Hornby R3851 BR 51xx Large Prairie Early Crest No.5189

DCC Ready. 8 pin connection.

In 1903, George Churchward, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Great Western Railway, embarked upon his locomotive improvement scheme with three types of 'standard' class engines, of which his 2-6-2T design was destined to become probably the GWR's most useful locomotive, lasting in traffic until the last month of Western Region steam operations in December 1965.

Built at Swindon Works under Lot No. 259 during April 1931, Diagram A9 Class 5101 'Large Prairie' No. 5189 entered traffic with the Wolverhampton Division, with all bar fifteen of the 5101 fleet of 'Large Prairies' forming the mainstay of the suburban passenger services until the early 1940s. On entering service with British Railways in 1948, 5189 was allocated to Stourbridge Junction, from where it would have mainly worked local services towards Birmingham, but the locomotive was one of the earlier withdrawals from traffic due to increasing use of Diesel units, being withdrawn at the end of August 1959.