- Class: 5MT
- Designer: Robert Riddles, with design work done at the ex-LNER Doncaster Drawing Office
- Wheels: 4-6-0
- Built: 1955, Derby Works
- Last Overhaul Completed: September 2021
- Previously Operational: 28 October 1995 – June 2005 & 25 October 2015 – December 2020
- Owned By: The 73082 Camelot Locomotive Society
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One of the range of “Standard” locomotives designed for British Railways, the basic design took as its starting point William Stanier’s LMS Black Fives, but with larger wheels and cylinders, and a higher running plate. The first 30 were built between April 1951 and January 1952. No. 73082 was part of a second batch, of 100 locomotives, built 1953-57.
Modern engines with roller bearings, highly capable and easy to maintain, they were withdrawn long before they were worn out thanks to BR’s rush to get rid of steam in the 1960s. ‘Camelot’ was one of the Southern Region’s allocation of Standard 5s, and when the King Arthur class, which they replaced, were being withdrawn, a staff suggestion led to the names being transferred to the new engines.
This locomotive is believed to hold the record for the highest speed for the class, at 107 mph (on Christmas Eve 1964, near Andover). With a late-night parcels train and a driver keen to get home in time for a party, the 36 miles from Salisbury to Basingstoke was completed in 28 minutes start to stop, an average speed of 77.1 mph!
A survivor of Barry Scrapyard, ‘Camelot’ is the only remaining one of the named Standard 5s. It was returned to working order thanks to the dedication of the Camelot Society, which carried out fund-raising and engineering work. The latter included the construction of a brand-new tender body, fitted to frames recovered from a South Wales Ironworks, since, like so many Barry locos, it had lost its tender. It was a core member of the Bluebell’s loco fleet for the decade after it returned to traffic in 1995.
In preparation for its next overhaul, the Camelot Locomotive Society prepared the loco for the boiler lift, major work was undertaken on the wheelsets and the roller-bearings, the boiler received heavy repairs off-site, and the overhaul and painting was completed in October 2015.
To mark 60 years since 73082 was constructed at Derby in 1955 (although relaunched complete with its nameplates at the Giants of Steam weekend in 2015) it ran for the following year without nameplates, to mark this anniversary. ‘Camelot’ received its nameplates at Eastleigh works in August 1959, whilst still carrying the early BR tender emblem, and now carries them again.
At the end of 2020, with the country entering a third Coronavirus lockdown, the opportunity was taken to carry out some remedial work on ‘Camelot’ in the Bluebell’s workshop. A problem had arisen with leaks at the foundation ring rivets, and to allow these to be replaced, the boiler was lifted. Although there were still 4 years remaining on the boiler ticket, while it was out of the frames other work was carried out as necessary, including partial retubing, gaining a new 10 year boiler ticket.
→ Find out more
→ 73082 Camelot Locomotive Society
→ Facebook group
