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Having introduced a range of standard locomotives designed for heavier services, GWR CME George Jackson Churchward asked his lead draughtsman Harold Holcroft to produce "...''a 2-6-0 with 5 foot 8 inch wheels, outside cylinders, the No. 4 boiler and as many standard parts as could be used''". The resulting 4300 class first appeared in 1911 and proved successful with 322 built by 1925, sometimes incorporating detailed differences. A final batch of 20 built in 1932 incorporated further design changes by Churchward’s successor, Charles Collett. These included the introduction of side window cabs, outside steam pipes, a screw reverser, and a weight attached to the buffer beam to place more weight on the leading pony wheels and reduce wear on the leading driving wheels. As a result of these modifications, 7325 (originally 9303) is often referred to on the SVR as the "Collett Mogul".
Moguls were allocated to local sheds including [[Shrewsbury]] and [[Worcester]] (both from 1934), [[Kidderminster Shed]] (from 1946) and Stourbridge Junction (from 1950). Locos (not including those with Red axle load restrictions) operated excursions on the Kidderminster – Bewdley – Stourport triangle from the 1930s. In the late 1950s 4 moguls were allocated to [[Kidderminster Shed]] to work coal trains from [[Alveley Colliery]] to the power stations at [[Stourport Power Station|Stourport]] and [[Ironbridge power station|Buildwas]] and sugar beet trains to [[Foley Park]]<ref>GWR(SVR)A appeal leaflet</ref>. Reallocations meant that, for example, eighteen class members were allocated to Kidderminster at some point in their service.<ref>[http://www.brdatabase.info/locoqry.php?action=class&type=S&id=126002 BR Database, 4300 Class]</ref>
==9303/7325 in service==
