GWR 2800 Class
The Great Western Railway 2800 Class is a class of steam locomotive designed in 1903 by George Jackson Churchward. Members of the class have a 2-8-0 wheel arrangement and were produced from 1905 to 1919 for heavy freight work, but members of the class were known to pull passenger trains when necessary. Six locomotives of this class have been preserved. The class was iterated upon by Charles Collett to create the 2884 class, constructed later in 1938.
Production
The class was designed by George Jackson Churchward for heavy freight work. They were the first 2-8-0 locomotive class in Great Britain.Prototype
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 was originally outshopped in lined black livery and undertook two years of trials before the type went into production. Initial results suggested that only the front end needed further development and where the boiler of No. 97 was parallel for the first four segments, the production series had the familiar taper boiler. Initially the boiler pressure of the 2-8-0 was set at with diameter cylinders. Tractive effort started out at but was increased substantially in the production engines by enlarging the cylinder diameter to and raising the steam pressure to. The piston valves were enlarged to.Construction
The most visible difference between No. 97 and the first of the 1905 production batch was the higher pitch of the boiler. At first the prototype was given a tender but almost without exception the 2800s were harnessed to the 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 were 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 and beginning in 1934 most of the class had them replaced with outside pipes. This change, along with a side-window cab, were the only notable changes made for the later construction, when a further 83 locomotives were built in just 3 years from 1938, as the 2884 class.
| Year | Quantity | Lot No. | Works No. | Locomotive numbers | Notes |
| 1903 | 1 | 139 | 1991 | 97 | Renumbered 2800 in 1912 |
| 1905 | 10 | 153 | 2096–2105 | 2801–2810 | |
| 1905 | 10 | 155 | 2115–2124 | 2811–2820 | |
| 1907 | 10 | 160 | 2158–2167 | 2821–2830 | |
| 1911 | 5 | 181 | 2390–2394 | 2831–2835 | |
| 1912 | 10 | 186 | 2436–2445 | 2836–2845 | |
| 1913 | 10 | 190 | 2486–2495 | 2846–2855 | |
| 1918–19 | 28 | 210 | 2762–2789 | 2856–2883 |
Operation
The 2800 class was particularly used for hauling heavy trains of coal from the South Wales coalfields to the large conurbations served by the GWR, and large numbers of the class were allocated to sheds in South Wales. However, the class was the primary heavy freight locomotive on the GWR, and therefore saw use across the railway network. Due to the variety of freight flows, it was found that individual locomotives could spend extended periods away from their home shed, and a container was added to the left hand valence which carried details of boiler washout dates to ensure that this necessary activity was carried out in a timely manner. There was no differentiation in duties between the original 2800 class of 1905 and the modified 2884 design of the 1930s.Oil firing
The 2800 class, as constructed, burnt coal as its means of creating and maintaining the fire necessary to heat the water in its boiler. Between 1945 and 1947, coal shortages caused GWR to experiment with oil fired locomotives, as such, 12 of the 2800 class were converted. They were renumbered to the 4800 series, which necessitated re-numbering the entire 4800 class autotanks into the 1400 series. The experiment, encouraged by the Government, was abandoned in 1948 once the extra maintenance costs, and the cost of burning oil instead of coal were realised.Accidents and incidents
- On 6 January 1932, locomotive No. 2808 was hauling a freight train when it collided with a milk train, being hauled by GWR 2900 Class 4-6-0 No. 2949 Stanford Court, at Didcot East Junction. The locomotive was extensively damaged along with seventeen wagons. Ten more wagons were destroyed. The milk train had overrun signals.
- On 15 January 1936, locomotive No. 2802 was hauling a freight train that became divided at, Oxfordshire. An express passenger train, hauled by GWR 6000 Class 4-6-0 No. 6007 King William III collided with the rear portion of the freight due to errors by the guard and signalman. Two people were killed.
Withdrawal
Preservation
Six 2800 Class locomotives survive, these being 2807, 2818, 2857, 2859, 2873, 2874, along with nine 2884 class locomotives. One additional survivor was used to provide parts for other projects. Only two members of the class have so far operated in preservation, these being 2807 and 2857. One of the class, No. 2857, briefly operated on the main line in 1985.| Number | Year built | Withdrawn | Location | Status | Inside Steam Pipes | Livery | Owner | Image | Notes |
| 2807 | Aug 1905 | Mar 1963 | Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway | Operational, Boiler Ticket Expires: 2033 | No | GWR Unlined Green, Shirtbutton Logo | Cotswold Steam Preservation Ltd | Salvaged from Woodham Brothers in 1981 it was restored to running order at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. It is the oldest survivor of its class in preservation. | |
| 2818 | Dec 1905 | Oct 1963 | Museum of the Great Western Railway | Static Display | Yes | GWR Unlined Green, Great Western Lettering | Museum of the Great Western Railway | Preserved straight from service. Previously part of the National Collection, ownership was transferred to Museum of the Great Western Railway, Swindon in 2017 and the locomotive moved there in 2018. Retains inside steam pipes and straight frames. | |
| 2857 | May 1918 | Apr 1963 | Severn Valley Railway | Stored Awaiting Overhaul | No | GWR Unlined Green, GWR Lettering | See below. | ||
| 2859 | May 1918 | Dec 1964 | Private Site, Congleton | Under Restoration | No | N/A | Private Owner | Moved to Congleton from the Llangollen Railway for restoration in November 2017 following its sale to a private owner. | |
| 2873 | Nov 1918 | Dec 1964 | Dartmouth Steam Railway | Dismantled | Yes | N/A | Dartmouth Steam Railway | Currently stored at Churston. To be used as strategic Spares for other Great Western locomotives based on the Dartmouth Steam Railway. At one point in time, the boiler from No. 2873 was intended to be used in a Star Class locomotive, but those plans never materialized. | |
| 2874 | Nov 1918 | May 1963 | Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway | Under Restoration | Yes | N/A | Under Restoration from scrapyard condition. |
2857
Purchased from Woodham Brothers in May 1974 by the 2857 Society for £5,775, 2857 was later moved by rail to the Severn Valley Railway in August 1975 and steamed for the first time in September 1979 after overhaul. As of 2018, the engine is the second oldest of the class to run in preservation, becoming 100 years old in May 2018.In 1985, during the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Great Western Railway, it took a selection of the Severn Valley Railway's goods wagons to Newport for a Railfreight spectacular event. The outward route took the engine via Worcester & Hereford with the return route being via, Chepstow & Gloucester. The locomotive appeared in the 2020 film Enola Holmes.