GWR Cathedral Class

GWR Cathederal Class
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Frederick W. Hawksworth Builder GWR's Swindon Works Build date Never built Total produced 0
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-2  • UIC 2′C1′ Driver dia. 6 ft 3 in (1.905 m) Boiler pressure 250 psi (1.7 MPa) Cylinders Four (two outside, two inside) Cylinder size 16+1⁄4 in × 28 in (410 mm × 710 mm)
Performance figures Tractive effort 40,300 lbf (179.26 kN)
Career Operators Great Western Railway Class GWR 8000 Class Disposition Never built

The GWR Cathedral Class (also known as the GWR 8000 Class) was a proposed 4-6-2 "Pacific" steam locomotive design that would have been the GWR's second attempt at a 4-6-2 "Pacific" type locomotive after their first attempt, the GWR 111 The Great Bear.

Proposal

The proposal for the GWR Cathedral Class was submitted by Frederick W. Hawksworth in 1941. It was designed for post-war rail traffic.

Design

The GWR Cathedral Class would have featured similar features from other locomotives in the UK, such as having 4-cylinders, an all-new tender design from the GWR Hall Class and 1000 "County" Class that would come years later, same pony truck from the King Class 4-6-0s, different trailing bogie design coming from the LMS Princess Royal Class 4-6-2 Pacifics and, the same body design from the LMS Princess Royal Class 4-6-2 Pacifics but designed with the same smokebox design from the GWR Star Class.

The locomotive was also designed to have its boiler pressure raised from the 225 psi (1.55 MPa) on the GWR Castle Class to 250 psi (1.7 MPa) for the Cathedral Class. The locomotive's tractive effort was raised from 31,625 lbf (140.68 kN) on the GWR Castle Class to have 40,300 lbf (179 kN) on the Cathedral Class. The driver diameter on the GWR Castle Class was 6 ft 8+1⁄2 in (2.045 m), but when designing the Cathedral Class, they lowered the diameter on the driving wheels to 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m).

Bibliography

• Jackson, Allen (2018). Great Western Railway Stars, Castles and Kings. Crowood Press. ISBN 9781785004827.
• Nock, Oswald Stevens (1984). Tales of the Great Western Railway - Informal Recollections of a Near-lifetime's Association with the Line. David & Charles. ISBN 9780715383476.

See also

GWR

• GWR 111 The Great Bear
• GWR 1000 Class
• GWR 4000 Class
• GWR 4900 Class
• GWR 6000 Class

Other

• LMS Princess Royal Class

Further reading

• Nock, Oswald (1967). The GWR Stars, Castles & Kings. Crowood Press.

External links

• GWR 8000 "Cathedral" Class Information Page