No. 48624

LMS CLASS 8F 2-8-0 8624

Designed by Sir William Stanier for the London Midland Railway, there was a need for a modern locomotive capable of hauling 1,000-ton trains — roughly equivalent to keeping 40 large lorries off the roads per train.

8624 was one of 852 8Fs built: 208 for the War Department and 644 for UK use. It is one of only six UK 8Fs preserved, while eight War Department 8Fs survive, including two that returned to the UK.

8624 is unique among preserved 8Fs as the only Southern Railway-built example. It spent its working life paired with a Fowler tender. Built in 1943 as part of a Railway Executive Committee order at Ashford Works, it was allocated to Willesden Shed throughout its career. Its service was relatively gentle, shown by the absence of the usual main frame repairs around the main driving wheel seen on almost all other preserved 8Fs, though its steel tyres are now close to needing replacement. The locomotive was withdrawn in 1965 due to a suspected fractured internal main steam pipe and spent years slowly rusting in Barry scrapyard in South Wales before being rescued in 1981.

Stanier 8Fs were familiar on the Great Central Railway (GCR), hauling many heavy freight trains on the London Extension from Nottingham to London during the line’s later years — including sister engine 8305.

The tender currently paired with 8624 is not its original. The Barry scrapyard sold the original tender separately, so the locomotive was purchased without one. Today’s tender comes from Black 5 No. 44888, withdrawn in 1968 after attending the Derby Works open day. Although the locomotive was scrapped, the tender remained with British Railways and was used at Willesden Shed as a water carrier. It was later bought by the Severn Valley Railway as a spare before being acquired by the 8624 preservation group.

After 28 years of dedicated volunteer effort — mostly working outdoors — the locomotive was restored. Brass plaques on the smokebox saddle commemorate those who contributed to the restoration. 8624 returned to traffic in May 2009 at Peak Rail, then arrived at the GCR in March 2011. It originally appeared in British Railways crimson livery but has since been repainted in authentic British Railways black, the colour it carried during its working life.

8624 has become a regular and popular performer on the GCR fleet and has visited other heritage railways on loan. Its boiler certificate was extended in 2018, and it ran until July 2019 before being withdrawn for overhaul.