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.

+ Table of orders and numbers Year Quantity Lot No. Locomotive numbers Notes 1929 10 257 5101–5110 1930 10 257 5150–5159 1930 13 259 5160–5172 1931 17 259 5173–5189 1934 10 284 5190–5199 1935 10 292 4100–4109 1936 10 292 4110–4119 1937 2 313 4120–4121 1938 8 313 4122–4129 1939 10 323 4130–4139 1946 10 335 4140–4149 1947 10 361 4150–4159 1948 10 369 4160–4169 1949 10 369 4170–4179

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 (88E) 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.

+ Table of withdrawals Year Quantity inservice atstart of year Number withdrawn Quantitywithdrawn Locomotive numbers Notes 1956 140 1 1 5159. 1957 139 5 6 5107/09/56–57/61. 1958 134 10 16 4138–39, 5105/08/60/62/65/68/71–72. 1959 124 4 20 5170/86/89/96. 1960 120 16 36 4162/64/70, 5102–04/06/10/50/55/63/69/78–79/85/97. 1961 104 11 47 4117/23, 5158/66/74–77/94–95/98. 1962 93 22 69 4102/06/12/16/18/26/29/45–46/52/63, 5151/67/73/80–83/87–88/90/93. 5193 preserved 1963 71 14 83 4114/19/27/34/40–42/49, 5101/52/54/64/92/99. 4141, 5164, 5199 preserved 1964 57 28 111 4101/03–05/08–09/20/22/24/28/30–33/35–37/43/53/59/66–67/71/73–74, 5153/84/91. 1965 29 29 140 4100/07/10–11/13/15/21/25/44/47–48/50–51/54–58/60–61/65/68–69/72/75–79. 4110, 4115, 4121, 4144, 4150, 4160 preserved

Preservation Ten of the class were preserved after withdrawal in the 1960s (six built in the 1930s before World War II and four built after the war in the late 1940s, one of which under the British Railways banner). 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:

Number Built Withdrawn Service Life Owner Current Location Status Livery Notes Image5164Nov 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; plans to overhaul the locomotive are underway.. Retrieved 19 January 2022.

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 (rebuilt)BR Lined Black, Early EmblemOriginally built in 1934 as 5193, 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 RailwayDartmouth Steam 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 20234115Oct 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 monthsPrivately ownedTyseley Locomotive WorksRestoration in progressN/AUnder restoration4141Aug 1946Mar 196316 Years, 7 monthsRoger Wright Epping 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 RailwayOperationalN/AEmerged from Bridgnorth Works in June 2026 following restoration from scrapyard condition. 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.

See also GWR 3100/5100 Class (1906) GWR 3150 Class GWR 6100 Class GWR 3100 Class (1938) GWR 8100 Class List of GWR standard classes with two outside cylinders

References

External links

5101 tank class 4144 - 2-6-2T The 4150 Fund The 5164 Website 4160 History