5551 The Unknown Warrior, LMS Patriot Class (new build)
A new-build LMS Patriot Class 4-6-0, dedicated as a national memorial locomotive to all who died in the service of their country, under construction at Tyseley Locomotive Works by the LMS-Patriot Project. No. 5551 continues the original Patriot class numbering sequence. No original Patriot class locomotive survived into preservation — all forty were withdrawn and scrapped between 1960 and 1965.
5551 The Unknown Warrior is named after the Unknown Warrior entombed in Westminster Abbey in 1920, carrying memorial dedications to the fallen of all conflicts. Construction has been funded by public subscription over many years, following the model established by the A1 Trust's Tornado. In advanced stages of assembly at Tyseley with completion expected in the mid-2020s, it will be the second new-build main-line steam locomotive in Britain since Tornado in 2008.
Last recorded as under final assembly at Tyseley Locomotive Works, owned by the LMS-Patriot Project. Operating status: Under construction. Current livery: LMS Crimson Lake (planned).
Location, livery and operating status last confirmed pre-2024 and subject to change. Check with the owning organisation or heritage railway for current information.
Notable history
A new-build LMS Patriot Class 4-6-0 dedicated as a UK national memorial to the war dead, taking the next-in-sequence number 5551, after the original 5551–5550 Patriot batch.
Additional notes
Status last confirmed August 2026. Subject to verification. Under construction at Tyseley Locomotive Works, with completion expected in 2027.
New build: substantially new, with some genuine parts. The frames were cut in 2009 and the driving wheels newly cast, but the leading wheelset came from 8F 48518 and two LMS Fowler tenders were recovered from Woodham Brothers at Barry. No original Patriot survived, so this locomotive is the only way the class exists.
