GWR 4575 Class

The Great Western Railway (GWR) 4575 Class is a class of 2-6-2T British steam locomotives.

GWR 4575 class
4598, freshly repaired at Swindon Works
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Charles Collett Builder GWR Swindon Works Order number Lots 242, 249, 251, 253 Build date 1927–1929 Total produced 100
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-6-2T  • UIC 1'C1' ht Gauge 4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Leading dia. 3 ft 2 in (0.965 m) Driver dia. 4 ft 7 ^1⁄2 in (1.410 m) Trailing dia. 3 ft 2 in (0.965 m) Minimum curve 5 chains (330 ft; 100 m) normal, 4.5 chains (300 ft; 91 m) slow Wheelbase 26 ft 10 in (8.18 m) Length 36 ft 4 ^1⁄2 in (11.09 m) over buffers Width 8 ft 9 in (2.667 m) Height 13 ft 0 in (3.962 m) Axle load 15 long tons 11 cwt (34,800 lb or 15.8 t) (17.4 short tons) full Adhesive weight 46 long tons 5 cwt (103,600 lb or 47 t) (51.8 short tons) full Loco weight 61 long tons 0 cwt (136,600 lb or 62 t) (68.3 short tons) full Fuel type Coal Water cap 1,300 imp gal (5,900 l; 1,600 US gal) Firebox:  • Firegrate area 16.6 sq ft (1.54 m^2) Boiler pressure 200 lbf/in^2 (1.38 MPa) Heating surface:  • Tubes 992.51 sq ft (92.207 m^2)  • Firebox 94.25 sq ft (8.756 m^2) Superheater: ​  • Type 4-element or 6-element  • Heating area 4-element: 52.98 sq ft (4.922 m^2), 6-element: 69.84 sq ft (6.488 m^2) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 17 in × 24 in (432 mm × 610 mm) Valve gear Stephenson Valve type piston valves Train brakes Vacuum
Performance figures Tractive effort 21,250 lbf (94.5 kN)
Career Operators GWR » BR Class 4575 Power class GWR: C, BR: 4MT Number in class 100 Numbers 4575–4599, 5500–5574 Nicknames Small Prairie Axle load class GWR: Yellow Withdrawn 1956–1964 Preserved 4588, 5521, 5526, 5532, 5538, 5539, 5541, 5542, 5552, 5553, 5572 Disposition 11 preserved, remainder scrapped

History

They were designed as small mixed traffic branch locomotives, mainly used on branch lines. They were a development of Churchward's 4500 Class with larger side tanks and increased water capacity.[1] 100 were built numbered 4575–4599 and 5500–5574. A number were fitted with auto apparatus in 1953 to enable them to run push-pull trains on South Wales lines with auto trailers.[1]

They often are referred to as Small Prairie Class tank locomotives.

Preservation

11 of these engines survive:

Number and name	Home	Status	Image
4588	Peak Rail	Has run in preservation, but currently out of service requiring overhaul. It was sold from the Dartmouth Steam Railway in 2015 and is now owned by Mike Thompson and based at Peak Rail. [2]
5521/L.150	Avon Valley Railway [3]	Built 1927, withdrawn by BR and sent to Woodham Brothers, having run just over one million miles (1,600,000 km). Saved with sisters 4561 and 5542 by the West Somerset Railway Association, but it and 5542 were sold to repay purchase debts/fund restoration of 4561. Bought by Richard and William Parker in 1980, it was restored at the Flour Mill, Forest of Dean from 2004 to 2007. Featured in the 2007 Wolsztyn Parade, then travelled to Budapest, Hungary where it worked intermittently with MAV Nosztalgia, including piloting the Orient-Express. Returned to Poland in 2008, operating suburban services from Wroclaw to Jelcz Laskowice. After third appearance at 2009 Wolsztyn Parade, returned to England. In May 2013 painted in London Transport livery and numbered L.150, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Metropolitan line. On loan to the Bluebell Railway until summer 2014, then moved to Avon Valley Railway.[4]
5526	South Devon Railway	On loan to the Battlefield Line Railway. Boiler ticket expires in 2027.
5532	Llangollen Railway	Under restoration. [5]
5538	The Flour Mill, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire	Under restoration. Previously displayed in Barry Island. [6]
5539	Barry Tourist Railway	Under restoration. Previously part of the Barry Ten until 2006. [7]
5541	Dean Forest Railway	Currently operational. Boiler ticket expires in 2024. [8]
5542	South Devon Railway	Currently operational at the souh devon railway. This locomotive has visited several preserved railways throughout her preservation career. Boiler ticket expires in 2022.[9]
5552	Bodmin and Wenford Railway	Has run in preservation and is currently under overhaul.[10]
5553	Peak Rail	Owned by Pete Waterman. Last steam engine to leave Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, in January 1990. Moved in 2015 from Crewe Heritage Centre for overhaul.
5572	Didcot Railway Centre	On static display awaiting overhaul. [11]

Two members of the class have also briefly been out on the mainline: 5521 & 5572. 5521 went across to Poland to take part in the wolsztyn parade as well as briefly pilot the Orient Express. 5572 made an appearance at an open day in Reading as part of the GWR150 celebrations in 1985, arriving under its own power. When returning to Didcot again under its own power the engine also hauled the replica broad gauge locomotive "Iron Duke" alongside the preserved GWR Railcar W22W.

In fiction

One of these locomotives with the GWR Shirtbutton logo was featured in the train chase sequence from the 1978 Disney film Candleshoe.

Models and toys

Lima made a model of the 4575 class, number 4589, in GWR green, also a British Railways black-liveried version, running number 5574. Bachmann Branchline have for many years made various versions of the 4575 Class.

See also

• GWR 4400 Class
• GWR 4500 Class
• List of GWR standard classes with two outside cylinders

References

1. le Fleming, H.M. (February 1962). White, D.E. (ed.). The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway, part nine: Standard Two-Cylinder Classes. RCTS. p. J46-J50.
2. "South Devon Railway 4588 page".
3. "Avon Valley Railway 5521 page". Archived from the original on 6 July 2015.
4. "The Flour Mill 5521 page".
5. "Llangollen Railway 5532 Page".
6. "The Flour Mill Projects page".
7. "Llangollen Railway 5539 Page".
8. "Dean Forest Locomotive Group 5541 Page".
9. "5542 Web site".
10. "Bodmin and Wenford Stock List - 5552".
11. "5572 - 2-6-2T".

• Whitehurst, Brian (1973). Great Western Engines, Names, Numbers, Types and Classes (1940 to Preservation). Oxford, UK: Oxford Publishing Company. pp. 40–41, 50, 102, 137. ISBN 978-0-9028-8821-0. OCLC 815661.

External links

• 4400 / 4500 tank classes
• Railuk database