GWR 8750 Class
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The GWR 5700 Class, or 57xx class, is a class of 0-6-0
pannier tank A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of a more traditional tender. Most tank engines also have bunkers (or fuel tanks) to hold fuel; in a tender-tank locom ...
steam locomotive, built by the Great Western Railway (GWR) and British Railways (BR) between 1929 and 1950. With 863 built, they were the most prolific class of the GWR, and one of the most numerous classes of British steam locomotive. Although officially designated by GWR as "light goods and shunting engines", they were also used for passenger working on branch, suburban, and shorter mainline journeys. They were distributed across most of the GWR network and, after nationalisation of the railways in 1948, across the
Western Region of British Railways The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right on completion of the "Organising for Quality" initiative on 6 April 1992. The Region consisted principally of ex-Great We ...
, and also other regions. The 5700s were not as large as the GWR
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and Kings, but became just as much of an icon of the GWR due to their iconic design and quantity. As a result of the
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, the 5700 Class was withdrawn from BR service between 1956 and 1966. Nineteen withdrawn locomotives were sold to London Transport and industry, of which ten were later preserved, along with six that were retrieved from scrapyards.


Background

The GWR started designing and building 0-6-0 tank locomotives in 1860, and this continued into the BR era until 1956, with a total of 2,393 being built. The GWR also used 0-6-0 tank locomotives from other manufacturers' designs (from its subsidiary and absorbed railways' stock), and since 1898 it always had at least 1,000 tank locomotives in stock. The early 0-6-0 tank engines were fitted with either saddle tanks (wrapped over the boiler) or side tanks (mounted at the side of the boiler and reaching down to the running platform). GWR first fitted pannier tanks (mounted on the side of the boiler but not reaching down to the running platform) in 1898 to nine 4-4-0 tank locomotives and, in 1901, to five 0-6-0T locomotives which were also fitted with
Belpaire firebox The Belpaire firebox is a type of firebox used on steam locomotives. It was invented by Alfred Belpaire of Belgium in 1864. Today it generally refers to the shape of the outer shell of the firebox which is approximately flat at the top and sq ...
es. The shape of the Belpaire firebox gives a larger surface area which improves heat transfer and steam production, but their rectangular shape made them difficult to combine with saddle tanks. Locomotives fitted with pannier tanks have a lower centre of gravity than those with saddle tanks (enabling higher speeds on curves), and access for maintenance is easier than for those fitted with side tanks. George Churchward's period as
Chief Mechanical Engineer Chief mechanical engineer and locomotive superintendent are titles applied by British, Australian, and New Zealand railway companies to the person ultimately responsible to the board of the company for the building and maintaining of the locomotive ...
(1901–21) is well known for significant improvements in locomotive design and manufacture, and the development of standard designs. However, the scope of the standard designs did not include the 0-6-0 tank locomotive, and the GWR did not introduce any new 0-6-0 tank designs from 1897 to 1928 (with exception of the
GWR 1361 class The 1361 Class were small steam locomotives built by the Great Western Railway at their Swindon railway works, England, mainly for shunting in docks and other sidings where track curvature was too tight for large locomotives. History The 1361 ...
of five 0-6-0 saddle tanks in 1910). However, pannier tanks and Belpaire fireboxes became the standard for the rebuilding of various 0-6-0 tank locomotives (projected in 1902 and getting fully underway by 1910). The rebuilding program also included a number of other changes including: * improved cab designs, eventually becoming fully enclosed * superheating, which by 1929, had been found to have little benefit on shunting engines * adaptation for working with autocoaches for
push–pull train Push–pull is a configuration for locomotive-hauled trains, allowing them to be driven from either end of the train, whether having a locomotive at each end or not. A push–pull train has a locomotive at one end of the train, connected via ...
s (auto-working) * increasing boiler pressures, for example, the various rebuilds of the GWR 2721 class started at , increasing to , and then to With the completion of grouping in 1923, GWR's collection of 0-6-0 tank locomotives was expanded with the stock from 28 acquired companies. The acquired tank locomotives came from different manufacturers, were a mixture of side, saddle and pannier, and varied widely by size and state of repair. In addition, GWR's stock was wearing out, and the variety of classes was problematic for maintenance and rostering. Collett had to produce a new standard design for 0-6-0 pannier tanks. The result was the 5700 class.


Design

The first batch of 300 locomotives built between 1929 and 1931 included a medium height chimney, a mid-boiler dome, safety valve with cover, and an enclosed cab. They were similar in appearance to older 0-6-0 tank engines that had been rebuilt as pannier tanks, particularly the later rebuilds of the 2721 class. The 2721 class was itself a development of the 1854 class, which in turn was based on the 645 class.


Specification

The table below gives the technical specifications of the 5700 class. Values are from GWR diagram B48 unless referenced otherwise. The 5700s were given the GWR route colour Blue (based on axle load), and were in the GWR power group C (based on tractive effort). The classifications were shown on the cab with the letter C in a blue disc. le Fleming describes the 5700 class as "an almost unaltered continuation of the 27xx rebuilds" and Holcroft describes them as "practically identical to 2721 rebuilds", but according to Oswald Nock it was "a thoroughly modern design", and Jones notes that design included "numerous detailed improvements" and reflected improved construction techniques. The main differences from the 2721 class include: *increased boiler pressure, from to , giving a corresponding increase in
tractive effort As used in mechanical engineering, the term tractive force can either refer to the total traction a vehicle exerts on a surface, or the amount of the total traction that is parallel to the direction of motion. In railway engineering, the term t ...
*improved valve settings *longer frame, from to *fully enclosed cab The initial design also included a return to non-fluted coupling rods and laminated springs beneath the leading and driving axleboxes (both features harking back to the 1854 class). The locomotives were also fitted with cast iron chimneys (which had only rarely been fitted to earlier locomotives), and the whistles were fitted on top of the firebox rather than on top of the cab.


6700 Sub-class

Of the first batch of 300 locomotives, most were fitted with vacuum brakes and steam heating, and some of these were also fitted with GWR's Automatic Train Control (ATC) safety system. However, the 50 locomotives of the 6700 Class, or 67xx class, were not fitted with vacuum brakes, steam heating, or ATC, and were fitted with three link couplings only; they were therefore limited to shunting duties and some freight working. The 6700s had a smaller minimum curve radius of (normal) and (slow) and an increased axle clearance.


8750 Sub-class

The 8750 Class, or 87xx class, were first built in 1933, using an updated design which included an improved cab with a higher roof, rectangular windows and grills (as opposed to the round windows, or "spectacles", of the initial design), and sliding shutters and hinged doors for more protection from the elements. The new style cab was derived from the sister 5400 class, the first of which were built in 1931. Vacuum brakes, steam heating, and ATC were fitted as standard (except for Nos. 6750–79, built between 1946 and 1950, which were fitted with steam brakes and three link couplings only). The locomotive weight increased to , and the axle load increased to .


9700 Class

The 9700 Class, or 97xx class, pannier tanks were a direct development of the 5700 class. The prototype for the class, No. 8700 (later No. 9700), was a rebuilt 5700 locomotive. They were specifically for working on the Hammersmith & City line between
Paddington station Paddington, also known as London Paddington, is a Central London railway terminus and London Underground station complex, located on Praed Street in the Paddington area. The site has been the London terminus of services provided by the Great ...
and
Smithfield Meat Market Smithfield, properly known as West Smithfield, is a district located in Central London, part of Farringdon Without, the most westerly ward of the City of London, England. Smithfield is home to a number of City institutions, such as St Bartho ...
. They replaced
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and 633 class locomotives. The eleven locomotives in the class had condensing apparatus that fed the exhaust steam back into the water tanks. The tanks themselves were shortened to make room for the external exhaust pipes and were extended down to the footplate in front of the cab to increase their capacity. As condensing the steam heated the water, a reciprocating pump (Weir pump) was fitted as a
boiler feedwater pump A boiler feedwater pump is a specific type of pump used to pump feedwater into a steam boiler. The water may be freshly supplied or returning condensate produced as a result of the condensation of the steam produced by the boiler. These pumps are ...
because standard
injector An injector is a system of ducting and nozzles used to direct the flow of a high-pressure fluid in such a way that a lower pressure fluid is entrained in the jet and carried through a duct to a region of higher pressure. It is a fluid-dynamic ...
s will not work with hot water. The pumps led to (unsuccessful) tests with these locomotives acting as
fire engines The Fire Engines were a post-punk band from Edinburgh, Scotland. The Fire Engines were an influence on many bands that followed, including Franz Ferdinand and The Rapture, with Meat Whiplash and The Candyskins both taking their names from Fire ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. To work over the electrified underground lines, the 9700 Class locomotives had a special type of ATC equipment that lifted clear of the centre rail and had
tripcock Part of a railway signalling system, a train stop, trip stop or tripcock (sometimes called a tripper) is a train protection device that automatically stops a train if it attempts to pass a signal when the signal aspect and operating rules proh ...
brake valves that matched the London Transport signalling system. The design changes resulted in reduced coal () and water () capacities. The locomotive weight increased to , and the axle load increased to .


Later developments

From 1936 to 1942 a number of small changes were introduced to new builds: * in 1936 a whistle shield was added to the front of the cab to deflect steam away from the cab windows. * also in 1936 pocket steps and extra railings were added to the fireman's side (left side) of the cab to improve access to the bunker. * in 1937 a drawing was issued for fitting shutters and doors to the older, pre-8750 class, locomotives. *in 1938 a larger whistle shield was fitted, which became standard for the larger cabs. *in 1942 a new type of top feed was introduced, with separate clackboxes in a taller cover, and internal delivery pipes rather than trays. All these changes (with the exception of the new top feed) were later applied to locomotives that had been built earlier. The new top feed became standard for new locomotives in 1944. Some older boilers and locomotives were later fitted with the new top feed, and some locomotives that were built with the new top feed were later changed back to the old design as boilers were swapped.


Variants

A small number of 5700s were adapted for specific tasks: * in 1937, 1938 and during World War II thirteen 5700s were fitted with spark arresting chimneys for work on industrial and military sites with significant fire risks. * in 1958 No. 3711 was converted to oil burning by
Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Ltd (RSH) was a locomotive builder with works in North East England. History The company was formed in September 1937 when Robert Stephenson and Company, which was based in Darlington, took over the locomotive ...
. * in 1946 No. 7722 was fitted with winding gear to work the Pwllyrhebog Colliery incline on the former
Taff Vale Railway The Taff Vale Railway (TVR) was a standard gauge railway in South Wales, built by the Taff Vale Railway Company to serve the iron and coal industries around Merthyr Tydfil and to connect them with docks in Cardiff. It was opened in st ...
.


Production

The first 5700s were built in 1929 by North British Locomotive Co. and, later in the year, at GWR's
Swindon Works Swindon railway works was opened by the Great Western Railway in 1843 in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. It served as the principal west England maintenance centre until closed in 1986. History In 1835 Parliament approved the construction of the ...
. Between 1929 and 1931 a total of 300 were built, of which 50 were built by GWR, and the rest by outside contractors: *
Armstrong Whitworth Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. With headquarters in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth built armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles and ...
: 25 (Nos. 7775–99) * W. G. Bagnall: 50 (Nos. 6700–24, 8725–49) * Beyer, Peacock & Co: 25 (Nos. 8700–24) *
Kerr Stuart Kerr, Stuart and Company Ltd was a locomotive manufacturer in Stoke-on-Trent, England. History It was founded in 1881 by James Kerr as "James Kerr & Company", and became "Kerr, Stuart & Company" from 1883 when John Stuart was taken on as a pa ...
: 25 (Nos. 7700–24) * North British: 100 (Nos. 5700–49, 7725–74) * Yorkshire Engine Co: 25 (Nos. 6725–49) It was unusual, but not unprecedented, for GWR to use outside contractors to build locomotives (50 of the 200 strong 5600 class had been built by
Armstrong Whitworth Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. With headquarters in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth built armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles and ...
). The building programme was partly funded by interest-free Government loans intended to relieve unemployment during the Great Depression. Also, stricter accountancy rules that distinguished between maintenance and building costs meant that it was often economically worthwhile to build new locomotives rather than repair older locomotives. At first, more 5700s were built than were immediately needed so Nos. 6700–49 were stored for a couple of years before being allocated. Many of these were then assigned to sheds near the South Wales ports of Newport, Barry, Cardiff and Swansea. After a gap of a year, building started again in 1933, with the 8750 and 9700 classes, and continued until 1950. All the later locomotives, totalling 563, were built at Swindon, and the numbers built only dropped in the last few years with the introduction of the 9400 class in 1947.


Numbers built

A total of 863 5700s were built and the table below shows the number built by year.


Build details

The 5700s were specified by 27 different order numbers, or lots, shown below.


Costs

Some known costs (either GWR's out-shop value or cost from contractors) are shown below, along with estimated equivalent values for 2013.


Numbering and liveries

The size of the class demanded that the 5700 class locomotives were spread across several series of numbers. The different series started in the following chronological order; 57xx (1929), 77xx (1929), 67xx (1930), 87xx (1931), 97xx (1933), 37xx (1936), 36xx (1938), 46xx (1941), and 96xx (1945). GWR locomotives were not renumbered after nationalisation, but a W (for Western Region) was temporarily added to some locomotives. The first 5700s built were painted in the standard GWR livery of the time; mainly green above the running plate with the words "GREAT WESTERN" painted in yellow letters with red and black shadowing on the side of the pannier tanks, buffer beams painted red with the number shown in yellow letters with black shadowing, and the front of the smokebox and chimney were black. From 1934 the GWR "shirtbutton" roundel replaced "GREAT WESTERN". From 1942 GWR replaced the roundel with the letters "G W R", in yellow letters with red and black shading. Due to wartime shortages most locomotives, apart from the Kings and
Castles A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified ...
, were painted black from 1942 to 1945. After nationalisation, some 5700s were painted in BR green with the words "BRITISH RAILWAYS" on the side of the pannier tanks, but unlined black soon became the standard for tank locomotives, with the BR crest on the sides of the pannier tanks. Some 5700s also had white and red lining on the pannier tanks and cab sides. The BR crest was changed in 1957. The 5700s bought by London Transport between 1956 and 1963 were repainted in the standard LT maroon livery with yellow and black lining. Those bought by NCB were painted in a light green.


Operation

The 5700s were used on GWR for various duties including shunting, pilot work, and light to medium goods. They were also used on branch, commuter and shorter mainline passenger trains. They were also used on standby for more powerful locomotives, sometimes producing "firework displays" as they strived to keep to the schedule with heavier loads. The 5700s were never fitted remote control gear for working autotrains. This was left to smaller pannier locomotives that followed; the 5400 class (introduced in 1930) and the 6400 Class (introduced in 1932). The 9700s (fitted with condensing equipment for underground working) and built specifically for working the line between Paddington and Smithfield, were allocated to
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. The 6700s (built for shunting only and kept in storage for a couple of years because of a lack of suitable work) eventually found their niche working the marshalling yards between the South Wales coalfields and the coal exporting docks of
Llanelli Llanelli (" St Elli's Parish"; ) is a market town and the largest community in Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is located on the Loughor estuary north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarth ...
, Swansea,
Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
,
Barry Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 19 ...
and Newport. Some were allocated to just one shed for their entire working life (Nos. 6700–9 at Cardiff East Dock and Nos. 6725–32 at Newport, Pill). A number of 6700s were also allocated to Swindon, with 6733–41 spending a long time there. Thirteen 5700s were fitted with spark arresting chimneys for working in industrial and military systems and sidings, particularly the
War Department War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War (1789–1947) See also * War Office, a former department of the British Government * Ministry of defence * Ministry of War * Ministry of Defence * D ...
ammunition dump at Milton, near Didcot during World War II. The Pwllyrhebog Colliery incline on the former
Taff Vale Railway The Taff Vale Railway (TVR) was a standard gauge railway in South Wales, built by the Taff Vale Railway Company to serve the iron and coal industries around Merthyr Tydfil and to connect them with docks in Cardiff. It was opened in st ...
was a 1-in-13 incline with a continuous rope cable so that a descending train was partially counterbalanced by an ascending train. The locomotives (
Taff Vale Railway H class The Taff Vale Railway H class was a class of three 0-6-0T steam tank locomotives designed by Tom Hurry Riches, built by Kitson & Co. and introduced to the Taff Vale Railway in 1884. They were primarily used on the Taff Vale Railway#Pwllyrhebog, ...
) on the incline were fitted with coned boilers so that there was always sufficient water above the firebox. To provide additional control and power a stationary locomotive, fitted with two intergeared drums, controlled the cable. No. 2750 Class 2721 had been fitted with the necessary winding gear to control the incline in 1935, but was withdrawn in 1945, and replaced by 5700 No. 7722 which was fitted with the winding gear in 1946. Operation of the incline ended in 1952.


Allocation

The 5700s' route classification (Blue) meant that they were allowed on approximately 70% of the GWR network. By 1938 only 15 (out of approximately 70) running sheds did not have any 5700s allocated. In 1950, the route classification was changed to Yellow because of the 5700s' low
hammer blow In rail terminology, hammer blow or dynamic augment is a vertical force which alternately adds to and subtracts from the locomotive's weight on a wheel. It is transferred to the track by the driving wheels of many steam locomotives. It is an out-of ...
. The change did not apply to Nos. 9700–10. This meant that 5700s were now allowed on almost 90% of the old GWR network (roughly equivalent to the new Western Region of British Rail). By 1954 only five running sheds (Abercynon, Aberystwyth, Machynlleth, Treherbert and Truro) did not have any 5700s allocated.


BR working

In the early years of British Railways the boundaries between the Western Region and the Southern Region changed a number of times. 5700s took up new duties in a variety of places: *At Weymouth, 5700s operated the branch line to the Isle of Portland (replacing
LSWR O2 class The LSWR O2 class is a class of 0-4-4T steam locomotive designed for the London and South Western Railway by William Adams. Sixty were constructed during the late nineteenth century. They were also the last steam engines to work on the Isle of ...
0-4-4T locomotives). They were also seen pulling boat trains through the streets of Weymouth. *Six 5700s were allocated to Nine Elms and worked empty stock between Waterloo and
Clapham Junction Clapham Junction is an urban locality around Clapham Junction railway station in London, England. Despite its name, it is not located in Clapham, but forms the commercial centre of Battersea. Clapham Junction was a scene of disturbances during ...
(replacing
LSWR M7 class The LSWR M7 class is a class of 0-4-4 passenger tank locomotive built between 1897 and 1911. The class was designed by Dugald Drummond for use on the intensive London network of the London and South Western Railway (LSWR), and performed well ...
0-4-4T locomotives). *The short Folkestone Harbour branch line from
Folkestone Harbour station Folkestone Harbour station was one of four railway stations in Folkestone, Kent. It served Folkestone Harbour with connecting boat train services across the English Channel to Calais and Boulogne. The station was opened by the South Eas ...
to Folkestone Junction was always problematic when hauling heavy boat trains up the 1-in-36 incline. Six 5700s were allocated to Dover for working (including
banking A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Becau ...
) on the branch (replacing SER R1 class 0-6-0T locomotives). The last scheduled passenger trains hauled by 5700s on BR were on seen London Midland Region on the Wrexham to New Brighton route (passing over old
LNER LNER may refer to: * London and North Eastern Railway, a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1923 until 1947 * London North Eastern Railway, a train operating company in the United Kingdom since 2018 * Liquid neutral earthing resistor, a typ ...
territory). The Wrexham to Seacombe service ended at the beginning of 1960 but was immediately replaced by a Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) service between Wrexham and New Brighton. The service on Bank Holidays was so popular that demand outstripped available DMUs, and a relief train of four coaches pulled by No. 3749 was laid on. Two more 5700s were used over the Spring Bank Holiday that year, but from then
BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T The British Railways Standard Class 4 tank is a class of steam locomotive, one of the BR standard classes built during the 1950s. They were used primarily on commuter and outer suburban services. They were capable of reaching speeds of . Backg ...
locomotives usually handled the relief services. In 1965 5700s were used for the last time on Whit Monday and August Bank Holiday relief services. The 5700s were the last steam locomotives used on GWR/Western region. The last working locomotives were allocated to
Croes Newydd Croes Newydd was a large steam locomotive shed, marshalling yard and junction in Wrexham, in Wales. History The Wrexham and Minera Railway was opened on 22 May 1862, with little ceremony except a note from the Traffic Manager of the Great Wes ...
, and were working goods trains and shunting until November 1966. By the end of the steam era the record keeping of allocations and working of local steam locomotives was rather lax, and it was not unknown for locomotives to be used after being officially withdrawn. For many years Nos. 4646, 4696, and 9774 were thought to be the last ex-GWR locomotives to work on British Rail, but No. 9641 was also still in steam at Croes Newydd at the same time.


5700s at work

File:Southall station, with up goods passing geograph-2946778-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg, alt=A pannier tank locomotive, travelling in reverse, is pulling a train of open and closed goods wagons through a station., No. 3620 with a typical goods train at Southall station Didcot Collett '8750' class geograph-2951175-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg, alt=A pannier tank locomotive with a conical chimney is pulling a shunter's wagon and guards van., No. 4601 with spark arresting chimney for shunting at the WD sidings at Milton File:Weymouth boat train 1 (374393697).jpg, alt=A green pannier tank locomotive is pulling green passenger coaches past a row of parked cars. In the foreground is a harbour with moored pleasure craft. Behind the train is a row of buildings., A boat train on the quayside at Weymouth with No. 4624 File:Swansea High Street Station, with a GW 0-6-0PT bringing in empty stock geograph-2575887-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg, alt=A pannier tank locomotive pulling five passenger coaches through a station, No. 9792 hauling empty stock at Swansea High Street station File:Newport High Street 2 station geograph-2575019-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg, alt=A pannier tank locomotive pulling a train of three wagons through a station. The coaches are a parcel van, a goods wagon, and a passenger coach., No. 9662 on pilot duty at Newport High Street station File:Shrewsbury station geograph-2570148-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg, alt=A pannier tank locomotive is standing at a station platform and taking on water from a large filling pipe. The fireman is standing on the locomotive. The driver is controlling the water valve, but may have been distracted by the photographer, as water is cascading over the side of the locomotive. A boy watches., No. 3769 taking on water at Shrewsbury station File:Southall, Ealing geograph-2575873-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg, alt=Two steam engines are passing through a station. On the left is a large passenger express locomotive, and on the right, slightly ahead, is a pannier tank locomotive pulling a goods train of open wagons and a flat bogey. It looks as though the locomotives are racing, but as the plumes of steam from the locomotives are at different angles, the fast express will probably quickly catch up with the pannier and pass it., No. 9791 racing Castle Class No. 7006 Lydford Castle at Southall File:Llanelly 2 Locomotive Depot 2073546 ce23d850.jpg, alt=The inside of an engine shed with part of a turntable in the foreground. A number of engines are arranged round the turntable, each with their chimneys under large ventilation cowls., Llanelly depot - Nos. 7211 (7200 class), 1633 (1600 class), 3642 (5700 class), 1607 (1600 class) and 5722 (5700 class)


Accidents and incidents

*On 26 August 1940, a bombing raid destroyed a goods shed at
Bordesley, West Midlands Bordesley is an area of Birmingham, England, south east of the city centre straddling the Watery Lane Middleway ring road. It should not be confused with nearby Bordesley Green. Commercial premises dominate to the west of the ring road, but muc ...
. During the raid Peter Smout, an 18-year-old engine cleaner who was acting as the fireman on a shunter, volunteered to drive No. 7758 to pull wagons out of the blazing goods shed. He made three more trips. He was assisted by Frederick Blake, a wagon examiner and a navy veteran from World War I, who operated the points levers. When they finished, the right hand side of the footplate was too hot to touch, and Blake had to use his hat to work the points as the levers were also too hot to touch. Both men were awarded the
George Medal The George Medal (GM), instituted on 24 September 1940 by King George VI,''British Gallantry Medals'' (Abbott and Tamplin), p. 138 is a decoration of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, awarded for gallantry, typically by civilians, or in cir ...
for their courage. *On 7 December 1961, a locomotive of the class was in collision with a freight train at Bodmin General station,
Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...
due to a faulty signal failing to give a clear danger aspect.


Other pannier tank locomotives

There were numerous other classes of pannier tanks built by the GWR. The majority belonged to two "families" of "large" and "small" designs. Others included absorbed stock, more specialised types and conversions of tender locos. The two main groups were: * A "large" group originally featuring saddle tanks (or in a few cases side tanks), 4 ft 6 in driving wheels and double frames e.g. 1076 Class or inside frames GWR 645 Class, culminating in the 94xx. * A "small" group originally built at Wolverhampton Works with saddle tanks and driving wheels of 4 ft commencing with the
GWR 850 Class The GWR Class 850 was an extensive class of small locomotives designed by George Armstrong and built at the Wolverhampton railway works of the Great Western Railway between 1874 and 1895. Aptly described as the GWR equivalent of the LB&SCR "T ...
and culminating in the BR 16xx For example, within the "small" group, the GWR 5400 Class locomotives were derived from the William Dean-designed
GWR 2021 Class The GWR 2021 Class was a class of 140 steam locomotives. They were built at the Wolverhampton railway works of the Great Western Railway between 1897 and 1905. 1897 was the very year of George Armstrong's retirement, so it is uncertain if ...
(an enlargement of the 850 Class), with larger wheels for higher top speed and fitted with
autotrain The Autotrain was a type of passenger train used in the early 20th century, where the steam locomotive could be remotely controlled from the rear of the train. This meant that the engine would not have to run-around at the end of a journey bef ...
apparatus ('auto-fitted') for push-pull passenger work. The
GWR 6400 Class The Great Western Railway (GWR) 6400 Class is a class of 0-6-0 pannier tank steam locomotive introduced by Charles Collett in 1932. All 40 examples were 'auto-fitted' – equipped with the remote-control equipment needed for working autotra ...
were similar to the 5400 Class, also being auto-fitted, but having the same size wheels as the 5700. The
GWR 7400 Class GWR may refer to: Transport * Great Western Railway, British railway company 1833–1947 * Great Western Railway (train operating company), British railway company (1996–) * Great Western Main Line, a railway line in the UK * Great Western ...
were very similar to the 6400 Class, but were not auto-fitted and had a higher boiler pressure. Within the "large" group, the
GWR 9400 Class The Great Western Railway (GWR) 9400 Class is a class of 0-6-0 pannier tank steam locomotive, used for shunting and banking duties. The first ten 9400s were the last steam engines built by the GWR. After nationalisation in 1948, another 200 we ...
was the post-war updated design of the 8750 variant of the 57xx: heavier and longer, but nominally no more powerful, using the same taper boiler as the
GWR 2251 Class The Great Western Railway (GWR) 2251 Class or Collett Goods Class was a class of 0-6-0 steam tender locomotives designed for medium-powered freight. They were introduced in 1930 as a replacement for the earlier Dean Goods 0-6-0s and were bu ...
. For a list of classes, see
GWR 0-6-0PT The GWR 0-6-0PT ( Pannier Tank), is a type of steam locomotive built by the British Great Western Railway with the water tanks carried on both sides of the boiler, in the manner of panniers. They were used for local, suburban and branch line passe ...
.


Withdrawal and mileages

After the
1955 Modernisation Plan Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...
, the reduction in branch line work and the introduction of diesel shunters, the Western Region embarked on a dieselisation programme which, along with a reduction in branch line work, reduced the demand for the services of the 5700s. Withdrawal from service with BR started in 1956 and was completed in 1966. Twenty locomotives were sold and continued in use until 1971 (London Transport) and 1975 (National Coal Board). le Fleming noted that the mileages of those withdrawn between March 1956 and March 1958 ranged "between 500,000 and 556,000". Some other known mileages are shown below.


Use after British Railways

Nineteen 5700s were sold for further use after being withdrawn by British Railways. The
National Coal Board The National Coal Board (NCB) was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the United Kingdom's collieries on "ve ...
(NCB) bought five, one was bought by P.D. Fuels, and thirteen were bought by London Transport. One more locomotive, No. 9642, was withdrawn in 1964 and sold for scrap to Hayes Scrapyard. It was used for three years to shunt other locomotives being scrapped, and was later saved for preservation.


London Transport

Although the
London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The ...
network had been electrified for many years (the then Metropolitan Railway was electrified in 1905) a small number of steam locomotives were retained for engineering and ballast trains. By the 1950s the locomotives were past their prime and expensive to maintain, and the planned quadrupling of part of the Metropolitan line would require reliable locomotives. London Transport considered replacing the steam fleet with diesel shunters, and had also tested (unsuccessfully) a Great Northern Railway Class J52 locomotive in 1955. The first 5700 locomotive, No. 7711, underwent trials from January to April 1956, first running between
Finchley Road Finchley Road is a designated arterial road in north-west London, England. The Finchley Road starts in St John's Wood near central London as part of the A41; its southern half is a major dual carriageway with high traffic levels often freque ...
and Baker Street. Modifications were needed to the cab for clearance and the
tripcock Part of a railway signalling system, a train stop, trip stop or tripcock (sometimes called a tripper) is a train protection device that automatically stops a train if it attempts to pass a signal when the signal aspect and operating rules proh ...
brake valves after problems were found when running in reverse. Curtains were also fitted to the cab to reduce smoke and fumes in tunnels. In May, the 5700s became the standard for engineering trains on London Transport when they bought No. 7711 (for £3,160), decided to buy another (No. 5752), and planned to buy more over the coming years. Thirteen 5700s were bought by London Transport (from 1956 to 1963). They were numbered L89 to L99 and were allocated to the depots at
Lillie Bridge The Lillie Bridge Grounds was a sports ground on the Fulham side of West Brompton, London. It opened in 1866, coinciding with the opening of West Brompton station. It was named after the local landowner, Sir John Scott Lillie (1790–1868) a ...
( Fulham) and
Neasden Neasden is a suburban area in northwest London, England. It is located around the centre of the London Borough of Brent and is within the NW2 ( Cricklewood) and NW10 (Willesden) postal districts. Neasden is near Wembley Stadium, the Welsh Har ...
. Only eleven were running at any one time, the original L90 and L91 were withdrawn for repairs but scrapped instead and replaced by other locomotives which carried the same number. They worked permanent way trains and were never used on normal passenger services. Main line running included trips between depots, to Acton Works and runs out to Croxley Tip, near Watford. Three of the LT 5700s lasted until the end of steam on London Transport in 1971 and were the last steam locomotives used for regular mainline working in the UK. London Transport commemorated the end of operating steam locomotives with a special run from Moorgate station to Neasden depot. The train comprised No. L94 (No. 7752) and a selection of maintenance rolling stock. Three diesel-hydraulic locomotives were bought to carry out the shunting duties from then on.


National Coal Board

Between 1959 and 1965 the National Coal Board (NCB) bought five 5700s from BR for use at pits in South Wales, continuing a tradition of the GWR selling withdrawn pannier tank locomotives to the NCB. The engines retained their BR numbers. The NCB locomotives did not receive maintenance to match GWR standards and were run into the ground, saving the cost of expensive overhauls. One of the NCB 5700s, No. 7754, was the last in industrial service, and after working at various collieries was moved to Deep Duffryn Colliery at
Mountain Ash Mountain ash may refer to: * ''Eucalyptus regnans'', the tallest of all flowering plants, native to Australia * Mountain-ashes or rowans, varieties of trees and shrubs in the genus ''Sorbus'' See also * Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf Mounta ...
in 1970, where an ex-GWR fitter kept it working until 1975 when a loose piston resulted in a blown cylinder cover. No. 7754 could still be seen on shed in 1980. The NCB donated No. 7754 to the
National Museum Wales National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...
, who placed it on permanent loan to the
Llangollen Railway The Llangollen Railway () is a volunteer-run heritage railway in Denbighshire, North Wales, which operates between Llangollen and Corwen. The standard gauge line, which is long, runs on part of the former Ruabon – Barmouth GWR route that c ...
. It is now owned by the Llangollen Railway Trust.


Other uses

No. 3650 was withdrawn in 1963 and then sold to P.D. Fuels, a division of Stephenson Clarke Ltd., and was used to move spoil to slag heaps at Gwaen-Caer-Gurwen colliery near Ammanford,
Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as ...
. It was later bought and restored by members of the
Great Western Society Didcot Railway Centre is a railway museum and preservation engineering site in Didcot, Oxfordshire, England. The site was formerly a Great Western Railway engine shed and locomotive stabling point. Background The founders and commercial backe ...
and became operational in 2009. No. 9642 was withdrawn in 1964 and sent to Hayes Scrapyard, near Bridgend. Rather than being scrapped, it was used to shunt other locomotives being scrapped. It was due to be scrapped in 1967, making it the 346th locomotive to be scrapped there, but thanks to a last minute intervention, the locomotive was bought (1968) and restored by the South Wales Pannier Group, becoming the first member of the class to be preserved. It was moved to Maesteg Colliery where it gave break van rides from the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s.


Preservation

Sixteen 5700 class locomotives have been preserved, 8 are from the original 5700 class & the other 8 are members of the 8750 sub-class. 11 are Swindon built classmembers with the remaining 5 being from outside contractors. Of the sixteen engines five are currently operational. Four of the class have worked mainline trains: 7715, 7752, 7760 and 9600. As of 2020 none of the engines are mainline certified: 7715, 7752, 7760 and 9600 are stored out of service awaiting overhauls. Two locomotives are on static display, and two are in store. Six locomotives are undergoing, or waiting for, maintenance. One locomotive, No. 9629, is being restored, and has not been in steam since it was sent to
Barry Scrapyard Woodham Brothers Ltd is a trading business, based mainly around activities and premises located within Barry Docks, in Barry, South Wales. It is noted globally for its 1960s activity as a scrapyard (hence its colloquial name of Barry Scrapyard), ...
in 1965. A number of those bought from London Transport, which had been maintained by British Railways, were still in running order and were used on heritage railways with minimal work. No. 5764 (LT L95) was steamed the day it arrived at Bridgnorth on the
Severn Valley Railway The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The heritage line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route, and c ...
, being lit-up before it had been removed from the low-loader on which it was delivered. As of June 2018, Nos. 7752 (LT L94) and 5786 (LT L92) can be seen running in the maroon livery of London Transport, but No. 7715 (LT L99) is currently out of service. The locomotives that were preserved after NCB and industrial use required rather more work than those acquired from London Transport. Some had been laid up for sometime after being withdrawn, and had received very little, if any, maintenance. Of the twelve 5700s that went to
Barry Scrapyard Woodham Brothers Ltd is a trading business, based mainly around activities and premises located within Barry Docks, in Barry, South Wales. It is noted globally for its 1960s activity as a scrapyard (hence its colloquial name of Barry Scrapyard), ...
, five were saved for preservation and one (No. 3612) was bought for spares by the Severn Valley Railway.


Liveries

The GWR 5700 class locomotives have been in a number of liveries throughout preservation and their working lives.


In fiction

No. 5775 on the
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway is a heritage railway line in the Worth Valley, West Yorkshire, England, which runs from Keighley to Oxenhope. It connects to the National Rail network at Keighley railway station. History Inception ...
featured in the film ''
The Railway Children ''The Railway Children'' is a children's book by Edith Nesbit, originally serialised in ''The London Magazine'' during 1905 and published in book form in the same year. It has been adapted for the screen several times, of which the 1970 fil ...
'' painted brown and lettered with GN&SR (Great Northern and Southern Railway). In May 2014, No. 5775 was moved to
National Railway Museum Shildon Locomotion, previously known as Locomotion the National Railway Museum at Shildon, is a railway museum in Shildon, County Durham, England. The museum was renamed in 2017 when it became part of the Science Museum Group. Overview The museum was ...
, for cosmetic restoration back to the livery used in the film. Duck the Great Western Engine in ''
The Railway Series ''The Railway Series'' is a series of British books about a railway known as the North Western Railway, located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first published in May 1945 by the Rev. Wilbert Awdry. Tw ...
'' books by the Rev. W Awdry and the TV series ''
Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends ''Thomas & Friends'' (originally known as ''Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends'' and later ''Thomas & Friends: Big World! Big Adventures!'') is a British children's television series that aired across 24 series from 1984 to 2021. Based on ''The ...
'' is a 5700 Class pannier tank. In the books, his number was No. 5741. No. 5764 appeared several times in the 1976 BBC television adaptation of
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
' short ghost story, ''
The Signal-Man "The Signal-Man" is a first-person horror/mystery story by Charles Dickens, first published as part of the ''Mugby Junction'' collection in the 1866 Christmas edition of '' All the Year Round''. The railway signal-man of the title tells the na ...
''.


Model railways

Mainline Railways had
OO gauge OO gauge or OO scale (also, 00 gauge and 00 scale) is the most popular standard-gauge model railway standard in the United Kingdom, outside of which it is virtually unknown. OO gauge is one of several 4 mm-scale standards (4 mm to 1 foot, ...
Class 5700 models in their catalogue in 1982–3, with models in GWR green and BR black.
Bachmann Branchline Bachmann Branchline is a British OO gauge model railway brand manufactured by Bachmann Europe PLC a subsidiary of Bachmann Industries, and is used for British outline OO scale model railways. Bachmann, a US company founded in 1835, was purchased ...
has made
OO gauge OO gauge or OO scale (also, 00 gauge and 00 scale) is the most popular standard-gauge model railway standard in the United Kingdom, outside of which it is virtually unknown. OO gauge is one of several 4 mm-scale standards (4 mm to 1 foot, ...
models of the 5700 and 8750 classes in various GWR and BR liveries, and also in the liveries of LT, NCB, Stephenson Clarke, and even GNSR (the fictional railway company in ''The Railway Children''). Hornby produced various OO gauge models of the 8750 class in GWR and LT liveries.
Graham Farish {{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022 Graham Farish is a company that produces large quantities of British outline model railway equipment in N gauge. History The Poole, Dorset based manufacturer of radio parts and kits entered the model railway busin ...
has made British N gauge models of the 5700 and 8750 classes in various GWR and BR liveries.
Dapol Dapol Ltd is a model railway manufacturer based in Chirk, Wales. The factory where some of the design and manufacturing take place is just over the border in England. The company is known for its model railway products in N gauge, OO gauge a ...
make British N gauge models of the 5700 and 8750 classes in various GWR and BR liveries. Just Like The Real Thing make an
O gauge O scale (or O gauge) is a scale commonly used for toy trains and rail transport modelling. Introduced by German toy manufacturer Märklin around 1900, by the 1930s three-rail alternating current O gauge was the most common model railroad sca ...
kit for the 5700 and 8750 classes.
Dapol Dapol Ltd is a model railway manufacturer based in Chirk, Wales. The factory where some of the design and manufacturing take place is just over the border in England. The company is known for its model railway products in N gauge, OO gauge a ...
since their merger with Lionheart Models in August 2016 are planning on producing models of the 57xx class in O gauge in 2017–2018. Minerva models has also released 0 gauge models of the 57xx in Great Western and British railway liveries. Aster Hobbies produced a gauge 1 live steam 5700 Pannier tank in several GWR liverys, BR black, BR green and London Transport. Although the LT shade of red is totally wrong, using signal red instead of the Crimson red, however it is still eye catching in the bright red.


See also

*
GWR 0-6-0PT The GWR 0-6-0PT ( Pannier Tank), is a type of steam locomotive built by the British Great Western Railway with the water tanks carried on both sides of the boiler, in the manner of panniers. They were used for local, suburban and branch line passe ...
– ''list of classes of GWR 0-6-0 pannier tank, including table of preserved locomotives'' *
LMS Fowler Class 3F The London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Fowler 3F is a class of steam locomotive, often known as Jinty. They represent the ultimate development of the Midland Railway's six-coupled tank engines. They could reach speeds of up to 60  ...
– the London, Midland and Scottish Railway's standard shunter *
LNER Class J50 The Great Northern Railway Class J23 was a class of steam locomotive. They had long side tanks that came to the front of the smokebox, which sloped forwards to improve visibility and had a recess cut in to aid maintenance. Forty were built by t ...
– the London and North Eastern Railway's standard shunter *
Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST The Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST is a class of steam locomotive designed by Hunslet Engine Company for shunting. The class became the standard British shunting locomotive during the Second World War, and production continued until 1964 at vari ...
– the War Department's standard shunter * British Rail Class 08 – BR's standard shunter in the 1950s and 1960s


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

* * *


External links


5700 Tank Class Introduction



Steam Locos in Profile – The GWR 5700 Pannier Tanks
– a 15-minute
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
documentary
No. 3650 in action at Didcot Railway
- includes footage taken in the cab and of the motion (7 minutes) {{#related:Locomotives of the Great Western Railway 5700 0-6-0PT locomotives Armstrong Whitworth locomotives Bagnall locomotives Beyer, Peacock locomotives Kerr Stuart locomotives NBL locomotives YEC locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 1929 Standard gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain Mixed traffic locomotives