Norton Manor at Minehead on the West Somerset Railway

7828 Norton Manor – 7800 Class 'Manor' 4-6-0

The 'Manor' Class was designed by Charles Collett as a large lightweight locomotive for long but lightly constructed routes, mainly in west Wales and south west England. Construction of the first 20 started at Swindon in 1938, followed by another 10 in 1950 for British Railways.

 

 

7828 Odney Manor was first sent to Shrewsbury shed and spent nine years there. 1961 saw it move to Croes Newydd, then two years later it found its way to Aberystwyth for a short while before returning to Shrewsbury, from where it was withdrawn in 1965, moving to Barry in 1966. It was rescued privately in 1981 and moved to the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway where restoration was completed by 1987. It worked on the Gwilli Railway, Llangollen Railway and East Lancashire Railway before coming to the WSR in 1995. Its owners sold it to the WSR in 2004 On 17 June 2011 it was renamed Norton Manor after 40 Commando’s base alongside the railway at Norton Fitzwarren. The Great Western Railway had intended to give this name 7830 but the order for this locomotive was cancelled. It has been repainted in the BR lined green livery that it carried in 1957.

 

in 1950 it was withdrawn from service in 1965 before being moved to Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, South Wales. It is currently owned by the West Somerset Railway.

 

It was rescued from Barry privately in 1981as Ordney Manor and moved to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway where restoration was completed by 1987. It worked on the Gwilli Railway, Llangollen Railway and East Lancashire Railway before coming to the West Somerset Railway (WSR) in 1995. Its owners sold it to the WSR in 2004. On 17 June 2011 it was renamed Norton Manor