Hornby OO R30389 BR Stanier 5MT Black 5 44748 Late Caprotti 4-6-0 Steam Locomotive BR Lined Black Late Crest
Although the LMS ‘Black Five’ was a huge success, Stanier’s successor George Ivatt made a number of experimental modifications which resulted in some unusual variants from 1947 onward. No. 44748 was the first of a batch of 20 built with Caprotti valve gear at Crewe Works. Under this arrangement, the locomotive’s valve gear was driven by a single shaft between the frames, connected to the locomotive’s leading axle with a bevel gear. The modifications resulted in an unusual appearance, with bulbous steam pipes, lower running plates with wheel splashers and a modified cab.