LMS Route: Coventry Loop Line

Humber Road Junction: lnwrcll110

An unidentified LNWR 4-4-0 George Fifth class locomotive is seen at the head of a Birmingham to Euston express train passing the junction with the loop line. They were introduced in 1910 by Charles Bowen-Cooke and construction continued until 1915. They were essentially superheated versions of George Whale's LNWR Precursor class. At the same time, similar non-superheated Queen Mary class engines were also built but all of these acquired superheaters as the advantages of superheating became clear and were absorbed into the George the Fifth Class. A total of 90 George Fifth class locomotives were built and all were named. The LNWR reused names and numbers from withdrawn locomotives, with the result that the numbering system was completely haphazard. All of the George Fifth class locomotives passed into LMS ownership on the grouping on 1st January 1923. The LMS gave them the power classification 2P. The LMS renumbered them into a more logical series of No 5320 to No 5409, and later in 1936-7 those had not been then withdrawn were again renumbered by the addition of 20000 into the No 25320 to No 25409 series to make room for Black Fives. Also at this time a few of the names were removed so that they could be applied to new LMS Jubilee Class engines.

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