What, when or where?  Images from the SLS collections. (Last updated - 12th December 2011)

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Image name jacobs_4.jpg showing locomotive 5751 "Prince Charles" at Dudley Zoo Miniature Railway.

The image below is from the SLS Library (Stanford Jacobs Collection) and was presented to us over the winter of 2008/9.  Some photographs were annotated but others were not.  Some of these have previously been featured in the What, When, Where? page, this is one of those with the history behind the image now researched and written up. Thank you's go to Andrew, David Colley, Dave Holroyde, Richard Pearson, Chris Krupa, Jez Kirkwood, Simon Moore, SteveK, PLD and Stationmaster for the information supplied either directly or through an on-line forum. 

The image is one of a set of three all of locomotives that have surviived into the C21 and all having the common connections of having run previously at the Dudley Zoo miniature railway.

Image name jacobs_4.jpg. 

From the pencilled note on the back in Stanford Jacob's own hand it was taken in August 1954 at Dudley and is on the Dudley Zoo Railway. 

As sources of information about the builder of the locomotive conflict some slight uncertainty exists as to the origins of the locomotive.   The greatest probability is that 5751 was built by G& S Light Eng of Stourbridge in 1949 and the 1946 plates put on at Fairbourne are wrong. 

However what is unambiguous is that number 5751 was built as a 4-6-0, to 15” gauge based on the LMS Class 5 design and named "Prince Charles".  It was supplied to Dudley Zoo where it ran until 1957, before a period of storage until 1960 when it was loaned to Fairbourne until 1962.  Number 5751 subsequently went to Stourbridge for rebuilding by Guest and came out a 4-6-2, following which came a few further years in storage before being bought by Bill McAlpine in ????. The engine, as rebuilt, then went on to run at Blenheim Palace, where renamed to Sir Winston Churchill.   In 1985, as Prince William, it was at Steamtown Miniature Railway at Carnforth.  Now renamed again, but still numbered as 5751, Prince William resides at the Evesham Vale Railway with J and H Shackell after being acquired for the EVLR in January 2003.

Chronological time line for number 5751.

• 1949 to 1957 - Supplied to, and running at, Dudley Zoo
• 1957 to 1960 - in store
• 1960 - At Fairbourne
• Sept 1961 - G&SLE where rebuilt to 4-6-2
• 1961 to 1968 - in store
• 1970 - Bought by Bill McAlpine after June 1970
• At the RH&DR in December 1970
• BIll McAlpine in April 1974
• At Blenheim Palace in April 1975 as 5751 SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL
• By March 1982 at Steamtown as 5751 PRINCE WILLIAM
• In August 1995 at the East Lancs Rly
• In May 1998 at Windmill Farm
• By January 2003 at the Evesham Vale Light Railway.

.Info' still desired - Information to complete remaining gaps.

A photo of the locomotive in the guise of Prince William seen whilst awaiting repairs during the time of an SLS members visit to the Evesham Vale Light Railway during June 2006 is below. Image copyright John New.

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