L.M.S. Trio.

Today's jigsaw, 11 May 2023, is titled Hest Bank Whitsun 1961 and features a superb painting by the acknowledged, master railway artist, Philip Hawkins, a Fellow of the Guild of Railway Artists. The two, easily identified locomotives in the picture are, left, a 'Princess Coronation' class 4-6-2 designed by William Stanier and right, a 'Patriot' class 4-6-0 designed by Henry Fowler, both for the London Midland & Scottish Railway (L.M.S.). Of specific note in the painting are the camping coaches to the left of the main station platform; they were in place c1960-1969. No.46254 is heading north through the station with a Birmingham - Glasgow express passenger train. No. 45507 and an unidentified Jubilee class 4-6-0 locomotive are double-heading a Workington - Euston passenger train, about to stop at the station to pick up passengers.

The Stanier locomotive is No.46254 City of Stoke-on-Trent. The class of 38 was built in several batches between 1937 and 1948, with 46254 emerging on LMS rails in 1946. The first ten of the class were streamlined with half of them 'earmarked' for heading the prestigious 'Coronation Scot' train from London Euston to Glasgow Central. The Fowler locomotive No.45507 Royal Tank Corps, was an early member of a class of 52 and emerged on LMS rails in 1930. The class was built between 1930 and 1934 and numbered 5500-5550. Eighteen members of the class were rebuilt between 1946 and 1948 and called 'Rebuilt Patriots'. A new, 'unrebuilt' 'Patriot' class locomotive is being built currently at the Midland Railway - Butterley, West Shed, and named The Unknown Warrior. It will continue the numbering system of the class prior to British Railways days when the number '4' was placed before all locomotive numbers. The new locomotive will carry the number 5551, to continue the class. Both the Stanier and Fowler locomotives were built at Crewe Works. Hest bank is a small village in Lancashire, near Lancaster. If you wish to learn more about the painting and camping coaches, please copy this link into your browser. www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/retro/full-steam-ahead-for-special-painting-of-hest-bank-railway-station-2974800