Aspinall 2-4-2T

 We knew where we were with Westerns because they only had four numbers. Southerns all began with a “3”, Midlands with a “4”, Easterns with a “6” and then there were the Standards. The “5s” were a bit of a mystery, however. I would go as far as saying that we weren’t actually that interested because none of them were namers, anyway.

So much for the perspective of the young teenage trainspotter. Aspinall designed his 2-4-2 tanks for the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1889, and they were built at Horwich works. The last of the class was withdrawn in 1961, by which time No. 1008 had already been preserved for the nation. They had originally been described as L&YR Class 5s, but for the LMS and BR their power classification was recorded as 3P.

John Dyer found these two examples in 1960, still at work on part of their old stomping ground between Liverpool Exchange and Southport. No. 50721 was shunting at Exchange and No. 50850 was at Southport Chapel Street.