GWR 7200 Class


The Great Western Railway 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 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, 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.
ClassOriginalRebuiltRebuild date
520552757200August 1934
520552767201August–November 1934
520552777202August–November 1934
520552787203August–November 1934
520552797204August–November 1934
520552807205August–November 1934
520552817206August–November 1934
520552827207August–November 1934
520552837208August–November 1934
520552847209August–November 1934
520552857210August–November 1934
520552867211August–November 1934
520552877212August–November 1934
520552887213August–November 1934
520552897214August–November 1934
520552907215August–November 1934
520552917216August–November 1934
520552927217August–November 1934
520552937218August–November 1934
520552947219August–November 1934
520552557220August 1935–February 1936
520552567221August 1935–February 1936
520552577222August 1935–February 1936
520552587223August 1935–February 1936
520552597224August 1935–February 1936
520552607225August 1935–February 1936
520552617226August 1935–February 1936
520552627227August 1935–February 1936
520552637228August 1935–February 1936
520552647229August 1935–February 1936
520552657230August 1935–February 1936
520552667231August 1935–February 1936
520552677232August 1935–February 1936
520552687233August 1935–February 1936
520552697234August 1935–February 1936
520552707235August 1935–February 1936
520552717236August 1935–February 1936
520552727237August 1935–February 1936
520552737238August 1935–February 1936
520552747239August 1935–February 1936
420042397240August 1937–December 1939
420042207241August 1937–December 1939
420042027242August 1937–December 1939
420042047243August 1937–December 1939
420042167244August 1937–December 1939
420042057245August 1937–December 1939
420042347246August 1937–December 1939
420042447247August 1937–December 1939
420042497248August 1937–December 1939
420042097249August 1937–December 1939
420042197250August 1937–December 1939
420042407251August 1937–December 1939
420042107252August 1937–December 1939
420042457253August 1937–December 1939

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 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.

Preservation

Three locomotives survive, all recovered from Woodham Brothers, though none have been restored:
Current NumberYear BuiltWithdrawnLocationStatusPhotographNotes
7200Jul 1926Jul 1963Buckinghamshire Railway CentreUnder RestorationLeft Woodham Brothers, Barry Island in September 1981. 7200 is the only surviving locomotive to carry the unique '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 No. 7200 left the former iron foundry which made the loco the last Great Western locomotive to receive attention at the historic Swindon Works.
7202Aug 1926Jun 1964Didcot Railway CentreUnder RestorationLeft Barry Island in April 1974.
7229Mar 1926Aug 1964East Lancashire RailwayUnder RestorationLeft Barry Island in October 1984.

Models

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