GWR 4575 Class
| GWR 4575 class | |
|---|---|
BR | |
| Class | 4575 |
| Power class | GWR: C, BR: 4MT |
| Number in class | 100 |
| Numbers | 4575–4599, 5500–5574 |
| Nicknames | Small Prairie |
| Axle load class | GWR: Yellow |
| Withdrawn | 1956–1964 |
| Preserved | 4588, 5521, 5526, 5532, 5538, 5539, 5541, 5542, 5552, 5553, 5572 |
| Disposition | 11 preserved, remainder scrapped |
The
2-6-2T British steam locomotives
.
History
They were designed as small mixed traffic branch locomotives, mainly used on branch lines. They were a development of Churchward's
auto trailers.[2]
They often are referred to as Small Prairie Class tank locomotives.
| Year | Quantity | Lot No. | Locomotive numbers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | 30 | 242 | 4575–4599, 5500–5504 | |
| 1927 | 20 | 249 | 5505–5524 | |
| 1928 | 20 | 251 | 5525–5544 | |
| 1928–29 | 30 | 253 | 5545–5574 |
Preservation
11 members of the class have been preserved:
| Number and name | Home | Status | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4588 | Peak Rail | Has run in preservation, but currently out of service requiring overhaul. It was sold from the Dartmouth Steam Railway in 2015 and is now owned by Mike Thompson and based at Peak Rail.[4] | 
|
| 5521/L.150 | Epping Ongar Railway[5] | Built in 1927, withdrawn by BR and sent to Woodham Brothers scrapyard, having run just over 1,000,000 miles (1,600,000 km). Saved with classmates 4561 and 5542 by the West Somerset Railway Association, but was sold with 5542 to repay purchase debts and to fund restoration of 4561. Bought by Richard and William Parker in 1980, it was restored at the Flour Mill, Forest of Dean from 2004 to 2007. It was featured in the 2007 Wolsztyn Parade, then travelled to Budapest, Hungary where it worked intermittently with MAV Nosztalgia, including piloting the Orient Express. It returned to Poland in 2008, operating suburban services from Wroclaw to Jelcz Laskowice. After a third appearance at the 2009 Wolsztyn Parade, it was returned to England. In May 2013, it was painted in London Transport livery and numbered L.150 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Metropolitan line. Returned to traffic in 2021 following overhaul.[6] | 
|
| 5526 | South Devon Railway | On loan to the Gwili Railway. Boiler ticket expires in 2027. | 
|
| 5532 | Llangollen Railway | Under restoration.[7] | |
| 5538 | The Flour Mill, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire | Under restoration. Previously displayed in Barry Island.[8] | 
|
| 5539 | Barry Tourist Railway | Under restoration. Previously part of the Barry Ten until 2006.[9] | |
| 5541 | Dean Forest Railway | Currently operational. Boiler ticket expires in 2024.[10] | 
|
| 5542 | South Devon Railway | Currently under overhaul at the South Devon Railway. This locomotive has visited several preserved railways throughout her preservation career.[11] | 
|
| 5552 | Bodmin and Wenford Railway | Returned to service in 2023 after overhaul, having previously run from 2003 to 2013.[12] | 
|
| 5553 | Peak Rail | Owned by scrapyard in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, in January 1990. First resteamed in 2002, running until 2012, mostly at the West Somerset Railway. Moved in 2015 from Crewe Heritage Centre for overhaul, which was completed in 2021 at Peak Rail. Currently operational, boiler ticket expires 2031.
|
.JPG)
|
| 5572 | Didcot Railway Centre | On static display awaiting overhaul.[13] | .jpg)
|
Two members of the class have also briefly been out on the mainline: 5521 and 5572. 5521 was shipped to
"Iron Duke" alongside the preserved GWR Railcar
W22W.
In fiction
4566 with a GWR Shirtbutton logo was featured in the train chase sequence from the 1978 Disney film Candleshoe.
Models and toys
Lima made a model of the 4575 class, number 4589, in GWR green, also a British Railways black-liveried version, running number 5574. Bachmann Branchline have for many years made various versions of the 4575 Class.
See also
References
- ^ Champ (2018), p. 319.
- ^ a b le Fleming (1962), pp. J46–J50.
- ^ Allcock et al. (1968), p. 35.
- ^ "South Devon Railway 4588 page". Archived from the original on 20 September 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ^ "Great Western Railway 4575 class 2-6-2T locomotive, 5521". Epping Ongar Railway. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
- ^ "The Flour Mill 5521 page".
- ^ "Llangollen Railway 5532 Page".
- ^ "The Flour Mill Projects page".
- ^ "Llangollen Railway 5539 Page". Archived from the original on 30 December 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ^ "Dean Forest Locomotive Group 5541 Page".
- ^ "5542 Web site".
- ^ "Bodmin and Wenford Stock List - 5552". Archived from the original on 9 April 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ^ "5572 - 2-6-2T".
- Allcock, N. J.; Davies, F. K.; le Fleming, H. M.; Maskelyne, J. N.; Reed, P. J. T.; Tabor, F. J. (1968) [1951]. White, D. E. (ed.). The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway, part one: Preliminary Survey. Kenilworth: RCTS.
- Champ, Jim (2018). An Introduction to Great Western Locomotive Development. Barnsley: OL 26953051M.
- le Fleming, H.M. (February 1962). White, D.E. (ed.). The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway, part nine: Standard Two-Cylinder Classes. RCTS.
- Whitehurst, Brian (1973). Great Western Engines, Names, Numbers, Types and Classes (1940 to Preservation). Oxford, UK: Oxford Publishing Company. pp. 40–41, 50, 102, 137. OCLC 815661.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to GWR 4575 Class.
- 4400 / 4500 tank classes
- Class 4575 Details at Rail UK