GWR 322 Class (tank engine)

The GWR 322 Class tank engines comprised six Great Western Railway outside-framed steam locomotives, originally built by Beyer, Peacock, and Company as 322 class tender engines and subsequently rebuilt in 1878–85 as saddle tank locomotives by George Armstrong at Wolverhampton Works.

Numbering

They were numbered in sequence as 322–327, with No. 323 having exchanged numbers with No. 359, No. 325 with No.337 and No. 327 with No. 366.

Rebuilding

From 1918, all apart from No. 324 became pannier tanks when they were reboilered with Belpaire fireboxes. No. 322 was the only one ever to have a fully enclosed cab.

Use

They were principally stationed in the Birmingham/Wolverhampton area and at Stourbridge, and including their previous existence as tender engines, all ran over a million miles up to their withdrawal between 1921 and 1932.