LMS Jubilee Class 5690 Leander

5690 was built at Crewe in March 1936 and named Leander after HMS Leander, which in turn was named after the Greek hero Leander. From March 1936 it was based at Crewe North shed where it remained until 1947 when it was transferred to the former LMS engine shed at Bristol (Barrow Road). After nationalisation in 1948, it was renumbered 45690 by British Railways.

After being withdrawn in 1964, Leander was sold to Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, South Wales.

Rescued by Brian Oliver in May 1972, it was restored by the Leander Locomotive Society at Derby and later kept at the Dinting Railway Museum, Glossop. After later purchase by and running on the Severn Valley Railway, Leander was sold to Dr Peter Beet, and restored to running condition on the East Lancashire Railway in LMS Crimson Lake livery. As of 2008, Leander was owned by Chris Beet (Engineering and Rail Operations Manager, National Railway Museum)[1] and operated by the West Coast Railway Company from their Carnforth MPD base.

In 2008, Leander provided motive power for the Scarborough Spa Express heritage service. It also spent October at the Great Central Railway "Steam Railway" gala, alongside BR Standard 7 Britannia Class No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell and LNER Peppercorn Class A1 No. 60163 Tornado.

In September 2010, Leander visited the Severn Valley Railway (SVR) for their 40th anniversary Autumn steam gala alongside fellow visiting locomotives and former Severn Valley based engines GWR 2251 Class 0-6-0 No. 3205, GWR 3700 Class 4-4-0 No. 3717 City of Truro, GWR 4575 Class 2-6-2T No. 5542 and SR West Country Pacific 4-6-2 No. 34070 Manston. Leander departed from the SVR at the beginning of October hauling the Severn Valley Limited to Blackpool North one way only as the locomotive was en route to the East Lancashire Railway for a few weeks stay during their Autumn Steam Gala. Shortly afterwards, Leander returned to Carnforth and mainline operation.

In April 2012, Leander was withdrawn early for overhaul due to its poor condition. Chris Beet managed the overhaul, assisted by the team at West Coast Railway Company from their Carnforth MPD base. It returned to operation in October 2014, painted in BR Lined Black, the livery that it carried between 12 April 1949 and 15 November 1952,[2] and which was also carried by 46 other members of the class from August 1948.[3] Its first revenue earning run was to be over Shap Summit to Carlisle and back along the Settle & Carlisle line on 24 January, but it failed its FTR exam so its first revenue earning run was over Shap Summit to Carlisle, Newcastle upon Tyne, York, Manchester and Preston on 7 March 2015.

In August 2019, To mark the re-opening of the Conwy Valley Line following a closure period after suffering from multiple washouts inflicted from Storm Gareth. Leander double headed the Conwy Quest railtour from Chester to Blaenau Ffestiniog via Llandudno Junction while double heading with 48151.[4] It was also covering for the unavailable LMS Royal Scot no 46115 Scots Guardsman which had been failed days before with a hot axlebox during a test run. With the route's gradient being 1 in 45 heading towards Blaenau Ffestiniog, no members of the class ran along the branch in LMS & BR days and until Aug 2019 none had been down the branch in preservation. 45690 was therefore the first member of the class to run along the Conwy Valley Line and visit Blaenau Ffestiniog.[5][6]

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