Built in 1889 at Horwich, the National Railway Museum’s “Lanky Tank” is the only survivor of Sir John Aspinall’s Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway class 5.  These 2-4-2 radial tank engines were Aspinall’s first contribution to the railway and probably his best known, with 330 being built.

These tank engines were built for passenger work and performed very well, capable of hauling all but the heavier expresses.  Although highly regarded there was one incident that could have marred it’s reputation somewhat, when in 1906 number 869 suffered a boiler explosion.  The cause of this was not a design fault however but a result of poor maintenance with the locomotive being well over-due a boiler wash-out.  110 survived into British Railways, but all but three were scrapped by 1961.  Fortunately due to it being such a successful type, one was saved for the National Collection and is photographed at York wearing it’s L&YR livery.

Bachmann will be releasing a ready to run model of this type in 00 scale in the next few weeks.  It will be interesting to see such a (relatively) unusual type of locomotive in scale model form.  In the meantime, York is the place to go if you want to see the real thing!

To read about other exhibits to be found in the National Railway Museum during this visit in 2013, please click here.