GWR 4300 Class

Great Western Railway 4300 Class

6381 at Southampton Terminus 1949
Power type	Steam
Configuration	2-6-0
Driver size	5 ft 8 in
Length	50ft 7 1/4 in
Total weight	102 to 105 tons 6 cwt
Fuel capacity	6 tons
Water capacity	3500 gallons
Boiler pressure	200 lb/in²
Cylinders	2
Cylinder size	18.5 in x 30 in
Tractive effort	25,670 lbs
Career	Great Western Railway
Class	4MT
Locale	Great Britain
First run	1911

6336 at Towyn, 25 July 1961.

6378 at Dovey Junction on 10 August 1962 witha Barmouth line service.

The Great Western Railway (GWR) 4300 Class is a class of 2-6-0 (mogul) steam locomotive.

Overview

The class was introduced in 1911 to a G.J. Churchward design. 342 were built until 1932. They were initially numbered in the 4300-99, 5300-99, 6300 - 6399 and 7300 - 7321 ranges. In 1925 7300-7304 were modified for better balance and had detail alterations. Between January and March 1928, due to problems with wear of the flanges of the leading pony truck, 65 engines of 5300 series received additional weight on the pony truck. In 1932, Charles Collett modified the original design and introduced 9300 - 9319 with side window cabs, outside steam pipes and a screw reverse . 88 were withdrawn and the wheels and motion of 80 were used for the Grange Class and 8 for Hall Class engines but the advent of the Second World War in 1939 stopped the conversions. 5300--99 were renumbered 8300-399 between 1944 and 1948. After passing into British Railways ownership, the Collett locos 9300-19 were modified back to light buffer beam design and were renumbered 7322-7341 between 1956 and 1959. 6320 was converted to oil firing between 1947 and 1949. The last were withdrawn in 1964.

Preservation

The preserved faux 4300 Class, No. 9351, which was rebuilt from 5101 Class 2-6-2T No. 5193, is pictured being coaled at Minehead on 29 December 2004.

Two have survived to preservation:

• 5322 (ex-8322) at Didcot Railway Centre
• 7325 (ex-9303) at Swindon Steam Railway Museum (static exhibit)

A third example, 9351, has been rebuilt from 5101 "Large Prairie" Class 2-6-2T 5193 at the West Somerset Railway, who desired the extra coal and water capacity of a tender engine. There are a few detail differences between it and a "proper" 4300, most noticeably it has retained footsteps on the front of its frames and has not any sandbox fillers along its running plate in positions where they would have been previously obscured by its side tank. The boiler and smokebox are also of noticeably smaller diameter.

External links

• Great Western archive page
• Railuk database