Caprotti Class ‘5’ 4-6-0 44687 at the west end of Chester's Platform 13 which together with Platform 14 formed a bi-directional through road. Beyond Platform 9 on the right was Platform 10, the through platforms used by most of the trains to either Crewe or Manchester originating from the North Wales coast. Above left is the small, 36-lever No. 3 signal box which controlled the scissors crossovers at the centre of the Up and Down Main through platforms; the signs direct passengers to bay Platforms 11 and 12, at the east end of the station.
44687 was the final LMS Class ‘5’ of the 842 engines built under Stanier and Ivatt. Together with 44686, it incorporated both the post-war modifications introduced by Ivatt and a double chimney but also an improved version of the Caprotti valve gear to remedy problems experienced with the first twenty Caprottis with poor accessibility of the inside drive-line and a tendency for the valves to stick open if the engine primed. The pair were allocated to Longsight when new in 1951 staying there until 1960 when they moved to Llandudno Junction; they were considered by crews and observers to be equivalent to a Class ‘6’ engine.