GWR 1500 Class
Encyclopedia
The Great Western Railway
(GWR) 1500 Class is a class of 0-6-0
pannier tank steam locomotive
. Despite being a GWR design, all ten (nos 1500–1509) were built by the Western Region of British Railways
in 1949.
of 12 in 10 in (3.91 m) to go round curves of 3.5 chains (70.4 m). Above footplate level they were very similar to the 9400 class
. The surprises were below the (very small) footplate
, where they resembled the USATC S100 Class
that the GWR and other railways had used during the Second World War
. Although a sound design, they had limited usefulness as they were route-restricted by their high weight and were unsuitable for fast running because of their short wheelbase. Largely confined to empty stock workings at London Paddington station, their lives were short; for example 1509 lasted barely ten years in BR service. Like the 1600
and 9400 classes, their construction now appears to have been of doubtful value.
The onset of dieselisation
and the decline in traffic on the railway network consigned the 1500s to scrap long before they were life-expired. However 1501 has enjoyed regular use at the Severn Valley Railway
in preservation for far longer than its life in public ownership.
for use at Coventry, which led to its preservation in 1970 on the Severn Valley Railway
(SVR). The three locos were sent to Andrew Barclay Sons & Co., in Kilmarnock, Scotland for overhaul before delivery to the NCB. All three locomotives were purchased by the SVR; 1502 & 1509 providing spares for the restoration of 1501, their remains cut-up and scrapped at Cashmore's, Great Bridge in October 1970. In 2006 1501's boiler certificate expired and it was withdrawn from traffic, the locomotive is currently undergoing overhaul.
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
(GWR) 1500 Class is a class of 0-6-0
0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
pannier tank steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
. Despite being a GWR design, all ten (nos 1500–1509) were built by the Western Region of British Railways
Western Region of British Railways
The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
in 1949.
Overview
Coming from a railway company with a well-developed standardisation policy, the 15xx was a strange design finale. Unlike all their forebears, they had outside cylinders, Walschaerts valve gear, and a very short wheelbaseWheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
of 12 in 10 in (3.91 m) to go round curves of 3.5 chains (70.4 m). Above footplate level they were very similar to the 9400 class
GWR 9400 Class
The Great Western Railway 9400 Class is a class of 0-6-0 pannier tank steam locomotive, used for shunting and banking duties.The first ten 9400s were the last steam engines built by the GWR. After nationalisation in 1948, another 200 were built by private contractors for British Railways...
. The surprises were below the (very small) footplate
Footplate
The footplate of a steam locomotive is a large metal plate that rests on top of the frames and is normally covered with wooden floorboards. It is usually the full width of the locomotive and extends from the front of the cab to the rear of cab or coal bunker just above the buffer beam. The...
, where they resembled the USATC S100 Class
USATC S100 Class
The United States Army Transportation Corps S100 Class is a 0-6-0 steam locomotive that was designed for switching duties in Europe and North Africa during World War II...
that the GWR and other railways had used during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Although a sound design, they had limited usefulness as they were route-restricted by their high weight and were unsuitable for fast running because of their short wheelbase. Largely confined to empty stock workings at London Paddington station, their lives were short; for example 1509 lasted barely ten years in BR service. Like the 1600
GWR 1600 Class
The Great Western Railway 1600 class is a class of 0-6-0 pannier tank steam locomotive.-History:The class was based on the 2021 class designed by Dean and built from 1897 onwards...
and 9400 classes, their construction now appears to have been of doubtful value.
The onset of dieselisation
Dieselisation
Dieselisation or dieselization is a term generally used for the increasingly common use of diesel fuel in vehicles, as opposed to gasoline or steam engines.-Water Transport:...
and the decline in traffic on the railway network consigned the 1500s to scrap long before they were life-expired. However 1501 has enjoyed regular use at the Severn Valley Railway
Severn Valley Railway
The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route...
in preservation for far longer than its life in public ownership.
Preservation
1501 was one of the first of the class to be withdrawn in 1961 but was sold with 1502 and 1509 to the NCBNational Coal Board
The National Coal Board was the statutory corporation created to run the nationalised coal mining industry in the United Kingdom. Set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946, it took over the mines on "vesting day", 1 January 1947...
for use at Coventry, which led to its preservation in 1970 on the Severn Valley Railway
Severn Valley Railway
The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route...
(SVR). The three locos were sent to Andrew Barclay Sons & Co., in Kilmarnock, Scotland for overhaul before delivery to the NCB. All three locomotives were purchased by the SVR; 1502 & 1509 providing spares for the restoration of 1501, their remains cut-up and scrapped at Cashmore's, Great Bridge in October 1970. In 2006 1501's boiler certificate expired and it was withdrawn from traffic, the locomotive is currently undergoing overhaul.
See also
- GWR 0-6-0PT – list of classes of GWR 0-6-0 pannier tank, including table of preserved locomotives