The Great Western Railway (GWR) 4200 Class is a class of steam locomotives.
History
Development
After the GWR took over operations and then absorbed the various South Wales based railways from the late 1800s, operational practice on most was defined by moving heavy coal trains on sharp, steep and undulating tracks. Thus many of these railways - especially the dominant Taff Vale Railway - specified and used an 0-6-2T, which gave maximum tractive effort whilst riding well on the undulating track.
With coal trains increasing in size and scale, the GWR needed to develop a more powerful locomotive to meet these requirements, on what were relatively short haul routes. Thus in 1906, Chief Engineer George Jackson Churchward took the basic design of his GWR 2800 Class, and adapted it. After proposing a 2-8-2T design, Churchward developed the UK's first 2-8-0 tank engine, through concerns that the longer frames required for a 2-8-2T would restrict operation in the South Wales Valleys. Working heavy coal trains of over 1,000 tons through the South Wales Valleys, from coal mines to ports, the large boilers and restricted loading gauge resulted in narrow side tanks. Although passing numerous water stops along their routes, because of the class's heavy water consumption and limited tank capacity, they were nicknamed "Water Carts". 105 4200s were built between 1910 and 1923. Although operationally banned from certain goods yards, most 7200's found work across the GWR system, mostly deployed on iron ore and stone trains from .
In later years many of the remaining 4200s were upgraded to 5205 specification with outside steam pipes, larger cylinders and in some cases curved frames at the front end.
Preservation
Five have been preserved, all taken from Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales. Three of the five have run in preservation.
{| class="wikitable"
!|Number
!|Year Built
!|Withdrawn
!|Location
!|Status
!|Photograph
!|Notes
|-
|align=center|4247
|align=center|Mar 1916
|align=center|Apr 1964
|align=center|Dartmouth Steam Railway
|align=center|Operational
|align=center|125px
|align=left|In 5205 specification, outside steampipes but straight footplate. Left Barry in April 1985. It is the oldest survivor of its class in preservation marking its centenary in Mar 2016. Overhaul to commence at East Somerset Railway before moving to the Dartmouth Steam Railway.
|-
|align=center|4248
|align=center|Apr 1916
|align=center|May 1963
|align=center|Swindon Steam Railway Museum
|align=center|Static museum exhibit
|align=center|125px
|align=left|In 5205 specification. Left Barry in May 1986. Conserved rather than restored, on show dismantled as if it were "in the Swindon Works."
|-
|align=center|4253
|align=center|Mar 1917
|align=center|Apr 1963
|align=center|Kent and East Sussex Railway
|align=center|Under restoration
|align=center|125px
|align=left|Has 5275 style footplate with a raised section over the cylinders. Left Barry in August 1987, stored at Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway until 2011, then sold to group from K&ESR.
|-
|align=center|4270
|align=center|Dec 1919
|align=center|Sept 1962
|align=center|Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
|align=center|Stored awaiting overhaul
|align=center|125px
|align=left|Retains original inside steam pipes. Left Barry in July 1985, owned by Jeremy Hosking.
|-
|align=center|4277 Hercules
|align=center|Apr 1920
|align=center|Jun 1964
|align=center|Dartmouth Steam Railway
|align=center|Operational
|align=center|125px
|align=left|Retains original inside steam pipes. Left Barry in June 1986. Was named Hercules in preservation on 1 August 2008, after being sold to the Dartmouth Steam Railway.
|-
|}
Models
In 2012, Hornby released models of the 4200 class in both original GWR green and BR black. The GWR green version was a DCC-ready model of locomotive No. 4283, as it appeared between 1934 and 1942.
See also
- List of GWR standard classes with two outside cylinders