The GWR 0-6-0PT (pannier tank), is a type of steam locomotive built by the British Great Western Railway with the water tanks carried on both sides of the boiler, in the manner of panniers. They were used for local, suburban and branch line passenger and goods traffic, for shunting duties, and as banker engines on inclines. The early examples, such as the 1901 and 2021 classes, were rebuilt from saddle or side tanks when the locos received a Belpaire firebox – this type of firebox has a square top and is incompatible with a curved saddle tank. This process mostly took place during the tenure at Swindon Works of George Jackson Churchward. Only a very small number of saddle tank locomotives escaped rebuilding as panniers, notably the 1361 Class built new under Churchward in 1910, by which date a few of the 1813 Class had already been rebuilt as pannier tanks.
Classification
The GWR pannier tank locomotives were classified as follows:
Small engines (wheelbase under 15'), rebuilt from saddle or side tanks 93, 850, 1901 ClassesG. Armstrong/W'hampton 1874–95, 292 locos 2021, 2101 ClassesDean/W'hampton 1897–1905, 140 locos Small engines (wheelbase under 15'), built as pannier tanks from new 5400 ClassCollett/Swindon 1930, 25 locos 6400, 7400 ClassesCollett/Swindon 1932–50, 90 locos 1366 ClassCollett/Swindon 1934, six locos 1600 ClassHawksworth/Swindon 1949–55, 80 locos Large engines (wheelbase over 15'), rebuilt from saddle or side tanks 302 ClassJ. Armstrong/W'hampton 1864–65, eight locos 1016 ClassG. Armstrong/W'hampton 1867–71, eight locos 1076 (Buffalo), 1134 ClassesJ. Armstrong/Swindon 1870–1881, 266 locos 645 and 1501 ClassesG. Armstrong/W'hampton 1872–81, 106 locos 119 ClassG. Armstrong/W'hampton (renewals after Gooch) 1878–83, 11 locos 322 ClassG. Armstrong/W'hampton (renewals after Beyer) 1878–85, six locos 1813 ClassDean/Swindon 1882–84, 40 locos 1661 ClassDean/Swindon 1886–87, 40 locos 655 ClassG. Armstrong/W'hampton 1892–97, 52 locos 1854 ClassDean/Swindon 1890–95, 120 locos 2721 ClassDean/Swindon 1897–1901, 80 locos Large engines (wheelbase over 15'), built as pannier tanks from new GWR 5700 ClassCollett/Swindon and outside firms 1929–50, 863 locos (includes sub-class 8750) GWR 9400 ClassHawksworth/Swindon and outside firms 1947–56, 210 locos Large boiler/short wheelbase GWR 1500 ClassHawksworth/Swindon 1949, 10 locos
Preservation
Class Number Location 1366 1369 South Devon Railway 1500 1501 Severn Valley Railway 1600 1638 Kent and East Sussex Railway 8750 3650 Didcot Railway Centre 3738 Didcot Railway Centre 4612 Bodmin and Wenford Railway 5700 5764 Severn Valley Railway 5775 Keighley and Worth Valley Railway 5786 South Devon Railway 6400 6412 South Devon Railway 6430 South Devon Railway 6435 West Somerset Railway5700 7714 Severn Valley Railway 7715 Buckinghamshire Railway Centre 7752 Tyseley Locomotive Works 7754 Llangollen Railway 7760 Tyseley Locomotive Works 9400 9400 Swindon Steam Railway Museum 9466 Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway 8750 9600 Tyseley Locomotive Works 9629 Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway 9642 Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway 9681 Dean Forest Railway 9682 Dean Forest Railway
In fiction In The Railway Series of children's books by the Wilbert Awdry and the television series Thomas & Friends the character Duck the Great Western Engine is based on a 5700 Class pannier tank. No. 5775 is in the 1970 film The Railway Children, in a brown livery, with the initials of the fictitious Great Northern and Southern Railway on the tank sides. No. 6412 is in the 1970s children's TV series The Flockton Flyer. No. 5764 is in the 1976 short film "The Signalman", loosely based on the Charles Dickens book of the same name.
References
Sources Site with much detail information on boilers etc.