London Midland & Scottish Railway 4-6-0 No. 44871 (4871)
Bury, Lancashire, UK 		Location: Riley & Son Engineering Ltd.
Status: Operational
Posted: Feb 14, 2025 @ 14:02:25 by Russell Newman
The ex LMS Black Five 4-6-0 No. 44871, will now be appearing at the East Lancashire Railway for their Legends of Steam Gala from the 14th to 16th of March 2025, in place of her sister No. 45407 instead.
Posted: Dec 31, 2024 @ 06:12:10 by Russell Newman
Having finnished its busy mainline running season for the year, the ex LMS Black Five 4-6-0 No. 44871, has returned to the East Lancashire Railway for movement to Riley & Son Engineering Ltd. at Bury for its winter maintenance to be ready for another season on the mainline and heritage railway circuit in 2025. No. 44871 has had a really busy season on the mainline hauling trains for railtour operator the Railway Touring Company during 2024, as with the current situation of the lack of central door locking not being fitted to West Coast Railway Company’s fleet of Mk1 Carriages for steam charter use and the use of their air braked Mk2 carriages being used instead along with the lack of other suitable steam locomotives with air braking available to haul those trains during the year, this ex LMS Black Five 4-6-0 did an enormous amount of work on the mainline during 2024. A credit to Riley & Son Engineering Ltd. operating No. 44871 in 2024.
Posted: Dec 26, 2024 @ 05:12:59 by Russell Newman
The ex LMS Black Five 4-6-0 No. 44871, has been relocated to Riley & Son Engineering Ltd’s new larger engineering site at Bury in Lancashire, where it will now be kept and maintained in between mainline dutys and heritage railway visits there now.
Posted: Dec 21, 2024 @ 12:12:47 by Russell Newman
Riley & Son Engineering Ltd. have relocated to a new larger site at irlam works in Bury in Lancashire, where ex LMS Black Five 4-6-0 No. 44871 is now kept and maintained in between mainline dutys and heritage railway visits there now.
Posted: Jul 26, 2024 @ 07:07:35 by Russell Newman
The ex LMS Black Five 4-6-0 No. 44871, is no longer based at the East Lancashire Railway anymore as it is now located and based at Riley & Son Engineering Ltd. at Heywood in Lancashire, where it is kept and maintained in between mainline dutys and heritage railway visits.
Posted: Dec 29, 2023 @ 12:12:35 by Russell Newman
Having fininshed its mainline dutys and after a short visit to the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, ex LMS Black Five 4-6-0 No. 44871, has returned home to the East Lancashire Railway for the winter, to be ready for another season out on both the mainline and heritage railway circuit in 2024.
Posted: Oct 31, 2023 @ 15:10:25 by Russell Newman
With its dutys on the Jacobite Trains on the West Highland Line in Scotland, over for another season, ex LMS Black Five 4-6-0 No. 44871 will be heading south of the UK to Southall Depot in West London for some Christmas mainline steam trips out of London with the Railway Touring Company During November and December 2023.
Posted: Aug 11, 2023 @ 15:08:43 by Russell Newman
55 years ago today marks the 55th annivasary of 1T57 the Fifteen Guinea Special which was the very last steam operated by British Railways or British Rail on August the 11th 1968, which ran from Liverpool to Carlisle via Manchester, Blackburn, Hellifield, over the Settle and Carlisle Line and return. The ex LMS Black Five No. 44871 was one of Four steam locomotives hauling the train then and one of three LMS Black Five 4-6-0 locomotives on that last steam run. The LMS Black Five was one the last type of steam locomotive to work right to the end of steam in the UK in 1968 back then. No. 44871 was on the return leg of the Fifteen Guinea Special from Carlisle over the Settle and Carlisle line via Hellifield, Blackburn as far as Manchester. No. 44871 was working this section double headed with long lost sister Black Five No. 44781 which met an odd end, after working the Fifteen Guinea Special No. 44781 was sold to the film company Columbia Pictures and moved to the now closed branch line at Bartlow on the Suffolk, Cambridgeshire border for filming of the 1969 film "The Virgin Soldiers" where it was blown up and de-railed and hung at an angle for a visual effect for the film. When filming was over No. 44781 was sold to an antique dealer enthusiast from Saffron Walden who purchased it, but was unable to find the amount quoted by BR to recover the locomotive and re-rail it. It was then sold for scrap to Kings of Norwich and cut up on site. Of the the three LMS Black Five locomotives used on the Fifteen Guinea Special on August the 11th 1968, only No. 44871 and No. 45110 now based at the Severn Valley Railway are the only two in preservation to have survived among Eighteen ex LMS Black Five 4-6-0 locomotives in preservation today. No. 44871 was bought privatly for preservation after working the Fifteen Guinea Special at Carnforth Shed and was moved to Scotland for a number of years until it was sold to its current owners Riley & Sons Engineering the 2000s. Today 55 years on since the end of steam in the UK No. 44871 still sees plenty of work on both the mainline and heritage railway circuit and is a popular performer mainly on the West Highland Line in Scotland hauling the Jacobite Steam Train.
Posted: Dec 27, 2022 @ 13:12:54 by Russell Newman
The ex LMS Black Five 4-6-0 No. 44871 will be making a return visit to the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway to star at their Spring Steam Gala from the 9th to 12th of March 2023.
Posted: Nov 12, 2022 @ 10:11:44 by Russell Newman
The ex LMS Black Five 4-6-0 No. 44871 will be heading South of the UK to work the luxry Bellmont Pullman trains out of London over the Christmas season this winter as well as three mainline Christmas railtours for the Railway Touring Company then too.
Posted: Oct 5, 2022 @ 12:10:48 by Russell Newman
Having finished hauling the Jacobite on the West Highland Line for the 2022 season, the ex LMS Black Five 4-6-0 No. 44871 is now visiting the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway where she will be hauling trains there during their Beer and Music Festival on the 8th and 9th of October 2022.
Posted: May 12, 2021 @ 06:05:18 by Russell Newman
The ex LMS Black Five 4-6-0 No. 44871 has gone on hire to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway to cover a motive power shortage during their early part of the running season there.
Posted: Nov 13, 2019 @ 10:11:38 by Russell Newman
LMS Black Five No. 44871 will be visiting the Nene Valley Railway over the Christmas season where it will be working alongside No. 34081 "92 Squadron" on their Santa Specials and post Christmas services on 28th & 29th December 2019. The Black Five will also be doing some Driving Experience Days on 3rd and 4th January 2020.
Posted: Sep 26, 2019 @ 08:09:43 by Jack Spencer
Black 5 44871 will be heading back to the East Lancashire Railway for their Autumn Steam Gala on October 18th-20th, along with 926 Repton and 60009 Union of South Africa.
Posted: Sep 21, 2018 @ 10:09:51 by Russell Newman
LMS Black 5 No. 44871 will be joining 6233 "Duchess of Sutherland" at the Swanage Railway in Dorset for The Exchanges themed Autumn Steam Gala on the 12th to 14th of October 2018. Marking the 70th anniversary of the 1948 Locomotive Exchange Trials.
Posted: Feb 2, 2018 @ 10:02:13 by Russell Newman
LMS Black 5 No. 44871 is the 2nd loco booked to appear at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway s Spring Steam Gala from the 9th till the 11th of March 2018.
Posted: Dec 18, 2016 @ 11:12:45 by Russell Newman
Both 44871 and 45407 are in Scotland this week to work a series of special Christmas Jacobite Trains on the West Highland Line from Fort William to Mallaig till Christmas eve. This is the first time that both Back 5s are working on that famous strech of railway at Christmas.
Posted: May 2, 2010 @ 10:05:59 by Steve Frost
Restored to full working order and main line certificated, the current photo shows the loco in preservation. See the album for the Fifteen Guinea Special photo.
Posted: May 9, 2008 @ 14:05:02 by Phil Horton
Ex London Midland & Scottish Railway No. 4871, BR no 44871 is seen before preservation taking water at Blea Moor on 11 August 1968. The train is the "Fifteen Guinea Special" the last train to be steam hauled in the UK by standard gauge locos owned by British Railways. The second loco is 44781 which was cut up after been used as a prop in the film "Virgin Soldiers".