GWR 5400 Class

The Great Western Railway (GWR) 5400 Class is a class of 0-6-0 pannier tank steam locomotive. They were similar in appearance to many other GWR tank engines but smaller than the ubiquitous GWR 5700 Class.

GWR 5400 Class
A 5400 Class locomotive at Old Oak Common TMD
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerCharles Collett
BuilderGWR Swindon Works
Build date1930–32, 1935[1]
Total produced25[1]
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte0-6-0PT
Gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.5 ft 2 in (1.575 m)[1]
Minimum curve
  • 4 chains (264 ft; 80 m) normal
  • 3.5 chains (231 ft; 70 m) slow[2]
Wheelbase14 ft 8 in (4.47 m)[3]
LengthOver buffers: 31 ft 1 in (9.47 m)[4]
Width8 ft 7 in (2.616 m)[4]
Height12 ft 6 3⁄16 in (3.815 m)[4]
Frame type
  • Type: Inside
  • Length: 26 ft 5 in (8.05 m)[4]
Axle load15 long tons 12 cwt (34,900 lb or 15.9 t)
(17.5 short tons)[3]
Loco weight46 long tons 12 cwt (104,400 lb or 47.3 t)
(52.2 short tons) full[3]
Fuel typeCoal
Fuel capacity3 long tons 4 cwt (7,200 lb or 3.3 t)
(3.6 short tons)[3]
Water cap1,100 imp gal (5,000 l; 1,300 US gal)[3]
Firebox:
 • Firegrate area		16.76 sq ft (1.557 m2)[3]
Boiler
  • Barrel: 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m)
  • Outside diameter: 4 ft 3 in (1.30 m) & 4 ft 2 1⁄8 in (1.273 m)
  • Pitch: 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)[3]
Boiler pressure165 psi (1.14 MPa)[1]
Heating surface1,086.0 sq ft (100.89 m2)[3]
 • Tubes1,004.2 sq ft (93.29 m2)[3]
 • Firebox81.8 sq ft (7.60 m2)[3]
Cylinderstwo inside
Cylinder size16 1⁄2 in × 24 in (419 mm × 610 mm)[3]
Train heatingSteam from locomotive boiler
Loco brakesteam
Train brakesvacuum
Safety systemsATC[3]
Performance figures
Tractive effort14,780 lbf (65.7 kN)[3]
Career
OperatorsGreat Western Railway • British Railways
Power class
Numbers5400–24[3]
Axle load classGWR: Yellow[3]
LocaleWestern Region
Withdrawn1956–63[5]
DispositionAll scrapped

The nominally Collett-designed 5400 Class had 5 ft 2 in (1.575 m) driving wheels for greater top speed with autocoaches, and were all fitted with the required remote control gear for working the push-pull autotrains. They had a modern cab and a larger bunker. They were frequently seen on inner suburban routes from Paddington.

History

The 5400 class was related to the 2021 class saddle tank, designed by William Dean and built at Wolverhampton railway works. This was a light compact design with 4 ft 1 1⁄2 in (1.257 m) wheels, itself derived from the smaller Armstrong GWR 850 Class dating from 1874.

The class pioneer was not a new engine at all, rather it was a 1930 rebuild of 2021 tank 2080. It merely had substitute larger wheels and splashers and a larger bunker, whereas the new locos built from 1931 onwards had the rounded-edge cab as well. This cab style was to be fitted to all subsequent GWR pannier tank designs including the later derivations of the 5700 Class.

Despite its success, the prototype had a short life as number 5400, lasting only two years before scrapping. It was replaced with an all-new engine with the same number. 25 locomotives were built and they were numbered 5400-5424.

Withdrawal and mileages

Withdrawal from service with BR started in 1957 and was completed in 1963.[5] The last ones in service were No. 5410, No. 5416, and No. 5420.[6]

Withdrawal of 5400s from BR
Year 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963
Numbers 1 7 3 5 3 1 2 3

le Fleming noted that the mileages of those withdrawn between February 1957 and February 1958 were "from 671,000 to 775,000".[3]

GWR 6400 and 7400 classes
6400 Class locomotive 6424 at Kidderminster in 1963

The GWR 6400 Class and 7400 Class that followed were closely related, fundamentally differing only in wheel size – 4 ft 7 1⁄2 in (1.410 m) – and, in the case of the 74xx, a higher boiler pressure of 180 psi (1.2 MPa). This produced two general purpose classes with wide route availability. The 6400 was auto-fitted but more suitable for hilly routes than the 5400. The 7400 was not auto-fitted.

See also
  • GWR 0-6-0PT – list of classes of GWR 0-6-0 pannier tank, including table of preserved locomotives

References
  1. le Fleming 1958, p. E83.
  2. le Fleming 1958, p. E77.
  3. le Fleming 1958, p. E84.
  4. Whitehurst 1973, p. 156.
  5. Whitehurst 1973, p. 49.
  6. Daniel, John. "'5400' tank class details: 5400 - 5424". The Great Western Archive. Retrieved 20 November 2020.

Sources
  • le Fleming, H.M. (April 1958). Part 5: Six-coupled Tank Engines. The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway. Oxford: RCTS. ISBN 0-901115-35-5.
  • Whitehurst, Brian (1973). Great Western Engines, Names, Numbers, Types and Classes (1940 to Preservation). Oxford, UK: Oxford Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-9028-8821-0. OCLC 815661.
5400 Class
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