No.5305, curiously and unlike most preserved Black 5s, is usually known by its LMS number. It is an Armstrong Whitworth locomotive constructed in 1937. It spent its working life all over the more southerly sections of the former LMS network and saw its final allocation to Lostock Hall (in Preston), and lasted to the end of main line steam on British Railways in the summer of 1968. It was then sent for scrap.
No.5305 became the last locomotive on the scrap line of Drapers of Hull, who broke up 742 former BR locomotives. No.5305 was to have been the 743rd and last, but it was decided to keep it and bring it back to full running order.
No.5305 was put in the care of the Humberside Locomotive Preservation Group and based at Hull Dairycoates MPD where it was eventually brought up to full main line standard. The locomotive left Hull Dairycoates in April, 1992 on the closure of that shed and went to RAF Binbrook in Lincolnshire. It arrived on the GCR 20th November, 1996 and was returned to service in 2003.
The locomotive is currently enjoying a spell on the main line but remains firmly based at the GCR. Recently it has operated trips to Chester, Shrewsbury, Stratford on Avon and Ely while working out of its main line base at Tyesley, Birmingham. The main line trips are organised by the 5305 Locomotive Association and more are planned. Between main line trips it operates the GCR services and is used on passenger services, demonstration goods trains, the Windcutter 16 ton mineral wagon train and on the GCR’s unique mail train where it is able to demonstrate its useful turn of speed whilst exchanging mail at speed at Quorn & Woodhouse.
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