The Great Western Railway (GWR) 2800 Class is a class of steam locomotive designed in 1903 by George Jackson Churchward. Members of the class have a 2-8-0 wheel arrangement and were produced from 1905 to 1919 for heavy freight work, but members of the class were known to pull passenger trains when necessary. Six locomotives of this class have been preserved. The class was iterated upon by Charles Collett to create the 2884 class, constructed later in 1938.
Production
The class was designed by George Jackson Churchward for heavy freight work. They were the first 2-8-0 locomotive class in Great Britain.
Prototype
The prototype, originally numbered 97 but later renumbered 2800, appeared in 1903. Construction of the production series commenced in 1905 and continued until 1919.
- On 15 January 1936, locomotive No. 2802 was hauling a freight train that became divided at , Oxfordshire. An express passenger train, hauled by GWR 6000 Class 4-6-0 No. 6007 King William III collided with the rear portion of the freight due to errors by the guard and signalman. Two people were killed.
Withdrawal
{|class="wikitable" style=text-align:center
|+ Table of withdrawals
! Year !! Quantity in<br/>service at<br/>start of year !! Quantity<br/>withdrawn !! Locomotive numbers
|-
| 1958 || 84 || 6 || align=left | 2800/1-2/14/20/27.
|-
| 1959 || 78 || 35 || align=left | 2803-4/8/10-12/15-17/23-26/28-30/32-33/38/40/43/48/63-64/68-70/78/80.
|-
| 1960 || 49 || 49 || align=left | 2805-6/9/13/21/31/35/37/44/46-47/50/77/81.
|-
| 1961 || 35 || 50 || align=left | 2819.
|-
| 1962 || 34 || 56 || align=left | 2834/49/53/55/60/83.
|-
| 1963 || 28 || 74 || align=left | 2807/18/41-42/45/51-52/54/57-58/61/65-67/71-72/74/82
|-
| 1964 || 10 || 83 || align=left | 2822/36/39/56/59/62/73/75/79.
|-
| 1965 || 1 || 84 || align=left | 2876.
|}
Preservation
Six 2800 Class locomotives survive, these being 2807, 2818, 2857, 2859, 2873, 2874, along with nine 2884 class locomotives. One additional survivor was used to provide parts for other projects. Only two members of the class have so far operated in preservation, these being 2807 and 2857. One of the class, No. 2857, briefly operated on the main line in 1985.
{| class="wikitable" style="clear: both;"
!Number
!Year built
!Withdrawn
!Location
!Status
!Inside Steam Pipes
!Livery
!Owner
!Image
!Notes
|-
|align=center|2807
|align=center|Aug 1905
|align=center|Mar 1963
|align=center|Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
|align=left|Operational, Boiler Ticket Expires: 2033
|align=center|No
|GWR Unlined Green, Shirtbutton Logo
|align=center|Cotswold Steam Preservation Ltd
|align=center|150px
|align=left|Salvaged from Woodham Brothers in 1981 it was restored to running order at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. It is the oldest survivor of its class in preservation.
|-
|align=center|2818
|align=center|Dec 1905
|align=center|Oct 1963
|align=center|Museum of the Great Western Railway
|align=left|Static Display
|align=center|Yes
|GWR Unlined Green, Great Western Lettering
|align=center|Museum of the Great Western Railway
|align=center|150px
|align=left|Preserved straight from service. Previously part of the National Collection, ownership was transferred to Museum of the Great Western Railway, Swindon in 2017 and the locomotive moved there in 2018.
Retains inside steam pipes and straight frames.
|-
|align=center|2857
|align=center|May 1918
|align=center|Apr 1963
|align=center|Severn Valley Railway
|align=left|Stored Awaiting Overhaul
|align=center|No
|GWR Unlined Green, GWR Lettering
|align=center|The 2857 Society
|align=center|150px
|align=left|See below.
|-
|align=center|2859
|align=center|May 1918
|align=center|Dec 1964
|align=center|Private Site, Congleton
|align=left|Under Restoration
|align=center|No
|N/A
|align=center|Private Owner
|align=center|150px
|align=left|Moved to Congleton from the Llangollen Railway for restoration in November 2017 following its sale to a private owner.
|-
|align=center|2873
|align=center|Nov 1918
|align=center|Dec 1964
|align=center|Dartmouth Steam Railway
|align=left|Dismantled
|align=center|Yes
|N/A
|align=center|Dartmouth Steam Railway
|align=center|150px
|align=left|Currently stored (frames only) at Churston. To be used as strategic Spares for other Great Western locomotives based on the Dartmouth Steam Railway. At one point in time, the boiler from No. 2873 was intended to be used in a Star Class locomotive, but those plans never materialized.
|-
|align=center|2874
|align=center|Nov 1918
|align=center|May 1963
|align=center|Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
|align=left|Under Restoration
|align=center|Yes
|N/A
|align=center|The 2874 Trust
|align=center|150px
|align=left|Under Restoration from scrapyard condition.
|}
2857
thumb|2857 working on the Severn Valley Railway.
Purchased from Woodham Brothers in May 1974 by the 2857 Society for £5,775, 2857 was later moved by rail to the Severn Valley Railway in August 1975 and steamed for the first time in September 1979 after overhaul. As of 2018, the engine is the second oldest of the class to run in preservation, becoming 100 years old in May 2018.
In 1985, during the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Great Western Railway, it took a selection of the Severn Valley Railway's goods wagons to Newport for a Railfreight spectacular event. The outward route took the engine via Worcester & Hereford with the return route being via , Chepstow & Gloucester. The locomotive appeared in the 2020 film Enola Holmes.
2861
2861, built in 1918, was one of the "Barry Ten". It was broken up for parts at the Llangollen Railway in 2014, and the frames were scrapped. The cylinder and saddle block, along with several other components, are being used in the construction of a new GWR 4700 Class, No. 4709. 2861's boiler was also planned to be used to recreate a Star Class replica.
Models
Hornby Railways manufacture a model of the 28xx in OO gauge. Dapol have announced their own OO model, including a website-exclusive model of the preserved 2874. Dapol will make financial contributions to the 2874 Trust based on the sales of the exclusive model.
See also
- List of GWR standard classes with two outside cylinders
References
Citations
References
External links
- 2800 class