GWR 5101 Class


The GWR 5101 Class or 'Large Prairie' is a class of type steam locomotives of the Great Western Railway.

History

The 5101 Class were medium-sized tank engines used for suburban and local passenger services all over the Great Western Railway system. The class was an updated version, by Collett, of Churchward's 1903 3100/5100 Class.
The original 40 members of the 3100 class were renumbered 5100 and 5111 to 5149 in 1927. The first batches of 5101s filled in the numbers 5101 to 5110 and extended the class from 5150 to 5189. They were little changed from the Churchward locomotives as they then were, but had an increased axle loading of ; the maximum permitted for the ‘Blue’ route availability. Bunkers were of the standard Collett design with greater coal capacity. The 5100 number series was exhausted in 1934, and further new locomotives were numbered from 4100. The last 20 were built after nationalisation.
YearQuantityLot No.Locomotive numbersNotes
1929102575101–5110
1930102575150–5159
1930132595160–5172
1931172595173–5189
1934102845190–5199
1935102924100–4109
1936102924110–4119
193723134120–4121
193883134122–4129
1939103234130–4139
1946103354140–4149
1947103614150–4159
1948103694160–4169
1949103694170–4179

As both freight and passenger traffic on branch lines declined post-World War II with increasing volumes of private motor cars, and replacement on urban services by diesel-powered rail cars, the bulk of the class found itself allocated to various mainline support duties, mainly banking and piloting, often on the South Devon Banks on the Exeter to Plymouth Line, or around the Severn Tunnel on the South Wales Main Line.
A number of the class - 4110, 4115, 4121, 4144, 4150, 4156 and 4160 - ended their operational lives allocated to the major locomotive shed at, undertaking piloting and banking duties through both the Severn Tunnel and the associated goods yard. Assistance was needed by all heavy trains through the Severn Tunnel, which entailed: of 1-in-90 down to the middle of the tunnel; then a further at 1-in-100 up to ; a short level then more at 1-in-100 to. However, the pilot locomotive usually came off at Pilning. Several of this group were sold for scrap to Woodham Brothers and consequently have survived into preservation.

Accidents and incidents

  • On 30 November 1948, locomotive 4150 was running round its train at when it was in collision with a passenger train hauled by 5022 Wigmore Castle, which had overrun signals. Eight passengers were injured.

    Withdrawal

The below list shows when all of the original 5101's and later 4100's were withdrawn from service.
YearQuantity in
service at
start of year		Number withdrawnQuantity
withdrawn		Locomotive numbersNotes
1956140115159.
1957139565107/09/56–57/61.
195813410164138–39, 5105/08/60/62/65/68/71–72.
19591244205170/86/89/96.
196012016364162/64/70, 5102–04/06/10/50/55/63/69/78–79/85/97.
196110411474117/23, 5158/66/74–77/94–95/98.
19629322694102/06/12/16/18/26/29/45–46/52/63, 5151/67/73/80–83/87–88/90/93.5193 preserved
19637114834114/19/27/34/40–42/49, 5101/52/54/64/92/99.4141, 5164, 5199 preserved
196457281114101/03–05/08–09/20/22/24/28/30–33/35–37/43/53/59/66–67/71/73–74, 5153/84/91.
196529291404100/07/10–11/13/15/21/25/44/47–48/50–51/54–58/60–61/65/68–69/72/75–79.4110, 4115, 4121, 4144, 4150, 4160 preserved

Preservation

Ten of the class were preserved after withdrawal in the 1960s. As of 2023, six have run in preservation, one is under restoration, one is still in scrapyard condition, one has acted as a donor locomotive for other projects, and one has been rebuilt into a tender engine:
NumberBuiltWithdrawnService LifeOwnerCurrent LocationStatusLiveryNotesImage
5164Nov 1930Apr 196332 Years, 5 monthsErlestoke Manor FundTyseley Locomotive WorksStoredGWR Unlined Green, Great Western LetteringNormally located at the Severn Valley Railway but on static display at Barrow Hill MPD since 2014 following expiry of boiler certificate on 5 January 2014. Ownership transferred to the Erlestoke Manor Fund in 2021; as of 2022 plans to overhaul the locomotive are underway.
The engine was moved from Barrow Hill Engine Shed to Tyseley Locomotive Works for assessment in November 2023.
9351Oct 1934Jun 196227 Years, 8 monthsWest Somerset Railway plcWest Somerset RailwayOperational BR Lined Green, Early EmblemOriginally built in 1934, withdrawn in 1962 and recovered from Woodham Brothers scrapyard in 1979. Rebuilt by the West Somerset Railway into a 2-6-0 resembling a small boilered version of the GWR 4300 Class, which has been numbered 9351. Returned to service in 2019 following an overhaul.
5199Nov 1934Mar 196328 Years, 3 months5199 ProjectWest Somerset RailwayOperationalGWR Unlined Green, Great Western LetteringOverhaul completed 23 November 2014. Repainted into GWR Green livery in 2021.
4110Oct 1936Jun 196528 Years, 8 monthsDartmouth Steam RailwayEast Somerset RailwayOperationalBR Unlined Green, Late CrestSold in May 2015 by GWR Preservation Group Limited of Southall Railway Centre to WSR plc. Sold again in January 2019 to the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway. It was sent to the East Somerset Railway in January 2020. Returned to steam in 2023
4115Oct 1936Jun 196528 Years, 8 monthsGreat Western SocietyDidcot Railway CentreDonor locomotive, frames scrapped in 2016.Built October 1936, withdrawn from service in June 1965. One of the "Barry Ten", she was sold to the Great Western Society, Didcot in 2010, to act as a donor locomotive. Its frames were scrapped in 2016:
4121Dec 1937Jun 196527 Years, 6 monthsTyseley Locomotive WorksUnrestored, partially strippedN/AStored at Tyseley in a partially stripped down state
4141Aug 1946Mar 196316 Years, 7 monthsRoger WrightEpping Ongar RailwayAwaiting completion of repairsBR Lined Green, Late CrestReturned to steam in 2012 after an overhaul, but currently out of service awaiting boiler repairs.
4144Sept 1946Jun 196518 Years, 8 monthsGreat Western SocietyDidcot Railway CentreOperationalGWR Unlined Green, GWR LetteringReturned to steam in 2015 after an overhaul. Loaned to the Kent & East Sussex Railway for the 2020 season. Returned to Didcot Railway Centre before visiting other railways. At the Kent & East Sussex Railway for the Santa’s in 2021. Operational at the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway as of the summer of 2023.
4150Jun 1947Jun 196517 Years, 11 months4150 FundSevern Valley RailwayRestoration in progressN/A
4160Sept 1948Jun 196516 Years, 8 months4160 LtdSouth Devon RailwayUnder OverhaulN/AOverhauled in 2007, previously operated on the West Somerset Railway. Sent to the Llangollen Railway in January 2016 for overhaul. Moved to the South Devon Railway for the completion of its overhaul, upon which it shall become a resident of the line under the custodianship of 5542 Ltd.

Models

manufacture a model of the Large Prairie in N scale. Hornby have manufactured two models of the class in 00 gauge in both Great Western and British railway liveries; the first was based on a 1980's Airfix model of the engine, the second was a 2020 re-tooled model with a 5 pole motor. Dapol have a 00 gauge model due for release in q4 2021; this has both GWR and BR livery versions planned. Heljan are planning on producing a model of the large prairie in O gauge in 2017. Sonic Models have announced they producing an N scale model, due for release in April/May.