LMS Route: Birmingham West Suburban Railway

Bournville Shed: mrb1568

An ex-MR double framed 0-6-0, LMS No 22853, is seen blowing off steam inside the roundhouse at Bournville on Saturday 9th May 1936. Originally built by Dubs & Company of Glasgow, it had entered service as Midland Railway '700' class No 1051 in 1873. The Midland rebuilt it in 1888 & again in 1899 (details not available but this or the previous rebuild would have involved fitting of Johnson type 'B' boiler & cab), assigned it to power class 1 in 1905, renumbered it No 2853 in 1907, rebuilt it again with an 1899 'D' boiler to make it power class 2 in May 1909, rebuilt it again with an 1899 boiler in 1915, then rebuilt it again with Fowler 'G6' Belpaire boiler in 1922. After the grouping, the LMS rebuilt it with 18" cylinders (date not available), reclassified it as 2F in 1928, then renumbered it No 22853 on the duplicate list in November 1934. Bournville was probably its home shed in May 1936 when the photo was taken, and was definitely so in 1945. By December 1947 it had been transferred to Saltley, its final home depot. British Railways allotted it No 58112 but it was still carrying its LMS number when withdrawn in March 1950. This remarkable locomotive, rebuilt at least six times, was one of the only two ex-MR double framed engines to survive in service into the 1950s and the only Belpaire boilered rebuild to do so. To compare this side-on view with one of the other 1950s survivor, see image 'mrb1549'.

John Dews

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