LMS Jubilee Class 5596 Bahamas

5596 was constructed in 1934 by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow for the London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS).[1] 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.[1]

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.[2]

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.[1] 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.[1]

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of improved steam locomotives and trials were terminated by the end of the year.[1] In July 1966, Bahamas was withdrawn from traffic; in its final months, it had been used to haul farewell excursions for enthusiasts.[3] Following its withdrawal, the locomotive was stored while officials deliberated on the best means to dispose of it.[2] For some time, it lingered on the scrap line while the manner of its disposal was considered.[1]

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.[1] 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.[1]

The shed locations of 45596 on particular dates.

Bahamas at Appleby while working "The Bahamas Renaissance II"

In 1967, Bahamas was purchased from British Railways for preservation by the Bahamas Locomotive Society.[2] 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.[1]

In the early years of preservation, British Rail did not allow access to the rail network because of a ban on steam locomotives.[1] The ban was lifted in 1971 and Bahamas was one of several locomotives selected to run on the national railway network. The locomotive hauled an enthusiasts' special in October 1972.[1] Public demand for such excursions was proved and more excursions were run by preservation groups. Bahamas was removed from service in 1973 due to the expiry of its boiler certificate.[1]

The society began overhauling the locomotive and its boiler to return it to mainline-running condition.[1] During this overhaul the livery was returned to the British Rail green scheme it had worn in regular service (this was authentic for its double chimney). The overhaul took until 1988. It returned to mainline excursion trips and occasional visits to other heritage railways.[1]

In 1990, the Bahamas Locomotive Society relocated to Ingrow West railway station near Keighley in West Yorkshire.[1] In 1994 the engine's mainline ticket expired, with the engine spending the next 3 years running on heritage railways until its 10-year boiler ticket expired at the end of 1997. For the better part of the following fifteen years, Bahamas spent much of its time being moved between storage and static display at locations such as the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway's museums at Ingrow and Oxenhope as well as the National Railway Museum in York.[1]

Since 2018, the Bahamas Locomotive Society has been chaired by Alderman Keith Whitmore.[4]

In Sept 2022 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Falklands War in 1982, 45596 had a temporary change in identity to become scrapped classmate 45606 Falkland Islands.[5]

Return to steam

The newly overhauled and returned to service Jubilee No. 45596 Bahamas reversing off the turntable at Tyseley Locomotive Works

In January 2011, an appeal, "Steam's Last Blast", was launched to raise funds for another overhaul to modern main line standards. Sufficient funds were raised from supporters and with the aid of a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant of £775,800.[1]

In July 2013, work commenced on a major boiler overhaul to mainline standard at Tyseley Locomotive Works in Birmingham with the aim of returning it to traffic during 2017/2018.[6] The engine made its first moves and appearance at the Tyseley at 50 open weekend in Sept 2018 and once work completed in January 2019 alongside its light and loaded test runs the locomotive returned to the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway in February prior to mainline operations starting the same month.[7] 45596 worked "The Bahamas Renaissance" its first railtour for 25 years on 9 February 2019, the tour originated at Oxenhope on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway and ran both ways over the Settle and Carlisle line via Ribblehead and Appleby to Carlisle.[8] Owing to popularity with the first tour being a complete sell-out. A second trip was run the weekend after, this being over the same route and the same itinerary. This tour also became a complete sell-out.[9]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to LMS Jubilee Class 5596 Bahamas.

• Bahamas Locomotive Society
• Jubilees page
• Railuk database