767 was the last black five built at Crewe works under the LMS.  It was completed on 31st December 1947. As we all know British Railways came into being on 1st January 1948. Unusually it had outside Stephenson link motion and was fitted with Timken roller bearings.

HG Ivatt, who succeeded Stanier, set about building 30 new ‘Black Fives’ to different designs in order to keep them abreast of modern developments to produce an increase in availability and periods between general overhauls and to also lessen the work of maintenance, servicing and inspections.

To that end, Caprotti valve gear and Timken roller bearings were chosen as two major fitments likely to produce substantial benefits. All engines had the latest fitments, such as manganese axlebox liners, rocking fire grate, self-emptying hopper ashpan, self-cleaning smokebox and continuous boiler blow down. Six locomotives, including No 4767, were fitted with double chimneys and electric headlights. To make a proper trial, Ivatt included the standard Walschaerts valve gear, but for the first time in almost 100 years, one locomotive, No 4767, was fitted with an experimental set of outside Stephenson motion. (Railway Heritage)

GA Landridge, head of the Crewe works development section visiting Carnforth Museum in August 1974, said. 'The Stephenson Class 5 came about through a remark from HG Ivatt that his GWR counterpart said its 4-6-0s with (inside) Stephenson’s valve gear were so much better than the LMS with Walschaert’s. So Ivatt said let's see what we can do to get Stephenson’s gear on the outside of a Class 5. Ivatt thought it would be doubtful if it would fit, but the development section worked it out. So that is how this Stephenson ‘Black Five’ came about'.

It all started following a remark from the GWR!'