GWR 7800 Class

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 Grange Class, giving them a wider Route Availability. 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. They were named after Manors in the area covered by the Great Western Railway. Nine are preserved.[2]

GWR 7800 "Manor" Class
7815 Fritwell Manor at Gloucester, October 1959.
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerCharles Collett
BuilderGWR/BR Swindon Works
Order numberLot 316, Lot 377
Build date1938–1939 (7800-7819), 1950 (7820-7829)
Total produced30
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-6-0
 • UIC2'Ch2
Gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Leading dia.3 ft 0 in (914 mm)
Driver dia.5 ft 8 in (1,727 mm)
Minimum curve6 chains (396 ft; 121 m) normal,
5 chains (330 ft; 101 m) slow
WheelbaseLoco: 27 ft 1 in (8.26 m)
Loco & tender: 52 ft 1+3⁄4 in (15.89 m)
Length61 ft 9+1⁄4 in (18.83 m)
Width8 ft 11 in (2.718 m)
Height13 ft 0 in (3.962 m)
Axle load17 long tons 5 cwt (38,600 lb or 17.5 t) (19.3 short tons)
Loco weight68 long tons 18 cwt (154,300 lb or 70 t) (77.2 short tons) full
Tender weight40 long tons 0 cwt (89,600 lb or 40.6 t) (44.8 short tons) full
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity7 long tons 0 cwt (15,700 lb or 7.1 t) (7.8 short tons)
Water cap.3,500 imp gal (16,000 L; 4,200 US gal)
Firebox:
 • Firegrate area		22.1 sq ft (2.05 m2)
BoilerGWR Standard No. 14[1]
Boiler pressure225 psi (1.55 MPa)
Heating surface:
 • Tubes and flues		1,285.5 sq ft (119.43 m2)
 • Firebox140.0 sq ft (13.01 m2)
Superheater:
​
 • Heating area160.0 sq ft (14.86 m2)
CylindersTwo, outside
Cylinder size18 in × 30 in (457 mm × 762 mm)
Performance figures
Tractive effort27,340 lbf (121.61 kN)
Career
OperatorsGreat Western Railway
British Railways
ClassGWR: 7800 "Manor"
Power classGWR: D
BR: 5MT
Number in class30
Axle load classGWR: Blue
RetiredApril 1963 – December 1965
Disposition21 scrapped, 9 preserved

Background

Although successful mixed-traffic designs, neither the Hall nor the Grange 4-6-0 classes were able to cover the full range of duties previously undertaken by the 4300 Class 2-6-0 locomotives due to their ‘red’ weight classification. By the late 1930s a lighter version of the Grange class was urgently required for those cross-country and branch line duties forbidden to heavier locomotives.[3] A new lighter (Swindon No.14) boiler was therefore designed, and as with the Grange Class, the driving wheels and motion components were recovered from withdrawn members of the 4300 Class.[4] The Manor class, with an axle loading of just over 17 tons, could be utilised on many lines from which the heavier Granges were barred.[5]

Building

The first of the Manors No.7800 Torquay Manor was built at Swindon Works and entered traffic in January 1938. By February 1939 twenty were in service but the outbreak of World War II forced the cancellation of construction of a further batch of twenty locomotives. However, after nationalization, the newly created Western Region of British Railways was authorized to build ten more of the class. Nos. 7820–29 at Swindon in November and December 1950. A batch of ten other locomotives was planned to be released, but the batch was cancelled due to unknown reasons. The cancelled list of Manor locomotives includes the following: 7830 Norton Manor, 7831 Ogwell Manor, 7832 Pimley Manor, 7833 Ramsbury Manor, 7834 Rodley Manor, 7835 Standen Manor, 7836 Sutton Manor, 7837 Thorton Manor, 7838 Widford Manor, and 7839 Wilcote Manor.[6]

Performance

Unlike the Granges of 1936 where the use of a standard design and the re-use of existing components 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’[4]

Operations
GWR 7823 pulling the Cambrian Coast Express at Glandyfi.

The first examples were despatched to depots at Wolverhampton, Bristol, Gloucester, Shrewsbury, Westbury in Wiltshire and Neyland in South Wales. In October 1938 No.7805 Broome Manor underwent clearance tests between Ruabon and Barmouth. Subsequently, the class were used over the main lines of the erstwhile Cambrian Railways, with its headquarters and works in Oswestry. 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 also allowed them across the Tamar Bridge and on to the branch lines of Cornwall.[7]

By 1959 twenty-one Manors were congregated in Mid- and South Wales. Their most prestigious working was the Cambrian Coast Express, where a Manor 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.[8]

Withdrawal

The first Manor to be withdrawn was No.7809 Childrey Manor, of Shrewsbury depot in April 1963 and which was cut up at Swindon. By May 1965 the numbers had been halved and the final two in service, No.7808 Cookham Manor of Gloucester, and No.7829 Ramsbury Manor of Didcot, were condemned in December 1965. Remarkably, for a relatively small class where thirty engines were built, nine examples have been preserved. All of which were withdrawn from British Railways service in 1965.

Table of withdrawals
YearQuantity in
service at
start of year		Number withdrawnQuantity
withdrawn		Locomotive numbers
196330117809.
19642912137800/05–07/10/15–17/23–25.
19651717307801–04/08/11–14/18–22/26–29.

Preservation

Operation in preservation

Nine members of the Manor class have survived into preservation with four being GWR built engines and five being BR built examples. One member of the class 7808 Cookham Manor was purchased directly from BR service for preservation by the Great Western Society. The remaining eight engines were all rescued from Barry Scrapyard with the first member of the class 7827 Lydham Manor being rescued in Jun 1970 and left as the 5th departure from Barry Scrapyard. The last member of the class to be rescued from Barry Scrapyard being 7828 Odney Manor being rescued in Jun 1981 leaving as the 133rd departure.

All nine members of the Manor class have operated at some point in their preserved career and of the nine Manors to survive in preservation, all four of the GWR built Manors have seen main line operation: Nos. 7802 Bradley Manor, 7808 Cookham Manor, 7812 Erlestoke Manor and 7819 Hinton Manor.

In the 1970s, no. 7808 Cookham Manor was used by the Great Western Society (GWS) to haul nine vintage ex-GWR carriages on an annual outing on the main line from Didcot to Birmingham. Today 7808 is on static display inside the GWS shed at Didcot awaiting an overhaul.

7812 Erlestoke Manor only worked a small number of railtours between April and June 1982. Also certified for main line operation in the 1980s was fellow SVR based engine 7819 Hinton Manor. It worked a number of railtours along former Great Western routes including the Cambrian Coast Line & played a big part in 1985 during the 150th anniversary of the Great Western Railway. 7812 was until New Year's Eve 2017 operational on the SVR but wasn't main line certified and 7819 was until Aug 2018 on static display in Swindon, the engine is now on static display inside The Engine House awaiting an overhaul.

7802 Bradley Manor was the last and most recent member of the class to have operated on the national network, being withdrawn from the mainline in 2007 following the requirement that mainline certified steam engines had to have OTMR fitted by the end of the year. Its last overhaul was completed in November 2015, however it was not certified to operate on the main line.

None of the BR built Manors have operated on the main line in preservation.

Locomotives

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

Number Name Built Withdrawn Base Current Location Owner Status Livery Photo Notes
7802 Bradley Manor January 1938 November 1965 Severn Valley Railway Tyseley Locomotive Works Erlestoke Manor Fund Not operational with damaged cylinder, boiler ticket expires: 2025 BR Lined Green, Late Crest Currently paired with 7812's tender. Moved to Tyseley in July 2019 following broken piston rod suffered while on loan to the WSR[9]
7808 Cookham Manor March 1938 December 1965 Didcot Railway Centre Didcot Railway Centre Great Western Society Static Display GWR Unlined Green, Shirtbutton Logo Final member of class to be withdrawn from service by BR
7812 Erlestoke Manor January 1939 November 1965 Severn Valley Railway Severn Valley Railway Erlestoke Manor Fund Operational, boiler ticket expires: 2032 BR Lined Green, Late Crest Operational on hire to West Somerset Railway in 2023[10]
7819 Hinton Manor February 1939 November 1965 Severn Valley Railway Severn Valley Railway Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust Static Display GWR Unlined Green, Shirtbutton Logo On display in The Engine House awaiting its turn for overhaul[11]
7820 Dinmore Manor November 1950 November 1965 Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Dinmore Manor Locomotive Ltd. Operational, boiler ticket expires: 2023 BR Lined Black, Early Emblem

(Red Nameplates)

 Operational in 2023[12]
7821 Ditcheat Manor November 1950 November 1965 West Somerset Railway Swindon Designer Outlet West Somerset Railway Association Static Display BR Lined Black, Early Emblem

(Red Nameplates)
7822 Foxcote Manor December 1950 November 1965 Llangollen Railway West Somerset Railway Foxcote Manor Society Stored BR Unlined Black, Early emblem

(Red Nameplates)

 Withdrawn from traffic following failure of copper welds inside firebox.[13]
7827 Lydham Manor December 1950 October 1965 Dartmouth Steam Railway Dartmouth Steam Railway Dart Valley Railway plc Nearing completion from Overhaul BR Lined Black, Early Emblem

(Red Nameplates)

 Boiler ticket expired in 2021 and is currently undergoing overhaul.
7828 Odney Manor December 1950 October 1965 West Somerset Railway West Somerset Railway West Somerset Railway Operational, boiler ticket expires: 2028 BR Lined Green, Late Emblem Returned to service in December 2018 following repairs[14]

Model railways

Mainline Railways had OO gauge Manor Class models in their catalogue in 1983, with a model of Cookham Manor in GWR green and a retooled model of Lydham Manor in BR lined green.[15] Mainline's tooling was later used by Bachmann Branchline, but is not currently in production. Both Dapol and Accurascale released 00 gauge renditions of the 78xx in fall of 2022.

Prior to 2011, Ixion Models created a model of the 78xx in N scale. Dapol purchased the rights to produce the Ixion 78xx in 2011.

See also

References
  1. Champ, Jim (2018). An Introduction to Great Western Locomotive Development. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Transport. p. 320. ISBN 978-1-4738-7784-9. OCLC 1029234106. OL 26953051M.
  2. Waters, Laurence (2016). Great Western Manor Class. Pen & Sword Books Ltd. ISBN 978-1-4738-6949-3. OCLC 1296188478.
  3. le Fleming 1960, p. H36
  4. Herring 2004, p. 140
  5. Holcroft 1971, p. 156
  6. Waters, Laurence. Great Western Manor Class. p. 19.
  7. Herring 2004, pp. 140–141
  8. Herring 2004, p. 141
  9. "GWR 7802 Bradley Manor". Severn Valley Railway. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  10. "GWR 7812 Erlestoke Manor". Severn Valley Railway. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  11. "GWR 7819 Hinton Manor". Severn Valley Railway. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  12. "7820 'Dinmore Manor'". Dinmore Manor Locomotive Limited. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  13. 7822 withdrawn from traffic following failure of copper welds in firebox Steam Railway issue 548 August 2023 page 38
  14. Duggan, Jamie. "Steam locomotive 7828 Odney Manor returns to traffic and when to see it". Rail Advent.
  15. "Mainline's big plans for 1983". Rail Enthusiast. EMAP National Publications. March 1983. pp. 36–7. ISSN 0262-561X. OCLC 49957965.
  • Bradley, Rodger (1988). GWR Two Cylinder 4–6–0s and 2–6–0s. Newton Abbot, Devon: David and Charles Publishers plc.
  • Herring, Peter (2004). Classic British Steam Locomotives. Wigston: Abbeydale Press. ISBN 1 86147 138 6.
  • Holcroft, Harold (1971) [1957]. An Outline of Great Western Locomotive Practice 1837-1947 (2nd ed.). Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0228-2.
  • le Fleming, H.M. (November 1960). White, D.E. (ed.). The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway, part eight: Modern Passenger Classes (2nd ed.). RCTS.
  • Whitehurst, Brian (1973). Great Western Engines, Names, Numbers, Types and Classes (1940 to Preservation). Oxford, UK: Oxford Publishing Company. pp. 68–69, 103, 128. ISBN 978-0-9028-8821-0. OCLC 815661.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to GWR 7800 Class.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.