GWR 2251 Class 3205
| GWR 2251 Class 3205 | |
|---|---|
 3205 in September 2010 | |
| Built By | GWR Swindon Works |
| Configuration | 0-6-0 |
| Power class | GWR: B, BR: 3MT |
| Axle load class | GWR: Yellow |
| Status | Now at South Devon Railway |
| Loco Number | 3205 |
| History | |
| Built | 1946 |
| Designed By | Charles Collett |
| Type | GWR 2251 |
| 1967 | Arrived on SVR |
| 1970 | Hauled first passenger service on SVR |
| 1987 | left the SVR |
| Technical | |
| Length | 53ft 8¼" |
| Weight | 43t 8cwt |
| Tractive effort | 20,155 lb |
| Pressure | 200 lb/sq in |
The Collett 2251 class was originally designed to replace the Dean goods engines in use on lightly laid lines in Central Wales, and were sometimes referred to as the 'Collett Goods'. 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 They were withdrawn from service between December 1958 and June 1965; 3205 is the only surviving example.[1]
A number of the class including 3205 were used on the Severn Valley Branch from the mid 1950s onward, mostly operating from Shrewsbury although No. 2207 was housed at Kidderminster Shed. As well as freight duties, they worked occasional summer Sunday passenger trains[2].
Contents
Service
3205 was built at Swindon and entered service in October 1946 allocated to Gloucester Horton Road, although spending most of her time at its sub-shed at Cheltenham. In June 1955 the locomotive spent 3 months at Worcester before returning to Gloucester, with a permanent move to Worcester taking place in October 1956. In August 1960 3205 moved to Shrewsbury; being recorded on a passenger service on the Branch in 1961.[2] Three months in summer 1961 were spent at Machynlleth before returning to Shrewsbury’s sub-shed at Craven Arms.
By 1963 3205 was spending most of her time in storage out of use, initially at Hereford and later at Exmouth Junction. She was steamed again in March 1965 to work "The Exmoor Ranger" railtour, and in May 1965 moved to the S&D Templecome shed for a final few weeks. She was withdrawn from service in June 1965, but had one final duty on 2 October 1965, working the leg of the Ian Allen "Pendennis Castle Special railtour" from Exeter to Totnes with another GWR locomotive, 4555, as a positioning move to deliver the locomotives and four BR(W) auto trailers into preservation[3][4].
Preservation
When 3205 was withdrawn from service in 1965, she was bought for preservation by the 2251 Fund based at the newly-formed Dart Valley Railway (now the South Devon Railway).[5] After arrival on 2 October 1965, the fire was dropped and the locomotive remained out use, although receiving close attention from its owners.[4] The first passenger trains would not run on the Dart Valley Railway until April 1969[6].
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,[7] and travelled onwards to Bridgnorth under her own steam on 25th March accompanied by 4 coaches including 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 Great Western Society 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.[8]
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.[9] 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.[10] 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".[11] 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.[12]
In early 1973 3205 spent several months out of traffic while a new ashpan was fitted, with other repairs being required later that year,[13] by which time a foundation ring rivet had failed in the back corner of the firebox.[14] At the end of the year 3205 had recorded 2,426 miles in service since arrival in 1967[15].
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".[16] The tender work included reconstructing the badly wasted sub-frames and fitting a new bottom to the tank and coal space.[17] 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.[18]
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".[14] At that time the casting of replacement cylinders was considered all but impossible. 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. It is thought that this repair may have been the first time in standard gauge preservation that a cylinder block was split. The cylinders had been split by autumn 1976[19] and work had begun on the new valve face castings by the following spring.[20] 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 30 ton steam crane.[21]
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.[22] 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!).[23] The marathon overhaul was finally completed in late 1979, with the locomotive recording just 2 miles in service.
Second period of SVR service
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.[24]
3205’s second period of SVR service ended at the end of 1984 with firebox issues, the boiler inspector prescribing "flange rivets out!"[25] 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[26] 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
References
- ↑ Great Western Archive
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Smith (1968) p. 46.
- ↑ BRDatabase
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 SVR News 6, April 1967
- ↑ SDR web page for 3205
- ↑ South Devon Railway Line History
- ↑ A G Cleaver, "The Early Days Of The 'Severn Valley'", SVR News 190 (2015) p19
- ↑ SVR News 7
- ↑ SVR News 14
- ↑ SVR News 20
- ↑ SVR News 23
- ↑ SVR News 24
- ↑ SVR News 30
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 SVR News 39
- ↑ SVR News 58 Winter 1980/81, p.34., "Steam Locomotive Mileages for the Decade"
- ↑ SVR News 31
- ↑ SVR News 33
- ↑ SVR News 37
- ↑ Picture in SVR News 41
- ↑ SVR News 43
- ↑ SVR News 46
- ↑ SVR News 49
- ↑ SVR News 53
- ↑ SVR News 56. The event programme suggest the total was 30 steam locomotives.
- ↑ SVR News 74
- ↑ SVR News 82, 84
Links
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