GWR 1450

1450 and autocoaches at Highley

Contents

1450 in service

1450 is a GWR 14xx class 0-4-2T locomotive. These locomotives were designed to work on small branch lines and most were equipped from new to work with autocoaches. When first built at Swindon they were numbered in the 48xx series, and this locomotive first entered service in 1935 as No. 4850.

In 1946 the GWR decided to reallocate the 14xx numbers to a different class of locomotives and 4850 was renumbered 1450. Following nationalisation BR rated the class 1P. 1450 was finally withdrawn from service by BR in May 1965 after a working life totalling 823,012 miles.

1450 in preservation

1450 spent her early life in preservation at the Dart Valley Railway (now the South Devon Railway). She was eventually purchased from there by her present owner, Mike Little.

1450 arrived at the SVR in March 2014, initially on hire for the year. Although not powerful enough to haul service trains, the locomotive is regularly used on Footplate Experience duties, as well as appearing at galas on the SVR and elsewhere. However, 1450 did haul a service train in 2014, double heading with 4566 to provide the required power, due to a number of ongoing locomotive repairs leaving the SVR unexpectedly short on engines. No announcement has yet been made on when 1450 will leave, and it has been reported that Mike Little is happy with the current arrangements (Nov. 2015).

See also

Steam Locomotives