R30283 BR, Coronation Class, 4-6-2, 46220 'Coronation' - Era 4 (Club Exclusive)

The Coronation class was a class of two halves, a streamlined version and an un-streamlined version that even the former category would end up as. Those first five conventional locomotives were 6230 Duchess of Buccleuch to 6234 Duchess of Abercorn and colloquially they were known as Duchesses, after the first of this sub-class. Appearing in 1938 with a single chimney and without smoke deflectors, it is this form that many purists regard as the finest Pacific locomotive produced. The next four Duchesses to appear were 6249-6252 in 1944 and they emerged from works with a double chimney.

Originally ordered as streamlined, the demands of maintaining the streamlined form exceeded the cost savings in coal and so they emerged from works without the casing, but with streamlined tenders (which had been completed before that decision was taken). In 1946 the next three Duchesses, 6253-6255, differed in an appearance again, this time the curved fall plate at the front was replaced by a split platform and smoke deflectors were fitted. The final 'as new' produced Duchesses were 6256 and 46257 (as it appeared straight into British Railways ownership) and these were modified designs by Ivatt, featuring a different cab, pony truck, reversing gear and roller bearings.

The process of de-streamlining the remaining engines began with 6235 City of Birmingham in April 1946, with 6243 City of Lancaster being the last in May 1949. Because the smokeboxes were angled down between the chimney and door to accommodate the sweep of the streamlined casing, upon defrocking they retained this look, being referred to as semi-streamlined by enthusiasts of the time. Eventually, the raked smokeboxes were replaced with conventional smokeboxes, so that by late 1958 the majority of the fleet showed a similar appearance, although all the defrocked locomotives had the split platform "utility" front end.

Withdrawal of the class commenced in December 1962 and by October 1964 all had been withdrawn. Fortunately, three locomotives were saved for preservation; 6229 Duchess of Hamilton, 6233 Duchess of Sutherland and 6235 City of Birmingham. 6241 Duchess of Edinburgh was built streamlined at Crewe and entered traffic at Camden on April 13, 1940, paired with tender 9804. The streamlined casing was removed on February 2, 1947, whilst the locomotive was still at Camden, a shed where 6241 spent the majority of its working life. In storage between November 1962 and February 1963, then again between October 1963 and March 1964, 6241 Duchess of Edinburgh was withdrawn in September 1964.

LMS 6220 Coronation was the first of the Class to be built, rolling out of the shed at Crewe works in June 1937 in streamlined form. The locomotive would have its casing removed in November 1946 at the same time that the replacement smoke deflectors were fitted. The locomotive would go on to be withdrawn in April 1963 and was scrapped shortly after. Over its life time, the locomotive would wear 5 different liveries, briefly swap identities with classmate 6229 Duchess of Hamilton and hold the then locomotive speed record of 114 miles per hour with Driver TJ Clarke and Engineer Robert Riddles (whose name may be familiar) on the footplate.