The Great Western Railway (GWR) 7200 Class is a class of 2-8-2T steam locomotive. They were the only 2-8-2Ts built and used by a British railway, and the largest tank engines to run on the Great Western Railway.
Rebuild and operation Originally, the 4200 class and 5205 class 2-8-0T were introduced for short-haul Welsh coal traffic, but the stock market crash of 1929 saw coal traffic dramatically fall. Built specifically for the short runs of heavy trains in the South Wales Coalfield, Charles Collett chose to rebuild some of them with extended coal bunkers (and thus greater range and usefulness) by adding to the frames, requiring a trailing axle making them 2-8-2T.
Rebuilt at Swindon Works, the first to be converted was 5275 (lot 266) which returned to traffic numbered 7200 in August 1934. A photograph of the prototype was taken on 27 July 1934 outside Swindon Works 'A Shop'. Nos. 5276–5294 were similarly rebuilt between August and November 1934, becoming 7201–7219, and Nos. 7220–7239 were rebuilt from 5255 to 5274 between August 1935 and February 1936; with both batches, the rebuilding was not in numerical order, but the new numbers were in the same sequence as the old. The 5205s had flat running boards to set them apart from the 5275s. Nos. 7240–7253, rebuilt August 1937–December 1939, were selected at random from locomotives numbered in the 4200 series, them all gaining 5275-styled running boards and cylinders (19”). This last batch of conversions had been authorised on Lot 318.
Class Original Rebuilt Rebuild date 5205 5275 7200 August 1934 5276 7201 August–November 1934 5277 7202 5278 7203 5279 7204 5280 7205 5281 7206 5282 7207 5283 7208 5284 7209 5285 7210 5286 7211 5287 7212 5288 7213 5289 7214 5290 7215 5291 7216 5292 7217 5293 7218 5294 7219 5255 7220 August 1935–February 1936 5256 7221 5257 7222 5258 7223 5259 7224 5260 7225 5261 7226 5262 7227 5263 7228 5264 7229 5265 7230 5266 7231 5267 7232 5268 7233 5269 7234 5270 7235 5271 7236 5272 7237 5273 7238 5274 7239 4200 4239 7240 August 1937–December 1939 4220 7241 4202 7242 4204 7243 4216 7244 4205 7245 4234 7246 4244 7247 4249 7248 4209 7249 4219 7250 4240 7251 4210 7252 4245 7253
In 1937 the "scuttle" bunkers were fitted to the final fourteen of 42xx rebuilds (7240–53). This bunker modification consisted of a higher rivet line increasing the class's water capacity by an extra 200/300 gallons however reducing the coal capacity by 1 ton. These new bunkers were later fitted to a random handful of the class outside this batch including No. 7200, No. 7201, No. 7210 and No. 7239 during their heavy overhauls. No. 7200 is the only surviving loco of its class to have this unique feature.
The 54 rebuilt locos found work in most parts of the GWR system, where their weight was allowed, although the rebuilt chassis length did get them banned from certain goods yards. Many found work in the home counties, deployed on iron ore and stone trains from Banbury. Many would find work in South Wales on coal traffic after WWII, especially when British Railways was formed, with 2884 and Standard 9F class engines taking over for them.
On 17 May 1941 No. 7238 ran into a bomb crater at Budbrook, near Hatton on the Banbury to Wolverhampton line.
Withdrawal The first member of the class to be withdrawn was number 7241 in November 1962, whilst the last four engines in traffic served until June 1965. Four of the class were bought by Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, and No. 7226 was scrapped there in 1965.
Preservation Three locomotives survive, all recovered from Woodham Brothers, though none have yet been returned to operational condition. However, in November 2020, the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre announced that a major milestone was reached with No. 7200.
Both No. 7200 and No. 7202 are nearing completion of their overhauls although substantial funding is required for the remaining boiler repairs on both locomotives.
Current NumberYear BuiltWithdrawnLocationStatusPhotographNotesNo. 72001930 as No. 5275 (Rebuilt No. 7200 in 1934)Jul 1963Buckinghamshire Railway CentreUnder RestorationLeft Barry Island September 1981. Scuttle Bunker fitted.No. 72021930 as No. 5277 (Rebuilt No. 7202 in 1934)Jun 1964Didcot Railway CentreUnder RestorationLeft Barry Island in April 1974.No. 72291926 as No. 5264 (Rebuilt No. 7229 in 1935)Aug 1964East Lancashire RailwayAwaiting RestorationLeft Barry Island in October 1984.
Models In 2012, Hornby released models of the 7200 class in both the original GWR green and BR black.
See also List of GWR standard classes with two outside cylinders
References
External links
Great Western Archive – 7200 Class The 7200 Trust – Restoring 7200