Known as ‘Black Fives’, or in Scotland as ‘Hikers’, Stanier’s 5MT 4-6-0s were one of the most numerous classes of locomotives built in the UK, with 842 examples built at a variety of locations, including the railway’s own works at Crewe, Derby and Horwich, plus private builders Vulcan Foundry and Armstrong Whitworth, the latter building by far the most with 327 machines. No. 5047 was built at Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows in 1935 with a domeless boiler and spent most of its career in Scotland. It was withdrawn from St. Margaret’s shed, Edinburgh in July 1966 as BR No. 45047.
