48305 Stanier LMS Class 8F 2-8-0 at the GCRPhotographed on 7 February 2009 at Loughborough. This is one of 11 preserved locomotives of this class, and was built at Crewe in 1943. It was withdrawn in 1968. Many of these locomotives were shipped to the Middle East during World War 2, and some were aboard ships that were torpedoed and sank en route.
The diagonal yellow stripe across the cab side was applied during electrification in the 1960s to denote prohibition of steam locomotive movements under overhead wires. I forget the meaning of the white star on the cab side - hopefully a reader will have a better memory and explain it!
Picture added on 20 February 2009
Added by Peter Langsdale on 20 February 2009.