London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Jubilee Class 5596 (BR number 45596) Bahamas is a preserved British steam locomotive. It is named after The Bahamas.
The locomotive was built as a standard Jubilee Class in 1934 by the North British Locomotive Company for the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS). In May 1961, under the ownership of British Railways, Bahamas was the recipient of several experimental modifications aimed at improving the steam engine. In July 1966, Bahamas was withdrawn from traffic. A preservation society was founded and raised the money to purchase it from British Rail to prevent it from being scrapped. After repairs by the Hunslet Engine Company in Leeds Bahamas was transported to Dinting Railway Museum, near Glossop, Derbyshire.
After British Rail's ban on steam locomotives ended, Bahamas was permitted to run on the national rail network. In October 1972, Bahamas hauled its first excursion special, proving there was public demand. A year later, it was removed from service when its boiler certificate expired. In 1988, it returned to steam after overhaul. It was withdrawn from mainline use after its ticket expired. Between 1997 and 2013, Bahamas alternated between public displays and storage. Another overhaul began during 2013 and the locomotive returned to mainline operations in early 2019.
History
5596 was constructed in 1934 by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow for the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS). It was a standard Jubilee Class locomotive, designed by William Stanier, the chief mechanical engineer of the LMS. In June 1936, 5596 received the name Bahamas after the islands in the Atlantic Ocean which were part of the British Empire.
Following the nationalisation of Britain's railway companies in January 1948 Bahamas, which had become the property of British Railways, was renumbered to 45596, and transferred to Edge Hill, Liverpool.
In May 1961, Bahamas was modified during a scheduled overhaul to participate in a trial being conducted with the aim of improving the performance and extending the service life of steam locomotives. Changes made included installing a double blastpipe and exhaust system which brought a 30 per cent increase in the boiler's steaming capacity and enabled the use of poorer quality coal. Before this, another Jubilee, 45722 Defence, had received similar design changes for testing in the late 1950s; the role of Bahamas was to provide an assessment on the day-to-day impact of such alterations.
On its return to traffic, Bahamas was based at Carlisle for a brief period, before being transferred to Stockport in July 1962. By 1962, enthusiasm had waned for the development of improved steam locomotives and trials were terminated by the end of the year. In July 1966, Bahamas was withdrawn from traffic; in its final months, it had been used to haul farewell excursions for enthusiasts. Following its withdrawal, the locomotive was stored while officials deliberated on the best means to dispose of it. For some time, it lingered on the scrap line while the manner of its disposal was considered.
Keen to save Bahamas, several members of the public came together to attempt to purchase it with the hope of using the locomotive to operate special excursion trains. British Rail showed a lack of enthusiasm when it was approached by the preservation society as the group encountered great difficulty in raising the funds. In early 1967, British Rail had agreed the sale of Bahamas to a scrap merchant in Hull. The society acquired enough money, largely due to the offer of a sympathetic businessman of a £3,000 loan to cover the purchase and high-level intervention within British Rail resulted in the sale to the Bahamas Locomotive Society.
Allocations
The shed locations of 45596 on particular dates.
Bahamas Locomotive Society
In 1967, Bahamas was purchased from British Railways for preservation by the Bahamas Locomotive Society. After purchase the engine was sent to the Hunslet Engine Company in Leeds for repairs and was repainted in LMS Crimson lake livery. The society secured the lease of a section of track to Dinting railway station near Glossop in Derbyshire where it established the Dinting Railway Museum around a former Great Central steam shed. This was the engine's first operational base in its preservation years.