Editing LMS Coronation Class (section)

== Preservation ==

=== Histories of the three preserved locomotives ===
Of the 38 original members of the Coronation Class, only three locomotives have been preserved, albeit in very different ways. Two of the three preserved engines have even run on the mainline in preservation, these being 46229 & 46233. As of 2019, only 6233 is operational and has a valid main line certificate.

One member, No. 46243 City of Lancaster was the subject of an unsuccessful preservation attempt by Peter Beet.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dixon |first1=Chris |title=Obituary: Peter Beet |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2005/dec/07/obituaries.mainsection |website=The Guardian |access-date=7 December 2005}}</ref>

Current numbers indicated in bold.

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" |Number
!Name
!Built
!De-streamlined
!Withdrawn
!Livery
!Location
!Owners
!Status
!Photograph
|-
| align="left" |'''[[LMS Princess Coronation Class 6229 Duchess of Hamilton|6229]]'''
| align="left" |46229
| align="left" |Duchess of Hamilton
| align="center" |Sept 1938
| align="center" |Jan 1948
| align="center" |Feb 1964
| align="left" |LMS Crimson Lake
| align="center" |[[National Railway Museum]], [[York]]
| align="center" |National Collection
| align="left" |Static Display
|[[File:6229 DUCHESS OF HAMILTON National Railway Museum (11).jpg|150px]]
|-
| align="left" |'''[[LMS Princess Coronation Class 6233 Duchess of Sutherland|6233]]'''
| align="left" |46233
| align="left" |Duchess of Sutherland
| align="center" |Jul 1938
| align="center" |—
| align="center" |Feb 1964
| align="left" |LMS Crimson Lake
| align="center" |[[Midland Railway, Butterley]]
| align="center" |Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust
| align="left" |Operational, Mainline Certified. Mainline Ticket Expires: 2025
|[[File:6233 Duchess of Sutherland at Monk Fryston.jpg|150px]]
|-
| align="left" |[[LMS Princess Coronation Class 6235 City of Birmingham|6235]]
| align="left" |'''46235'''
| align="left" |City of Birmingham
| align="center" |Jul 1939
| align="center" |Apr 1946
| align="center" |Oct 1964
| align="left" |BR Green, Late Crest
| align="center" |[[Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum|Birmingham Science Museum]]
| align="center" |Birmingham Science Museum
| align="left" |Static Display
|[[File:Thinktank Birmingham - object 1966S02074.00001(1).jpg|150px]]
|}

==== No. 46229 ''Duchess of Hamilton'' ====
{{main|LMS Princess Coronation Class 6229 Duchess of Hamilton}}
[[File:6229 Duchess of Hamilton steam locomotive Butlins Holiday Camp Minehead 14 August 1974.jpg|thumb|left|No. 6229 ''Duchess of Hamilton'' in pseudo-LMS livery with smoke deflectors removed at Butlin's Holiday Camp, Minehead, in August 1974]]
[[File:6229 DUCHESS OF HAMILTON National Railway Museum (5).jpg|thumb|No. 6229 on display at York after re-streamlining at Tyseley.]]

Following its withdrawal in February 1964, no. 46229 ''Duchess of Hamilton'' was purchased by the holiday camp giant [[Butlins|Butlin's]], and put on display at their Minehead site.{{r|Roden|p=120}} In 1975, following a slow deterioration due to Minehead's salty atmosphere, and the looming maintenance costs, Butlin's signed a twenty-year loan agreement for it to be taken under the wing of the [[National Railway Museum]].{{r|Roden|p=140}} In 1976, following a cosmetic overhaul, No. 46229 was put on static display in the museum's York premises.{{r|Roden|p=141}} In due course a fundraising appeal allowed an overhaul to take place as a precursor to letting the locomotive operate on the national rail network once more.{{r|Roden|p=142}}

In April 1980 the locomotive again took to the rails and thereafter was employed in hauling many enthusiasts' trains.{{r|Roden|p=142}} After a substantial overhaul, the Duchess was declared fit in 1990 to continue working on the national network and at the same time the museum purchased it outright from Butlins.{{r|Roden|p=149}} In 1998, however, the locomotive returned to static display at the National Railway Museum in York.{{r|Roden|p=218}}

Following a successful appeal run by ''Steam Railway'' magazine, it was decided to re-streamline No. 46229. The locomotive was moved to [[Tyseley Locomotive Works]], for the work to be carried out.{{r|Roden|pp=221–223}} The project was completed in 2009, and the locomotive returned to York in May, now wearing its crimson streamlining and pre-war number 6229.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/4382057.Duchess_Of_Hamilton_locomotive_arrives_at_National_Railway_Museum_in_York/?ref=arc |title=Duchess of Hamilton locomotive arrives at National Railway Museum in York |publisher=The Press |location=York |access-date=26 October 2016}}</ref><ref name="nrm1976-7000">{{cite web |url=http://www.nrm.org.uk/OurCollection/LocomotivesAndRollingStock/CollectionItem?objid=1976-7000 |title=LMS(R) Steam Locomotive with Tender 'Duchess of Hamilton' 4-6-2 Coronation Class, No 6229, 1938 |publisher=National Railway Museum |access-date=26 October 2016 |archive-date=26 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026114636/http://www.nrm.org.uk/OurCollection/LocomotivesAndRollingStock/CollectionItem?objid=1976-7000 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

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==== No. 46233 ''Duchess of Sutherland'' ====
{{main|LMS Princess Coronation Class 6233 Duchess of Sutherland}}
[[File:6233 Duchess of Sutherland Butterley.jpg|thumb|left|No. 6233 before its 2010–2012 overhaul. This livery is from 1938. The locomotive still wore this livery in 1946 when the smoke deflectors were added.]]
[[File:Stanier Pacific No 46233 Duchess of Sutherland (9848620716).jpg|thumb|right|No. 46233 ''Duchess of Sutherland'' after its 2010–2012 overhaul.]]

No. 46233, which was withdrawn at the same time as No. 46229, was also purchased by Butlin's and it was displayed at its holiday camp at Ayr,{{r|Roden|p=120}} although – like No. 6229 ''Duchess of Hamilton'' at Minehead – it was stripped of its smoke deflectors and painted in pseudo-LMS livery. {{r|Jenkinson|loc=Plate 70}} By 1971 it had similarly deteriorated due to the salty seaside air and was in need of expensive maintenance. It was rescued by [[Alan Bloom]], owner of Norfolk-based "Bloom's of Bressingham" nurseries; he had already taken over the [[LMS Royal Scot Class|Royal Scot Class]] No. 6100 from [[Butlins Skegness|Butlin's Skegness holiday camp]]. In March 1971 No. 46233 was taken by rail and road to Bressingham on permanent loan.{{r|Roden|pp=132–135}}

Over the course of the next few years, Bloom spent some £16,000 restoring the locomotive (along with some 20,000 man hours) and in May 1974 it was restored to steam once more. Unfortunately, as 1976 progressed it was discovered that No. 46233 would require a new firebox tubeplate at a projected cost of £12,000. Bloom was not prepared to spend further money at this time and the engine became a static exhibit at Bressingham.{{r|Roden|pp=137–138}}

In 1989 Bloom bought the locomotive outright.{{r|Roden|p=157}} During 1993 it was moved temporarily to the [[East Lancashire Railway]] at Bury near Manchester and whilst there an exercise was undertaken to establish what repairs were necessary and how much they would cost. It was found that the extensive list amounted to £162,000 and no business plan could be found that would support such expenditure.{{r|Roden|pp=157–158}}

In November 1995 the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust purchased the locomotive for £200,000 (through a third party) and the following February it was transferred to the Trust's premises at the Midland Railway in Butterley, Derbyshire.{{r|Roden|pp=158–162}} In 1998, funded by public donation and the [[Heritage Lottery Fund]], the third party purchaser was paid off and the money was now available to restore the locomotive. The work was carried out at the railway workshops at Swanwick Junction and in July 2001 the restored locomotive was allowed a trial run on the national rail network, where it promptly broke down and had to be towed home. With the fault fixed, No. 46233 now started to generate income by hauling enthusiasts' trains,{{r|Roden|pp=166–177}} as well as the Royal Train on two occasions.{{r|Roden|pp=203–207, 215–217}} Following another overhaul commencing in 2010, the locomotive resumed its steaming duties in 2012 this time wearing BR Lined Green with the early BR crest. This livery being chosen following a vote run by the PRCLT for what the engine would wear after its overhaul.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-17236477 |title=Midland Railway's 'Royal' steam locomotive can ride again |date=3 March 2012 |work=BBC News – Derbyshire}}</ref> It had originally been intended that 46233 would wear BR green for a year after returning to steam in 2012 before returning to its LMS Crimson lake identity a year later, it would however stay in its BR identity for an additional five years until the end of 2017. In early 2017 it had its early BR emblem replaced with the later crest and on its cabside it had the yellow cabside stripe applied, (in BR days the stripe was applied to locos which were not permitted to run under the overhead wires south of Crewe). During repairs which were undertaken at Butterley in 2018 the engine was repainted into its LMS crimson lake identity with its four digit LMS number. {{As of|2025|April}}, 6233 is still owned by the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust and still pulling enthusiasts' specials.<ref name="prclt">{{cite web |url=http://www.prclt.co.uk/pmr-tours.html |title=PMR Tours |publisher=Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust |access-date=26 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prclt.co.uk/locomotives.html |title=Locomotives |publisher=Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust |access-date=26 October 2016}}</ref>

==== No. 46235 ''City of Birmingham'' ====
{{main|LMS Coronation Class 6235 City of Birmingham}}
[[File:46235 City of Birmingham Cab.jpg|thumb|No. 46235 displaying the complex interior of its cab.]]

The locomotive's official naming ceremony took place in March 1945, when it was well over five years old. Alderman Wiggins-Davies performed the ceremony at the back end of [[Birmingham New Street railway station|Birmingham New Street station]] as the locomotive was too large to be accommodated within the main part of the station.{{r|Talbot11|p=101 |at=Plate 151}}

The city's love for its eponymous locomotive was borne out when, in 1953, Birmingham's Museum of Science and Industry determined that when the opportunity arose it would like to acquire No. 46235. The museum eventually made its purchase in October 1964, when the locomotive was withdrawn. After successive spells at Crewe Works, Nuneaton, Crewe again (for cosmetic overhaul), Saltley depot and the Birmingham Lawley Street container terminal, the locomotive was finally moved to the museum in May 1966. At that time the building was still under construction, being finally completed in 1972.{{r|Roden|pp=122–127}}

In 1997 [[Birmingham City Council]] decided to close the museum and to construct the brand new ThinkTank museum (since re-christened [[Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum]]) in nearby [[Digbeth]]. In 2001 the locomotive was moved to the Thinktank where it remains as at September 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.birminghammuseums.org.uk/thinktank/highlights |title=Award-winning science museum for fun-packed family days out |publisher=Thinktank |location=Background of Spitfire photograph |access-date=16 September 2017}}</ref>{{r|Roden|pp=227–230}} It differs significantly from the other two preserved locomotives as it represents the only example of a British Railways Coronation class locomotive which has not been run in preservation, as such, all of its parts are original.

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