GWR 2900 Class

Great Western Railway 2900 Saint class
2933 Bibury Court
Power type Steam
Designer George Jackson Churchward
Builder GWR Swindon Works
Configuration 4-6-0
Leading wheel
diameter		 3 ft 2 in (0.965 m)
Driver diameter 6 ft 8 1⁄2 in (2.045 m)
Wheelbase loco: 27 ft 1 in (8.26 m)
loco & tender: 53 ft 4 3⁄4 in (16.28 m)
Length 63 ft ¼ in (19.21 m)
Width 8 ft 11 in (2.72 m)
Height 13 ft 3 1⁄2 in (4.051 m)
Axle load 18 long tons (18 t)
Locomotive weight 68.30 long tons (69.40 t)
Tender weight 43.15 long tons (43.84 t)
Fuel capacity 5 long tons (5.1 t)
Water capacity 4,000 imp gal (18,000 l; 4,800 US gal)
Boiler GWR Standard No. 1
Boiler pressure 200 psi (1.38 MPa)
Firegrate area 27.22 sq ft (2.529 m2)
Heating surface:
Tubes and flues		 1,485.96 sq ft (138.050 m2)
Heating surface:
Firebox		 154.94 sq ft (14.394 m2)
Superheater area 307.52 sq ft (28.570 m2)
Cylinders Two, outside
Cylinder size 18 in × 30 in (457 mm × 762 mm)
Valve gear Stephenson
Valve type 10 in (254 mm) piston valves
Tractive effort 20,530 lbf (91.32 kN)
Career Great Western Railway
Class 2900 or Saint
Power class GWR: C
BR: 4P
Number in class 76
Axle load class Red
Retired 1931–1953
Disposition All scrapped, but one Hall being back-dated to 2900 specification

The Great Western Railway 2900 or Saint Class were a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotives for passenger train work. Number 2925 Saint Martin was later rebuilt as the prototype Hall Class locomotive, and renumbered 4900.

Contents

Prototypes

Three prototype locomotives were constructed by the GWR in 1902 and 1903. The first prototype, numbered 100, was built initially with a parallel boiler, which was replaced with a half-cone boiler, and then the first superheated half-cone boiler in 1910. G J Churchward had studied American boiler design, but he was also influenced by continental practice in efficient motion design. From the Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques (SACM) a De Glehn 4-4-2 compound engine was ordered for comparative trials on the GWR.[1]

Number 98, the second prototype locomotive, was built with a half-cone boiler and a re-designed valve gear layout and cylinders. Valve diameters were increased from 6½ inches (165 mm) to 10 inches (254 mm).[1]

Locomotive no. 171, the third prototype, was built as a 4-6-0 but was soon converted to 4-4-2 for the De Glehn trials. Boiler pressure was increased to 225 psi (1.55 MPa).[1]

Even whilst 171 was undergoing trials nineteen locomotives were ordered to be built to a similar design, of which thirteen were built as 4-4-2s and six as 4-6-0s.[1]

Production

Year Lot No. Works No. Quantity GWR Numbers Notes
1902
132
1928
1
 100 Renumbered 2900
1903
138
1990
1
 98 Renumbered 2998
1903
154
2024
1
 171 Ran as 4–4–2 from 1904/10 to 1907/07. Renumbered 2971
1905
154
2106
1
 172 Built as 4-4-2. Rebuilt as 4-6-0. Renumbered 2972
1905
154
 2107–2112
6
 173–178 Renumbered 2973–2978
1905
154
 2113–2114
2
 179–180 Rebuilt as 4-6-0. Renumbered 2979–2980
1905
158
 2128–2137
10
 181–190 Rebuilt as 4-6-0. Renumbered 2981–2990
1906
164
 2199–2208
10
 2901–2910
1907
170
 2259–2278
20
 2911–2930
1911
185
 2426–2435
10
 2931–2940
1912
189
 2476–2485
10
 2941–2950
1913
192
 2506–2510
5
 2951–2955

Preservation

Because no Saints survived into preservation, the Great Western Society at Didcot is currently reverting 4942 Maindy Hall to be 2999 - Lady of Legend.

List of locomotives

No. Name Built Withdrawn Notes
2900 William Dean 01902-02 February 1902 01932-06 June 1932 Originally un-named. Carried name Dean from June to November 1902
2901 Lady Superior 01906-05 May 1906 01933-04 April 1933 Named October 1906
2902 Lady of the Lake 01906-05 May 1906 01949-08 August 1949 Named April 1907
2903 Lady of Lyons 01906-05 May 1906 01949-11 November 1949 Named April 1907
2904 Lady Godiva 01906-05 May 1906 01932-10 October 1932 Named April 1907
2905 Lady Macbeth 01906-05 May 1906 01948-04 April 1948 Named April 1907
2906 Lady of Lynn 01906-05 May 1906 01952-08 August 1952 Named May 1907
2907 Lady Disdain 01906-05 May 1906 01933-07 July 1933 Named April 1907
2908 Lady of Quality 01906-05 May 1906 01950-12 December 1950 Named May 1907
2909 Lady of Provence 01906-05 May 1906 01931-11 November 1931 Named May 1907
2910 Lady of Shalott 01906-05 May 1906 01931-10 October 1931 Named May 1907
2911 Saint Agatha 01907-08 August 1907 01935-03 March 1935
2912 Saint Ambrose 01907-08 August 1907 01951-02 February 1951
2913 Saint Andrew 01907-08 August 1907 01948-05 May 1948
2914 Saint Augustine 01907-08 August 1907 01946-01 January 1946
2915 Saint Bartholomew 01907-08 August 1907 01950-10 October 1950
2916 Saint Benedict 01907-08 August 1907 01948-07 July 1948
2917 Saint Bernard 01907-08 August 1907 01934-10 October 1934
2918 Saint Catherine 01907-08 August 1907 01935-02 February 1935
2919 Saint Cuthbert 01907-09 September 1907 01932-02 February 1932 Originally named Saint Cecelia; renamed October 1907
2920 Saint David 01907-09 September 1907 01953-10 October 1953
2921 Saint Dunstan 01907-09 September 1907 01946-12 December 1946
2922 Saint Gabriel 01907-09 September 1907 01945-01 January 1945
2923 Saint George 01907-09 September 1907 01934-10 October 1934
2924 Saint Helena 01907-09 September 1907 01950-03 March 1950
2925 Saint Martin 01907-09 September 1907 01924-12 December 1924 Rebuilt to prototype Hall class
2926 Saint Nicholas 01907-09 September 1907 01951-09 September 1951
2927 Saint Patrick 01907-09 September 1907 01951-12 December 1951
2928 Saint Sebastian 01907-09 September 1907 01948-08 August 1948
2929 Saint Stephen 01907-09 September 1907 01949-12 December 1949
2930 Saint Vincent 01907-09 September 1907 01949-11 November 1949
2931 Arlington Court 01911-10 October 1911 01951-02 February 1951
2932 Ashton Court 01911-10 October 1911 01951-06 June 1951
2933 Bibury Court 01911-11 November 1911 01953-01 January 1953
2934 Butleigh Court 01911-11 November 1911 01952-06 June 1952
2935 Caynham Court 01911-11 November 1911 01948-12 December 1948
2936 Cefntilla Court 01911-11 November 1911 01951-04 April 1951
2937 Clevedon Court 01911-12 December 1911 01953-06 June 1953
2938 Corsham Court 01911-12 December 1911 01952-08 August 1952
2939 Croome Court 01911-12 December 1911 01950-12 December 1950
2940 Dorney Court 01911-12 December 1911 01952-01 January 1952
2941 Easton Court 01912-05 May 1912 01949-12 December 1949
2942 Fawley Court 01912-05 May 1912 01949-12 December 1949
2943 Hampton Court 01912-05 May 1912 01951-01 January 1951
2944 Highnam Court 01912-05 May 1912 01951-11 November 1951
2945 Hillingdon Court 01912-06 June 1912 01953-06 June 1953
2946 Langford Court 01912-06 June 1912 01949-11 November 1949
2947 Madresfield Court 01912-06 June 1912 01951-04 April 1951
2948 Stackpole Court 01912-06 June 1912 01951-11 November 1951
2949 Stanford Court 01912-05 May 1912 01952-01 January 1952
2950 Taplow Court 01912-05 May 1912 01952-09 September 1952
2951 Tawstock Court 01913-03 March 1913 01952-06 June 1952
2952 Twineham Court 01913-03 March 1913 01951-09 September 1951
2953 Titley Court 01913-03 March 1913 01952-02 February 1952
2954 Tockenham Court 01913-03 March 1913 01952-07 July 1952
2955 Tortworth Court 01913-04 April 1913 01950-05 May 1950
2971 Albion 01903-12 December 1903 01946-02 February 1946 Built as No. 171. Named Albion February 1904. Rebuilt to 4-4-2, October 1904. Renamed The Pirate March 1907. Rebuilt back to 4-6-0, July 1907 and renamed Albion. Renumbered 2971, 1913.
2972 The Abbot 01905-02 February 1905 01935-03 March 1935 Built as 4-4-2 No. 172 Quicksilver, named after a stagecoach operating between London and Devonport.[2] Renamed March 1907. Rebuilt as 4-6-0 April 1912.
2973 Robins Bolitho 01905-03 March 1905 01933-07 July 1933 Built as No. 173
2974 Lord Barrymore 01905-03 March 1905 01933-08 August 1933 Built as No. 174 Barrymore. Renamed, May 1905
2975 Lord Palmer 01905-03 March 1905 01944-11 November 1944 Built as unnamed No. 175. Named Viscount Churchill, 1907. Renamed Sir Ernest Palmer, February 1924. Renamed Lord Palmer, in October 1933.
2976 Winterstoke 01905-04 April 1905 01934-01 January 1934 Built as unnamed No. 176. Named, April 1907.
2977 Robertson 01905-04 April 1905 01935-02 February 1935 Built as unnamed No. 177. Named, April 1907.
2978 Charles J. Hambro 01905-04 April 1905 01946-08 August 1946 Built as No. 178 Kirkland, named after racehorse owned by Sir Frank Bibby.[3] Renamed, May 1935.
2979 Quentin Durward 01905-04 April 1905 01951-01 January 1951 Built as 4-4-2 No. 179 Magnet. Renamed, March 1907. Rebuilt as 4-6-0, August 1912.
2980 Coeur de Lion 01905-05 May 1905 01948-05 May 1948 Built as unnamed 4-4-2 No. 180. Named in March 1907 after subject of the novel Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott.[4] Rebuilt as 4-6-0, January 1913.
2981 Ivanhoe 01905-06 June 1905 01951-03 March 1951 Built as unnamed 4-4-2 No. 181. Named in 1907. Rebuilt as 4-6-0, July 1912.
2982 Lalla Rookh 01905-06 June 1905 01946-06 June 1946 Built as unnamed 4-4-2 No. 182. Named in 1906. Rebuilt as 4-6-0, November 1912.
2983 Redgauntlet 01905-07 July 1905 01946-03 March 1946 Built as 4-4-2 No. 183 Red Gauntlet. Rebuilt as 4-6-0, April 1912. Renamed Redgauntlet, June 1915.
2984 Guy Mannering 01905-07 July 1905 01933-05 May 1933 Built as 4-4-2 No. 184 Churchill. Renamed Viscount Churchill in 1906. Renamed Guy Mannering, 1907. Rebuilt as 4-6-0, August 1912.
2985 Peveril of the Peak 01905-07 July 1905 01931-08 August 1931 Built as unnamed 4-4-2 No. 185. Named Winterstoke, February 1906. Renamed Peveril of the Peak, April 1907. Rebuilt as 4-6-0, May 1912. Withdrawn August 1931.
2986 Robin Hood 01905-07 July 1905 01932-11 November 1932 Built as unnamed 4-4-2 No. 186. Named in April 1906. Rebuilt as 4-6-0, May 1912.
2987 Bride of Lammermoor 01905-08 August 1905 01949-10 October 1949 Built as unnamed 4-4-2 No. 187. Named Robertson after a GWR Director,[5] November 1905. Renamed 'Bride of Lammermoor, April 1907. Rebuilt as 4-6-0, June 1912.
2988 Rob Roy 01905-08 August 1905 01948-05 May 1948 Built as unnamed 4-4-2 No. 188. Named, 1907. Rebuilt as 4-6-0, May 1912.
2989 Talisman 01905-09 September 1905 01948-09 September 1948 Built as unnamed 4-4-2 No. 189. Named, 1906. Rebuilt as 4-6-0, October 1912.
2990 Waverley 01905-09 September 1905 01939-01 January 1939 Built as unnamed 4-4-2 No. 190. Named, 1906. Rebuilt as 4-6-0, November 1912.
2998 Ernest Cunard 01903-03 March 1903 01933-06 June 1933 Built as unnamed No. 98. Named Persimmon, 1906. Renamed Vanguard, March 1907. Renamed Ernest Cunard, December 1907. Renumbered 2998 in 1913.
2999 Lady of Legend — — Modern conversion from previous 4900 class, 4942 Maindy Hall

Gallery

References

  1. ^ a b c d Great Western Society – GW 2900 Class overview (Accessed 26 April 2009)
  2. ^ Davies, Ken (April 1993). The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway, part fourteen: Names and their Origins - Railmotor Services - War Service - The Complete Preservation Story. Lincoln: RCTS. p. P141. ISBN 0 901115 75 4. 
  3. ^ Davies 1993, p. P129
  4. ^ Davies 1993, p. P113
  5. ^ Davies 1993, p. P143

External links