GWR 7200 Class

GWR 7200 Class
7248 is a converted 42xx class no.4249, rebuilt with a 5205 front end. 7248 is seen here fitted with the 'Coal Scuttle' Bunker.
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Charles Collett (rebuild) Rebuilder GWR Swindon Works Rebuild date July 1934–December 1939 Number rebuilt 54
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-8-2T  • UIC 1'D1' h2t Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Leading dia. 3 ft 2 in (0.965 m) Driver dia. 4 ft 7+1⁄2 in (1.410 m) Trailing dia. 3 ft 8 in (1.12 m) Length 44 ft 10 in (13.67 m) Loco weight 92 long tons 12 cwt (207,400 lb or 94.1 t) (103.7 short tons) Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 6 long tons 0 cwt (13,400 lb or 6.1 t) (6.7 short tons) Water cap. 2,400 imp gal (11,000 L; 2,900 US gal) 2,700 imp gal with 'Coal Scuttle' bunker. Firebox: ​  • Grate area 20.56 sq ft (1.910 m2) Boiler pressure 200 lbf/in2 (1.38 MPa) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 128.72 sq ft (11.958 m2)  • Tubes and flues 1,349.64 sq ft (125.386 m2) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 191.79 sq ft (17.818 m2) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 19 in × 30 in (483 mm × 762 mm) Valve gear Stephenson Valve type piston valves
Performance figures Tractive effort 33,170 lbf (147.5 kN)
Career Operators GWR » BR Class 7200 Power class GWR: E BR: 8F Number in class 30 Axle load class Red Withdrawn 1962 – 1965 Disposition Three under restoration, remainder scrapped

The Great Western Railway (GWR) 7200 Class is a class of 2-8-2T steam locomotive. They were the only 2-8-2Ts built and used by a British railway, and the largest tank engines to run on the Great Western Railway.

Rebuild and operation

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 dramatically fall. Built specifically for the short runs of heavy trains in the South Wales Coalfield, Charles Collett took the agreed decision to rebuild some of them with an extended coal carrying capacity and thus greater range and usefulness by adding 4 feet (1.22 m) to the frames, requiring the addition of a trailing wheel set, making them 2-8-2T.

With the work carried out at Swindon Works, the first to be converted was 5275 (lot 266), which returned to traffic numbered 7200 in August 1934. An official photograph of the prototype was taken on 27 July 1934 at the usual site outside 'A Shop' for engine pictures. Nos. 5276–94 were similarly rebuilt between August and November 1934, becoming 7201–19, and nos. 7220–39 were rebuilt from 5255–74 between August 1935 and February 1936; with both batches, the rebuilding was not in numerical order, but the new numbers were in the same sequence as the old. Nos. 7240–53, rebuilt August 1937–December 1939, were selected at random from locomotives numbered in the 4200 series.

Class	Original	Rebuilt	Rebuild date
5205	5275	7200	August 1934
	5276	7201	August–November 1934
	5277	7202
	5278	7203
	5279	7204
	5280	7205
	5281	7206
	5282	7207
	5283	7208
	5284	7209
	5285	7210
	5286	7211
	5287	7212
	5288	7213
	5289	7214
	5290	7215
	5291	7216
	5292	7217
	5293	7218
	5294	7219
	5255	7220	August 1935–February 1936
	5256	7221
	5257	7222
	5258	7223
	5259	7224
	5260	7225
	5261	7226
	5262	7227
	5263	7228
	5264	7229
	5265	7230
	5266	7231
	5267	7232
	5268	7233
	5269	7234
	5270	7235
	5271	7236
	5272	7237
	5273	7238
	5274	7239
4200	4239	7240	August 1937–December 1939
	4220	7241
	4202	7242
	4204	7243
	4216	7244
	4205	7245
	4234	7246
	4244	7247
	4249	7248
	4209	7249
	4219	7250
	4240	7251
	4210	7252
	4245	7253

The final batch of the class were later fitted with newly developed 'Coal Scuttle' bunkers. These bunkers consisted of a higher rivet line increasing the water capacity up to a total of 2,700 gallons allowing the locos to travel longer distances. The bunker was also designed to facilitate the movement of the coal towards the hatch in the cab, however ‘scuttle bunkers’ would only carry 5 tonnes of coal instead of 6. No.7200 is the only surviving loco of the class to carry one of these unique bunkers.

The 54 rebuilt locos found work in most parts of the GWR system, where their great weight 92 long tons 12 cwt (207,400 lb or 94.1 t) was allowed, although the rebuilt chassis length did get them banned from certain goods yards. Many found work in the home counties, deployed on iron ore and stone trains from Banbury.

On 17 May 1941 no. 7238 ran into a bomb crater.

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. Four of the class were bought by Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, and no. 7226 was scrapped there in 1965.

No. 7221, a converted 5205

Preservation

Three locomotives survive, all recovered from Woodham Brothers, though none have yet been returned to operational condition. However, in November of 2020, the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre announced that a major milestone was reached with No. 7200.

Current Number	Year Built	Withdrawn	Location	Status	Photograph	Notes
7200	Jul 1926	Jul 1963	Buckinghamshire Railway Centre	Under Restoration		Left Woodham Brothers, Barry Island in September 1981. 7200 is unique in that it is the only surviving locomotive of the class fitted with the 'coal scuttle' bunker which enabled it to have a greater water carrying capacity than the rest of the class with 'converted' bunkers. On 12 December 2006, the restored rolling chassis of 7200 left the former iron foundry (J Shop) which made the loco the last Great Western locomotive to receive attention at the historic Swindon Works. Restoration is slow and ongoing but has made good progress in recent years.
7202	Aug 1926	Jun 1964	Didcot Railway Centre	Under Restoration		Left Barry Island in April 1974.
7229	Mar 1926	Aug 1964	East Lancashire Railway	Under Restoration		Left Barry Island in October 1984.

Models

In 2012, Hornby released models of the 7200 class in both the original GWR green and BR black.

7203, a converted 5275

See also

• List of GWR standard classes with two outside cylinders

External links

• Great Western Archive – 7200 Class
• The 7200 Trust - Restoring 7200