Stovold

**Stovold** is a LMS 4P "compound" 4-4-0 that became a member of the Moorland Steam Railway in 1963. He once told the others that he was once paired with an experimental Stanier tender, and was only one to be paired with it.

## Bio

Stovold was built by Derby Works in 1932 under the order of the London, Midland & Scottish Railway (LMS) for express duties. From which, he decided to try and fit in with the original Midland Railway (MR) version of his design, via lying about when he was built, and saying he was originally a "power class 2P when built". This lie helped him get in with those original locomotive and helped keep his original build date a secret. Surprising, he was built after Sir Henry Fowler KBE had retired from the LMS, which William Arthur Stanier (coming from the Great Western Railway at Swindon Works) took over as Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the LMS. Due to Stovold's design appearing "too small" for express work, Stanier designed his new 4-6-0s and 4-6-2s to replace them on express work.

In the 1930s, Stovold was paired with a new experimental Stanier 3,500 gallon tender, which will become the forbearer of the more famous 4,000 gallon tender, another Stanier design. Stovold was paired with this tender until 1954, when a classmate of his swapped his/her Fowler 3,500 gallon tender. Stovold will be paired with this tender until he was withdrawn from service in 1961, and sent to Cashmores at Great Bridge. He wasn't the only 4-4-0 there since some true MR 2Ps were also there, and he was somehow left in the back of the scrap queue. This was because the workers took a liking for him, because of his unique story and left for him to be selected by preservationists. By 1963, all Moorland Steam Railway locomotives were still allowed on the mainlines of Great Britain (since it was before the Steam Ban) and that year, Kate brought the managers of the railway (via Thompson coach) to Cashmores. Stovold was selected by the team, even if they wanted "something more newer".

Kate brought the slightly rusty Compound back to Gladsville for a full repair and overhaul in August of that year, which much disapproval by Hughes. Hood was pleased to see his old friend from his LMS days and were soon coming back to old terms with each other, which was too much for the other members of the railway's fleet. In 1966, Stoveld was restored to full working order and his first pure passenger train was a mainline excursion heading for the old Somerset & Dorest Joint Railway (S&DJR), which was closing that year. Following the famed 'Steam Ban' in 1968, Stovold was restricted to working only on the MSR with passenger duties. Sometimes he handled the medium goods traffic the towns along the route rely on, even when he's a passenger locomotive. After the new extension towards Dentin was opened in 1973, Stoveld became the first 4-4-0 to operate on the route since the days of the LMS.

When Jumbo was rescued from scrap and entered service in 1975, the two old friends chatting like old times, and normally lost track of time. Jumbo always told Stovold that he was built by the LMS in 1924, just to keep a friendship strong. Stovold was horrified that this friend was lying to him (CR 294 "Jumbos" were built between 1883 to 1897), Stovold decided to end their friendship, but was threatened with blackmail by Audie about his secret. When Stovold finally snapped on Jumbo that year by say that he should never have been built, Audie revealed that Stovold has always been an LMS-built Compound and was one of the last batch built in 1932, which shocked the entire fleet and made Jumbo steam away. Stovold was soon ignored by every locomotive (steam and diesel) on the railway and the mainline due to him always lying about himself and this revelation changes everything. No one farewelled him when his boiler ticket went in 1976.

While awaiting an overhaul for a new boiler ticket, Stovold had time to reflect on his ways and actions before in 1978, Jumbo came to see him. The two made amends and their friendship was now fixed, which changed Stovold's personality towards non-MR locomotives, but not to non-LMS locomotives like Capulet and Audie (the Yankee Tank that blackmailed him). Stovold was restored (after a short period on display) in 1993 and was still allowed to keep his early British Railways Lined Black (even when they wanted him in early LMS Crimson Lake, which he never wore) because he liked the black better than the Crimson Lake. By that time, his friend Jumbo was on display at the new railway museum on the site of the old Northampsmith MPD. Stovold also passed mainline standards (approving him of a mainline ticket, his second ever) which another locomotive keeps aiming for.

Stovold was given an extension to his boiler ticket by only one year before he needed an overhaul in 2004, which began after he was retired from traffic and soon repainted into LMS Crimson Lake with MR-style numbering on his tender. With him out of traffic, he could chat to his Caledonian friend (Jumbo) about current matters with the operational fleet and with the arrival of new BR TOPS Class 08, 31 and 47 diesel-electric were purchased by the MSR. Stovold was given another pair boiler and mainline tickets (again) in 2015 when his overhaul was finished and being on display for 11 years.

## Personality

Stovold is normally seen as lazy on cold days because he likes working on much warmer days (above 15 degrees C). When working, Stovold doesn't like chatting since he doesn't like being interrupted on his duties. Stovold is friendly to every locomotive on the Moorland Steam Railway and doesn't care what job he is tasked for. He is also a strong on the opinion that the MSR is a "steam-only railway" and "no diesels are allowed in our sheds!" Stovold is/was also seen as a Midland Railway/ LMS supremist, since he doesn't like an other locomotive from the other pre-Grouping companies and non-LMS-built locomotives (Hughes being from the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway and Capulet being from the LNER).

## Appearances

### Mini series 1960s

* Saved from Scrap
* A Compound Machine
* Over the Hills

### Mini series 1970s

* Trains of the Past
* An Ocean Away
* Time knows no one Part 2 (mentioned)
* Runaway

## Livery

Stovold is mostly painted in BR Lined Black with Early Emblems until the 1990s. From 1993 onwards, Stovold is painted in the hybrid MR/LMS Crimson Lake livery with his number painted on his tender and the LMS crest on his cab.

## Basis or real locomotive

   Stovold is based on a real LMS Compound 4-4-0. These were built by Sir Henry Fowler KBE as copies of the famous Midland Railway (MR) 1000 class 4-4-0 "Compounds" by Samuel Johnson of 1902. Being based on a Midland design, their odd number range can help tell a LMS Compound from a MR Compound. Over 195 were built by Derby, Horwich, North British and the Vulcan Foundary from 1924 to 1927, but with an additional order in 1932 (which No. 936 is a part of that order) to cover express duties on the former Midland system. Sadly, they were replaced by larger and more powerful Stanier locomotives on their express runs, leading to them being withdrawn between 1954 and 1961. None were preserved but MR 1000 class No. 1000 has been preserved and is part of the National Collection.

No. 40936 was built at Derby in 1932 and taken to Cashmores scrapyard for disposal following withdrawal in 1961, where the locomotive was scrapped that year.

## Trivia

   Oddly, the real No.(40)936 was paired with the unique Stanier 3,500 gallon tender. It was later swapped for a standard Fowler tender from No. 40933, which bore the tender until withdrawal in 1958.

Stovold's lies were based on the character 'De la Trip' in Dark DJ's Dark Railway Series. He lied about where he was built (he was built by North British, not Eastleigh, as he says to have been). This was so he could fit in with the other Southern engines when he gained smoke deflectors, which covered his builder's plates.

Stovold is named after Andy Stovold, aka 'Steaming Westward Productions'. He is the creator of 'The Stovell Valley Railway Series' on YouTube.

* Andy is also named after him.

   Stovold's main model is a renumbered Bachmann model in BR Lined Black with Early Emblems, but his scrap model is kit built with rust mostly on the running board. His tender in scrapyard condition is also kit-built. Stovold also has a back-up model, modified from a Hornby Railroad Compound to resemble the Bachmann model. This model is painted in LMS Crimson Lake and given a new tender body, due to the fact the one Hornby gave it appeared to be "too big for a Compound."

Stovold is currently mainline registered. This due to him always passing mainline standards, unlike a few three-cylinder 4-4-0, Westminster.

Unlike many locomotives, Stovold doesn't like being painted in any livery except black. This is due to the fact that all LMS-built 4P Compounds were in LMS black when they first appeared.