GWR 5400 Class

GWR 5400 Class
Power type Steam
Designer Collett
Builder GWR
Build date 1930
Total produced 25
Configuration 0-6-0PT
Gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 12 in)
Driver diameter 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
Locomotive weight 46.6 long tons (47.3 t)
Fuel type coal
Boiler pressure 165 psi (1.14 MPa)
Cylinders two inside
Cylinder size 16+12 × 24 in (420 × 610 mm)
Tractive effort 14,780 lbf (65.7 kN)
Class 1P

The Great Western Railway (GWR) 5400 Class is a class of 0-6-0 pannier tank steam locomotive. They were similar in appearance to many other GWR tank engines but smaller than the ubiquitous GWR 5700 Class.

The nominally Collett-designed 5400 Class had 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m) driving wheels for greater top speed with autocoaches, and were all fitted with the required remote control gear for working the push-pull autotrains. They had a modern cab and a larger bunker. They were frequently seen on inner suburban routes from Paddington.

Contents

History

The 5400 class was related to the 2021 class saddle tank, designed by William Dean and built at Wolverhampton railway works. This was a light compact design with 4 ft 1 12 in (1.257 m) wheels, itself derived from the smaller Armstrong GWR 850 Class dating back to 1874.

The class pioneer was not a new engine at all, rather it was a 1930 rebuild of 2021 tank 2080. It merely had substitute larger wheels and splashers and a larger bunker, whereas the new locos built from 1931 onwards had the rounded-edge cab as well. This cab style was to be fitted to all subsequent GWR pannier tank designs including the later derivations of the 5700 Class.

Despite its success, the protoype had a short life as number 5400, lasting only two years before scrapping. It was replaced with an all-new engine with the same number. Twenty-five locomotives were built and they were numbered 5400-5424.

GWR 6400 and 7400 classes

The GWR 6400 Class and 7400 Class that followed were closely related, fundamentally differing only in wheel size - 4 ft 7 12 in (1.410 m) - and, in the case of the 74xx, a higher boiler pressure of 180 psi (1.2 MPa). This produced two general purpose classes with wide route availability. The 6400 was auto-fitted but more suitable for hilly routes than the 5400. The 7400 was not auto-fitted.

See also

External links

5400 Class

General