GWR 7802 Bradley Manor
7802 Bradley Manor in service
7802 Bradley Manor is one of three GWRGreat Western Railway CollettCharles Benjamin Collett, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the Great Western Railway 1922-1941 7800 Manor class locomotives based at the SVRSevern Valley Railway, the others being 7812 Erlestoke Manor and 7819 Hinton Manor.
The Manor Class 4-6-0 mixed traffic locomotive was designed as a lighter version of the GWRGreat Western Railway Grange Class, giving a wider Route Availability. The first 20, including all three at the SVRSevern Valley Railway, were built between 1938 and 1939 and incorporated parts from old GWRGreat Western Railway 4300 Class Moguls. BRBritish Rail or British Railways built a further 10 in 1950 and rated the class 5MTThe British Railways system of classifying steam locomotives by power using a number from 0, least powerful, to 9, most powerful, followed by either F for freight, P for Passenger or MT for Mixed Traffic..
7802 was named after the manor house at Bradley near Newton Abbot, Devon. Initially delivered to London’s Old Oak Common Depot, 7802 soon moved to Bristol working cross country services around Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset and South Wales.
Post-War, 7802 was mainly based at ex-Cambrian sheds and was a well-known performer on 'The Cambrian Coast Express'. In late 1960, 7802 was joined there by sister engine 7812 Erlestoke Manor. Both locomotives were withdrawn at Shrewsbury on 6th November 1965, and both moved to Woodham’s scrapyard at BarryWoodham Brothers Scrapyard, Barry, South Wales. The source of many locomotives now in preservation. in June 1966.
7802 Bradley Manor in preservation
Both 7812 and 7802 were acquired from BarryWoodham Brothers Scrapyard, Barry, South Wales. The source of many locomotives now in preservation. by The Erlestoke Manor Fund. 7802 was purchased from BarryWoodham Brothers Scrapyard, Barry, South Wales. The source of many locomotives now in preservation. in 1979. Restoration was finally completed in April 1993, and 7802 ran until August 2000.
A quick overhaul was achieved by exchanging Erlestoke Manor’s boiler (withdrawn in 1985) with Bradley Manor’s, allowing a return to service for 7802 in May 2002.
7802 Bradley Manor was withdrawn from service again at the end of the 2010 season, having accumulated over 110,000 miles in preservation, including working on the main line. The next overhaul is already under way at Tyseley Loco Works (chassis) and boiler (SVRSevern Valley Railway Bridgnorth Boilershop), with a view to a return to service during 2015.
