Great Western Railways 28XX of Churchward design

The class was designed by G.J. Churchward for heavy freight work. They were the first 2-8-0 class in Great Britain.
The prototype, originally numbered 97 but later renumbered 2800, appeared in 1903. Construction of the production series commenced in 1905 and continued until 1919.

 

 

No.97 undertook two years of trials before going into production. Initial results suggested that only the front end needed further development. Initially the boiler pressure of the 2-8-0 was set at 200 lbf/in² (1.4 MPa) with 18-inch (457 mm) diameter cylinders. Tractive effort started out at 29,775 lbf (132.45 kN) but was increased substantially in the production engines by enlarging the cylinder diameter to 18 ¹⁄₂ in (470 mm) and raising the steam pressure to 225 lbf/in² (1.55 MPa). The 8 ¹⁄₂ in (216 mm) piston valves were enlarged to 10 in (254 mm).

 

The most visible difference between No.97 and the first of the 1905 production batch was the higher pitch of the boiler (8 ft 2 in or 2.49 m opposed to 7 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in or 2.35 m). At first the prototype was given a 4,000-imperial-gallon (18,000 l; 4,800 US gal) tender but almost without exception the 2800s were harnessed to the 3,500-imperial-gallon (16,000 l; 4,200 US gal) variety throughout their working lives. Superheating was incorporated into the class from 1909 with No.2808 the first to be retro-fitted. Other modifications centred on improving the weight distribution, altering smokebox lengths and fitting larger diameter chimneys. The 84 2800s built by Churchward remained the GWR's principal long haul freight engines throughout the 1920s and 1930s. The only serious problem met with in traffic was with the sealing of the internal steam pipes. Beginning in 1934 most of the class had them replaced with the outside kind.

 

Between 1945 and 1947, coal shortages caused GWR to experiment with oil fired 2800 locomotives and 12 of the 2800 class were converted. They were renumbered into the 4800 series, which necessitated re-numbering the entire 4800 class autotanks into the 1400 series, and reclassified as 1400 class. The experiment, encouraged by the government was abandoned in 1948 once the extra maintenance costs were calculated and the bill had arrived for the imported oil.

 

Six 2800 class locomotives survive, these being 2807, 2818, 2857, 2859, 2873, 2874, along with nine 2884 class locomotives. A seventh survivor is being used as a donor locomotive.

 

Built in 1918 and salvaged from Woodhams in 1975. Has been restored to running order and is in service on the Severn Valley Railway.

 

Many thanks to Wikipedia for the above notes, the pictures are my own