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The locomotive Collett 2251 class was built originally designed to replace the Dean goods engines in 1946 at Swindon and intended for use on the lightly laid lines in Central Wales. 120 were built between 1930 and 1948. They saw use on most parts of the former GWR system, working short haul main line trains and branch passenger services. They were withdrawn from service between December 1958 and June 1965; 3205 is the only surviving example<ref>[http://www.greatwestern.org.uk/m_in_060_2251.htm Great Western Archive]</ref>.
==Preservation==When 3205 left was withdrawn from service in 1965, she was bought for preservation by the SVR 2251 Fund based at the newly-formed Dart Valley Railway (now the South Devon Railway).<ref>[https://www.southdevonrailwayassociation.org/3205.html SDR web page for 3205]</ref> After arrival on 2 October 1965, the fire was dropped and the West Somerset Railway in 1987locomotive remained out use, before returning to although receiving close attention from its owners.<ref name=SVR6/> The first passenger trains would not run on the Dart Valley Railway until April 1969<ref>[https://www.southdevonrailway.co.uk/line-history/ South Devon Railway in 1998Line History]</ref>.
===First period of SVR service===
In 1967 3205 became the first locomotive on the fledgling SVR. She was hauled dead with motion disconnected from Totnes to Stourbridge on 22nd February 1967,<ref>A G Cleaver, "The Early Days Of The 'Severn Valley'", ''SVR News'' 190 (2015) p19</ref> and travelled onwards to Bridgnorth under her own steam on 25th March accompanied by 4 coaches including [[GWR 6562 Brake Composite | GWR 6562]] which is still at the SVR. The locomotive was steamed on a number of "Gala" occasions between then and the official opening day in May 1970; the absence of a Light Railway Order meaning the public would purchase a ‘Day Membership’ which allowed them to travel for free!
On Friday 15 September 1967 3205 left the SVR by rail in steam to attend the third GWS open day at Taplow. After the event ended on Saturday, the locomotive returned to Didcot where she was stabled before returning to the SVR on the following Monday.<ref>SVR News 7</ref>
On 27 September 1969, [[46443]] and 3205 together with a number of other items of SVR rolling stock were piloted by a BR Class 47 from Bewdley to Tyseley to take part in an open day there, where 3205 won the award for the best restored visiting locomotive.<ref>SVR News 14</ref> 3205 had both originally arrived on the SVR facing south and returned facing in the same direction.
On opening day, 23 May 1970, 3205 hauled the first service train from Bridgnorth. By early December 1970 the locomotive had recorded 900 miles in traffic before suffering a "''...spectacular tube failure''", requiring a partial re-tube to be carried out in early 1971. This was completed just before Easter, but the first day of operation saw issues with both big ends and the locomotive was withdrawn again for several months while the big ends were re-metalled and re-fitted.<ref>SVR News 20</ref>. As a result only 80 miles in traffic were recorded in 1971.
In spring 1972 SVR News noted that 3205 had been "''bedevilled by minor ills, notably piston packing troubles and steam and lubricator pipe leaks, following complete re-tubing''".<ref>SVR News 23</ref> On Sunday 21 May, 3205 and newly restored [[5764]] were in service together, the first occasion on which two GWR locomotives had shared Severn Valley passenger services since the 1960s.<ref>SVR News 24</ref>.
In early 1973 3205 spent several months out of traffic while a new ashpan was fitted, with other repairs being required later that year,<ref>SVR News 30</ref> by which time a foundation ring rivet had failed in the back corner of the firebox.<ref name =SVR39>SVR News 39</ref> At the end of the year 3205 had recorded 2,426 miles in service since arrival in 1967<ref>SVR News 58 Winter 1980/81, p.34., "Steam Locomotive Mileages for the Decade"</ref>.
===Heavy overhaul 1974-1979===
After spending early 1974 as standby locomotive but without being used, the return to traffic of [[46443]] allowed a major overhaul to begin. It was initially thought that this would mainly involve heavy boiler repairs together with re-metalling the motion and a tender overhaul and would take "''most of the year''".<ref>SVR News 31</ref> The tender work included reconstructing the badly wasted sub-frames and fitting a new bottom to the tank and coal space.<ref>SVR News 33</ref> By September 1975 the boiler has been almost completely re-stayed and a successful hydraulic test carried out, while the estimated completion date had moved to 1977.<ref>SVR News 37</ref>
When the valves and pistons were removed in early 1976, a visitor who had formerly worked at Tyseley Depot remarked "''They've had their chips, valve faces worn out''".<ref name =SVR39/> Remedying this required removal and splitting of the two halves of the cylinder block to fit new iron faces on which the slide valve operate. At that time the casting of replacement cylinders was considered all but impossible. It is thought that this repair may have been the first time in standard gauge preservation that a cylinder block was split. Nowadays, of course, the fitting of replacement cylinders is becoming the norm. The cylinders had been split by autumn 1976<ref>Picture in SVR News 41</ref> and work had begun on the new valve face castings by the following spring.<ref>SVR News 43</ref> Work continued slowly and carefully, and by the end of 1977 the cylinders had been bolted back together, placed in the frames, re-aligned and fitted bolts put in place. Work on the axle boxes had also been completed allowing the locomotive to be re-wheeled on 31 December 1977 using the newly-acquired [[Cowans Sheldon 30-ton steam crane RS 1091|30 ton steam crane]].<ref>SVR News 46</ref>
Re-assembly continued the following year and by autumn 1978 the mechanical side of 3205's overhaul was complete, but a decision had been made to re-tube the boiler, the thinness of the flue tubes when removed underlining the wisdom of this.<ref>SVR News 49</ref> A third hydraulic test during the extensive refit was passed in late August 1979 and the boiler reunited with the frames for the first time for 5 years (SVR News commented that by this time, a test of one's SVR seniority could be based on whether or not you could remember 3205 in its complete state!).<ref>SVR News 53</ref> The marathon overhaul was finally completed in late 1979, with the locomotive recording just 2 miles in service.
===Second period of SVR service===
[[File:Locomotive_Parade,_Rainhill_1980_-_GWR_0-6-0_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1587488.jpg | thumb|300px|right|3205 at Rainhill in 1980]]3205 was one of 5 SVR steam locomotives (out of a total of 31 at the event) which took part in the grand parade at the Rocket 150 celebrations at Rainhill in May 1980.<ref>SVR News 56</ref>
3205’s second period of SVR service ended at the end of 1984 with firebox issues, the boiler inspector prescribing "''flange rivets out!''"<ref>SVR News 74</ref> By that time the locomotive had recorded a total of 10,541 miles in traffic. A planned static appearance at the GWR 150 exhibition at Swindon in 1985 fell through when the event was cancelled and although generally mechanically sound, the locomotive was stored awaiting removal of the boiler for repair. In late 1986 it was announced that the owner had decided that 3205 would be leaving<ref>SVR News 82, 84</ref> and 3205 left the SVR in March 1987, initially to the West Somerset Railway before returning to the South Devon Railway in 1998.
===SVR Gala appearances since===
3205 made a return visit in May 2000 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the opening of the SVR in 1970, and made another welcome return visit to the SVR as a guest at the Autumn 2010 Steam Gala, having completed a major overhaul in May that year.
==See also==
*[[Former Residents]]<br>*[[Steam Locomotives visiting the SVR for galas]]<br>*[[SVR-based locomotives visiting other events]]
==References==
==Links==
*[http://www.southdevonrailwaygreatwestern.coorg.uk/locomotivesm_in_060_2251.htm Great Western Archive 2251 class]*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GWR_2251_Class Wikipedia 2251 class]*[https://www.southdevonrailwayassociation.org/3205 .html SDR web page for 3205]
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