GWR 7200 Class
Encyclopedia
The Great Western Railway
(GWR) 7200 Class is a class of 2-8-2T steam locomotive
. They were the largest tank engines to run in Great Britain.
Originally the 4200 class
and 5205 class
2-8-0T were introduced for short-haul Welsh coal traffic, but the Stock Market Crash of 1929 saw coal traffic fall and some of the specialist tanks were rebuilt with trailing wheels to make them 2-8-2T and give them more coal capacity so they could be used for other tasks.
, a majority were sent to Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales
. No. 7226 was scrapped there in 1965.
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
(GWR) 7200 Class is a class of 2-8-2T steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
. They were the largest tank engines to run in Great Britain.
Originally the 4200 class
GWR 4200 Class
The Great Western Railway 4200 Class is a class of 2-8-0T steam locomotives. They were designed for short-haul coal trips from coal mines to ports in South Wales. The principal role of the class was working the 1000+ ton coal trains up through the Welsh valleys. A job which needed much tractive...
and 5205 class
GWR 5205 Class
The Great Western Railway 5205 Class is a class of 2-8-0T steam locomotives. They were designed for short-haul coal trips from coal mines to ports in South Wales....
2-8-0T were introduced for short-haul Welsh coal traffic, but the Stock Market Crash of 1929 saw coal traffic fall and some of the specialist tanks were rebuilt with trailing wheels to make them 2-8-2T and give them more coal capacity so they could be used for other tasks.
Withdrawal
The first member of the class to be withdrawn was number 7241 in November 1962, whilst the last four engines in traffic served until June 1965. As the class were allocated to operations associated with the South Wales coalfieldSouth Wales Coalfield
The South Wales Coalfield is a large region of south Wales that is rich with coal deposits, especially the South Wales Valleys.-The coalfield area:...
, a majority were sent to Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. No. 7226 was scrapped there in 1965.
Preservation
Three locomotives survive, all recovered from Woodham Brothers, though none have been restored:- No. 7200 recovered September 1981, under restoration at the Buckinghamshire Railway CentreBuckinghamshire Railway CentreBuckinghamshire Railway Centre is a railway museum operated by the Quainton Railway Society Ltd. at Quainton Road railway station, in the far depths of "Metro-land", about 5 miles west of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. The site is divided into two halves which are joined by two foot-bridges, one of...
by the 7200 Trust. 7200 was one of only four locomotives to carry the coal scuttle type bunker which enabled it to have a greater water carrying capacity than the rest of the class. - No. 7202 recovered April 1974, under restoration at Didcot Railway CentreDidcot Railway CentreDidcot Railway Centre, located in the town of Didcot in the English county of Oxfordshire, is based around the site of a comprehensive "engine shed" which became redundant after the nationalisation of the UK railways, due to the gradual changeover from steam to diesel motive power.-Description:The...
- No. 7229 recovered October 1984, awaiting restoration on the East Lancashire RailwayEast Lancashire RailwayThe East Lancashire Railway is a heritage railway in Lancashire and Greater Manchester, England.-Overview:After formal closure by British Rail in 1982, the line was reopened on 25 July 1987. The initial service operated between Bury and Ramsbottom, via Summerseat. In 1991 the service was extended...