GWR 7800 Class

Infobox Locomotive
powertype=Steam
name = GWR 7800 Class


caption = One of the nine preserved locomotives (out of a class of just thirty), 7822 Foxcote Manor.
designer =
builder = GWR Swindon Works and British Railways, Swindon
ordernumber = Lot 316, Lot 377
builddate = 1938-1939, 1950
totalproduction = 30
whytetype = 4-6-0
uicclass = 2'Ch2
gauge = RailGauge|ussg|lk=on
leadingsize = convert|3|ft|0|in|mm|0|abbr=on
driversize = convert|5|ft|8|in|mm|0|abbr=on
length = convert|61|ft|9+1/4|in|m|2|abbr=on
wheelbase="Loco:" convert|27|ft|1|in|m|2|abbr=on
"Loco & tender:" convert|52|ft|1+3/4|in|m|2|abbr=on
axleload = convert|17.05|LT|lk=on
GWR class “Blue”
weight = convert|68.9|LT
tenderweight= convert|40.0|LT
fueltype = Coal
fuelc
convert|7.0|LT
waterc
convert|3500|impgal|abbr=on|lk=on
cylindercount = Two, outside
cylindersize = convert|18|x|30|in|mm|0|abbr=on
firearea = convert|22.1|sqft|abbr=on
fireboxarea = convert|140.0|sqft|abbr=on
tubesandflues=convert|1285.5|sqft|abbr=on
superheaterarea=convert|160.0|sqft|abbr=on
boiler = GWR type 14
boilerpressure = convert|225|psi|MPa|2|abbr=on|lk=on
tractiveeffort = convert|27340|lbf|kN|2|abbr=on
railroadclass=GWR: 7800 (power class “D”)
BR: 5MT
numinclass=30
railroad=Great Western Railway
British Railways
retiredate=April 1963 – December 1965
disposition=21 scrapped, 9 preserved

The Great Western Railway (GWR) 7800 Class or Manor Class is a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive. They were designed as a lighter version of the GWR Grange Class.Like the 'Granges', the 'Manors' used parts from the GWR 4300 Class Moguls but just on the first batch of twenty. Twenty were built between 1938 and 1939, with British Railways adding a further 10 in 1950. Nine are preserved.

History

The first of the Manors No.7800 "Torquay Manor" entered traffic in January 1938 and by February 1939 20 were in service. They used parts from scrapped GWR 4300 Class moguls - these included the driving wheels and motion components along with the tenders. More were planned but the outbreak of war forced the GWR to cancel the order for a further 20. The official GWR line on the class was that the 7800s were expected to work existing schedules and with existing loadings but with an all round increase in efficiency. Unfortunately for once the make do and mend policy prevalent at Swindon during the 1930s did not succeed. Unlike the Granges of 1936 where the use of standard components and the re-use of existing ones had produced a masterpiece the initial performance of the Manors was comparatively mediocre. Were it not for the constraints of war there is every reason to expect that Swindon would have recalled the engines for modifications. Instead the first examples were despatched to depots at Wolverhampton, Bristol, Gloucester, Shrewsbury, Westbury in Wiltshire and Neyland in South Wales.

However, the area with which the Manors became synonymous was mid-Wales. Here they worked over the main lines of the erstwhile Cambrian Railway which were off-limits to other 4-6-0 classes. This enduring association began in October 1938 when No.7805 "Broome Manor" underwent clearance tests between Ruabon and Barmouth. The Manors were also successfully employed in the West Country where they were used for banking and piloting trains over the Devon banks between Newton Abbot and Plymouth. Their light axleloading allowed them across the Tamar too and on to the branch lines of Cornwall.

After Nationalization, the newly created Western Region was authorised to build ten more of the class. Nos.7820-29 were outshopped from Swindon in November and December 1950 with curiously no attempt to improve the steaming. True with the new standard classes on the drawing boards a British Railway edict permitted construction only of existing pre-nationalization designs. However, it is difficult to see how a modified Manor could have been classed as a new design and as subsequent trials showed the engines did not require too much work to correct their faults. Internal alterations to the blastpipe and an increase in air space in the firegrate added to the new type of narrow chimney noticeably improved the draughting. After trials on 10 of the class, the improvements becamse standard after July 1954.

By 1959 21 Manors were congregated in Mid- and South Wales. Undoubtedly their most prestigious working was the Cambrian Coast Express which took over from a King or Castle at Shrewsbury and worked through to Aberystwyth. Others of the class operated in the Birmingham, Gloucester and Hereford areas while the handful stationed at Reading frequently ventured on to the Southern Region line to Guildford and Redhill.

The first Manor to be scrapped was No.7809 "Childrey Manor" withdrawn from Shrewsbury depot in April 1963 and cut up at Swindon. By May 1965 the numbers had been halved and the final two No.7808 Cookham Manor of Gloucester and No.7829 Ramsbury Manor of Didcot were condemned in December 1965. However, nine have been preserved.

Locomotives

See List of GWR 7800 Class locomotives for all Manor locomotives built. Nine locomotives have been preserved:

Details

External links

* [http://www.greatwestern.org.uk/m_in_man.htm GreatWestern.org page]
* [http://www.dinmoremanorfund.co.uk/index.html Dinmore Manor Fund website]

References

* Classic British Steam locomotives
*