The Great Western Railway (GWR) 4700 Class was a class of nine 2-8-0steam locomotives, designed by George Jackson Churchward. They were introduced in 1919 for heavy mixed-traffic work. Although primarily designed for fast freight, the class also sometimes hauled passenger trains, notably heavy holiday expresses in the summer months. They were unofficially nicknamed "Night Owls" because they were primarily designed to haul goods during the night and they could be seen simmering in the daylight, awaiting their nocturnal duties.[2][3][4]
GWR 4700 Class
GWR Class 4700 2-8-0 4705 at the Southall Locomotive Depot, on 25 November 1962
At the end of the First World War, the running department of the GWR identified the need for a larger version of the successful GWR 4300 Class2-6-0 incorporating the Swindon No. 1 boiler. They envisaged a smaller version of the successful Saint class4-6-0 with 5 ft 8 in (1.727 m) driving wheels - the intermediate of Churchward's three standard wheel sizes, for express goods trains. However, Churchward preferred a 2-8-0 design for this purpose.[5]
Prototypeedit
The prototype of the new class was built at Swindon Works in May 1919 (Lot 214) and was the last design by Churchward. It was numbered 4700. According to the RCTS monograph, the design was not successful as built because the No. 1 boiler proved to be inadequate for such a large engine.[6] In May 1921, it was therefore rebuilt with a newly designed and larger Swindon No. 7 boiler. However, according to Cook it was built with a Standard No. 1 boiler as the intended design of the larger Standard No. 7 boiler, which was not yet ready.[7][page needed]
Production Seriesedit
Eight further locomotives with the larger No. 7 boilers and detail differences were ordered by Churchward in 1921 (Lot 221), but these only appeared after his retirement. These were numbered 4701 to 4708. Although they were mechanically successful locomotives, their large size severely restricted their route availability and so no more examples were built. Churchward's successor Charles Collett later rebuilt a Saint Class with 6 ft 0 in (1.829 m) wheels to form the Hall Class which was a far more versatile mixed traffic locomotive.[8] Later, Collett would produce the Grange Class which was exactly as the traffic department had originally envisaged: a 4-6-0 with Standard No. 1 boiler and 5 ft 8 in driving wheels. The class were originally fitted with 3,500 imperial gallons (16,000 L; 4,200 US gal) tenders but during 1933/4 these were replaced by 4,000 imperial gallons (18,000 L; 4,800 US gal) tenders.
Useedit
The class were primarily used on fast overnight freight services on the London, Exeter and Plymouth, London-Bristol and London, Birmingham and Wolverhampton routes. In later years they were often used on heavy relief passenger services to the West of England during the summer months.
Accidents and incidentsedit
On 12 November 1958, locomotive No. 4707 was hauling a freight train when it overran signals and was derailed at Highworth Junction, Swindon, Wiltshire. A newspaper train, hauled by GWR 4073 Class4-6-0 No. 5009 Shrewsbury Castle, collided with the wreckage.[9]
No. 4707 at Swindon Works 25 April 1954
Withdrawaledit
Withdrawal of the class began in June 1962 with No. 4702, while the last were removed from service in May 1964. As a result of their limited usefulness, the mileages achieved by the class were not exceptional, with No. 4705 recording the greatest at 1,656,564 miles (2,665,981 km).
Preservationedit
No members of the class were preserved. However, the Great Western Society4709 Group made the decision to create the next locomotive in the sequence, GWR 4709. Supported via a GWS sub-group; the plan was to build it using a mixture of new parts and others recycled from former Barry scrapyard locomotives:
GWR 5101 class 2-6-2T 4115 - six of the eight driving wheels and the frame extension.[10]
The plates for the new frames were cut and machined in 2012.
In order to fit within the more restrictive modern loading gauge, so that it could operate on the main line, the project has changed the plan to use the 2800 cylinder, and has instead had new cylinders designed and cast.[14]
^Daniel, John. "4700 class introduction". The Great Western Archive. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
^"4700 2-8-0 GWR Churchward 4700 – 4708". Preserved British Steam Locomotives. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
^Perton, Paul. "47XX History". 4709 – THE ULTIMATE BRITISH 2–8–0. Squarespace. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
^le Fleming, H.M. (November 1960) [1953]. White, D.E. (ed.). The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway, part eight: Modern Passenger Classes (2nd ed.). Kenilworth: RCTS. pp. H29.
^Le Fleming, H.M. (1962). The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway, part nine: Standard two-cylinder Classes. Kenilworth: RCTS. pp. J24-5. ISBN0901115371.
^"4709's First Cylinder cast satisfactorily at Boro Foundry". 4709 – The Ultimate British 2–8–0. 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
"Great Western Locomotive Types, 47xx". Retrieved 1 January 2006.
Daniel, John (2000). "Great Western steam locomotives, '4700' class". The Great Western Archive. Retrieved 1 January 2006.
Overton, Tim. . Archived from the original on 21 August 2004. Retrieved 1 January 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)( (as of 27 April 2006))
Whitehurst, Brian (1973). Great Western Engines, Names, Numbers, Types and Classes (1940 to Preservation). Oxford, UK: Oxford Publishing Company. pp. 42, 103, 138. ISBN978-0-9028-8821-0. OCLC 815661.
External linksedit
4709 Restoration project
February 15, 2024
4700, class, great, western, railway, 4700, class, class, nine, steam, locomotives, designed, george, jackson, churchward, they, were, introduced, 1919, heavy, mixed, traffic, work, although, primarily, designed, fast, freight, class, also, sometimes, hauled, . The Great Western Railway GWR 4700 Class was a class of nine 2 8 0 steam locomotives designed by George Jackson Churchward They were introduced in 1919 for heavy mixed traffic work Although primarily designed for fast freight the class also sometimes hauled passenger trains notably heavy holiday expresses in the summer months They were unofficially nicknamed Night Owls because they were primarily designed to haul goods during the night and they could be seen simmering in the daylight awaiting their nocturnal duties 2 3 4 GWR 4700 ClassGWR Class 4700 2 8 0 4705 at the Southall Locomotive Depot on 25 November 1962Type and originPower typeSteamDesignerGeorge Jackson ChurchwardBuilderGWR Swindon WorksOrder numberLots 214 221Serial number4700 2866 4701 4708 noneBuild date1919 1 1922 1923 8 Total produced9SpecificationsConfiguration Whyte2 8 0 UIC1 D h2Gauge4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm standard gaugeLeading dia 3 ft 2 in 0 965 m Driver dia 5 ft 8 in 1 727 m Minimum curve8 chains 530 ft 160 m normal 7 chains 460 ft 140 m slowLength66 ft 4 1 4 in 20 22 m Width8 ft 11 in 2 718 m Height13 ft 4 3 4 in 4 083 m Axle load19 long tons 12 cwt 43 900 lb or 19 9 t 19 long tons 12 hundredweight 19 9 t 22 0 short tons fullAdhesive weight73 long tons 8 cwt 164 400 lb or 74 6 t 73 long tons 8 hundredweight 74 6 t 82 2 short tons fullLoco weight82 long tons 0 cwt 183 700 lb or 83 3 t 82 long tons 0 hundredweight 83 3 t 91 8 short tons fullTender weight46 long tons 14 cwt 104 600 lb or 47 4 t 45 long tons 14 hundredweight 46 4 t 51 2 short tons fullFuel typeCoalWater cap 3 500 or 4 000 imperial gallons 16 000 or 18 000 L 4 200 or 4 800 US gal Firebox Grate area30 28 sq ft 2 813 m2 BoilerGWR Standard No 7 1 Boiler pressure225 lbf in2 1 55 MPa Heating surface Tubes2 062 35 sq ft 191 599 m2 Firebox169 75 sq ft 15 770 m2 Superheater Type4 element or 6 element Heating area4 element 211 20 sq ft 19 621 m2 6 element 276 98 sq ft 25 732 m2 CylindersTwo outsideCylinder size19 in 30 in 483 mm 762 mm Valve gearStephensonValve typePiston valvesPerformance figuresTractive effort30 460 lbf 135 5 kN CareerOperatorsGWR BRClass4700Power classGWR D BR 7FNumbers4700 4708NicknamesNight OwlsAxle load classGWR RedWithdrawn1962 1964DispositionAll original locomotives scrapped one new build under construction Contents 1 Background 2 Prototype 3 Production Series 4 Use 5 Accidents and incidents 6 Withdrawal 7 Preservation 8 See also 9 References 10 External linksBackground editAt the end of the First World War the running department of the GWR identified the need for a larger version of the successful GWR 4300 Class 2 6 0 incorporating the Swindon No 1 boiler They envisaged a smaller version of the successful Saint class 4 6 0 with 5 ft 8 in 1 727 m driving wheels the intermediate of Churchward s three standard wheel sizes for express goods trains However Churchward preferred a 2 8 0 design for this purpose 5 Prototype editThe prototype of the new class was built at Swindon Works in May 1919 Lot 214 and was the last design by Churchward It was numbered 4700 According to the RCTS monograph the design was not successful as built because the No 1 boiler proved to be inadequate for such a large engine 6 In May 1921 it was therefore rebuilt with a newly designed and larger Swindon No 7 boiler However according to Cook it was built with a Standard No 1 boiler as the intended design of the larger Standard No 7 boiler which was not yet ready 7 page needed Production Series editEight further locomotives with the larger No 7 boilers and detail differences were ordered by Churchward in 1921 Lot 221 but these only appeared after his retirement These were numbered 4701 to 4708 Although they were mechanically successful locomotives their large size severely restricted their route availability and so no more examples were built Churchward s successor Charles Collett later rebuilt a Saint Class with 6 ft 0 in 1 829 m wheels to form the Hall Class which was a far more versatile mixed traffic locomotive 8 Later Collett would produce the Grange Class which was exactly as the traffic department had originally envisaged a 4 6 0 with Standard No 1 boiler and 5 ft 8 in driving wheels The class were originally fitted with 3 500 imperial gallons 16 000 L 4 200 US gal tenders but during 1933 4 these were replaced by 4 000 imperial gallons 18 000 L 4 800 US gal tenders Use editThe class were primarily used on fast overnight freight services on the London Exeter and Plymouth London Bristol and London Birmingham and Wolverhampton routes In later years they were often used on heavy relief passenger services to the West of England during the summer months Accidents and incidents editOn 12 November 1958 locomotive No 4707 was hauling a freight train when it overran signals and was derailed at Highworth Junction Swindon Wiltshire A newspaper train hauled by GWR 4073 Class 4 6 0 No 5009 Shrewsbury Castle collided with the wreckage 9 nbsp No 4707 at Swindon Works 25 April 1954Withdrawal editWithdrawal of the class began in June 1962 with No 4702 while the last were removed from service in May 1964 As a result of their limited usefulness the mileages achieved by the class were not exceptional with No 4705 recording the greatest at 1 656 564 miles 2 665 981 km Preservation editNo members of the class were preserved However the Great Western Society 4709 Group made the decision to create the next locomotive in the sequence GWR 4709 Supported via a GWS sub group the plan was to build it using a mixture of new parts and others recycled from former Barry scrapyard locomotives GWR 5101 class 2 6 2T 4115 six of the eight driving wheels and the frame extension 10 GWR 2800 class 2 8 0 2861 the cylinder block GWR 5205 class 2 8 0T 5227 the axleboxes horns and other various components GWR 4073 Class 4 6 0 7027 Thornbury Castle the boiler 11 12 13 The plates for the new frames were cut and machined in 2012 In order to fit within the more restrictive modern loading gauge so that it could operate on the main line the project has changed the plan to use the 2800 cylinder and has instead had new cylinders designed and cast 14 See also editList of GWR standard classes with two outside cylindersReferences edit Champ Jim 2018 An Introduction to Great Western Locomotive Development Barnsley Pen amp Sword Transport p 320 ISBN 978 1 4738 7784 9 OCLC 1029234106 OL 26953051M Daniel John 4700 class introduction The Great Western Archive Retrieved 18 September 2020 4700 2 8 0 GWR Churchward 4700 4708 Preserved British Steam Locomotives Retrieved 18 September 2020 Perton Paul 47XX History 4709 THE ULTIMATE BRITISH 2 8 0 Squarespace Retrieved 18 September 2020 le Fleming H M November 1960 1953 White D E ed The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway part eight Modern Passenger Classes 2nd ed Kenilworth RCTS pp H29 Le Fleming H M 1962 The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway part nine Standard two cylinder Classes Kenilworth RCTS pp J24 5 ISBN 0901115371 Cook K J 1974 Swindon Steam Ian Allan Le Fleming 1962 p J25 Trevena Arthur 1980 Trains in Trouble Vol 1 Redruth Atlantic Books p 47 ISBN 0 906899 01 X 5199 Project The 5199 Project 2011 Archived from the original on 5 March 2012 Retrieved 25 July 2011 4709 Group buys Thornbury Castle 4709 The Ultimate British 2 8 0 4709 The Ultimate British 2 8 0 Retrieved 13 August 2022 4709 Group purchases Great Central Railway based steam locomotive 7027 Thornbury Castle RailAdvent Retrieved 13 August 2022 7027 THORNBURY CASTLE Didcot Railway Centre didcotrailwaycentre org uk Retrieved 13 August 2022 4709 s First Cylinder cast satisfactorily at Boro Foundry 4709 The Ultimate British 2 8 0 2021 Retrieved 23 September 2021 Great Western Locomotive Types 47xx Retrieved 1 January 2006 Daniel John 2000 Great Western steam locomotives 4700 class The Great Western Archive Retrieved 1 January 2006 Overton Tim GWR Locomotive Evolution Archived from the original on 21 August 2004 Retrieved 1 January 2006 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link as of 27 April 2006 Whitehurst Brian 1973 Great Western Engines Names Numbers Types and Classes 1940 to Preservation Oxford UK Oxford Publishing Company pp 42 103 138 ISBN 978 0 9028 8821 0 OCLC 815661 External links edit4709 Restoration project Great Western Society 47XX Project Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title GWR 4700 Class amp oldid 1201317183, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
