GWR 7802 Bradley Manor

GWR 7802 Bradley Manor
7802 Bradley Manor at Bewdley
Built By	GWR Swindon Works
Configuration	4-6-0
Power class	GWR: D, BR: 5MT
Axle load class	GWR: Blue
Status	In Service
Loco Number	7802
History
Built	1938
Designed By	Charles Benjamin Collett
Type	GWR 7800
1979	Purchased by The Erlestoke Manor Fund
1993	First steamed in preservation
2000	Withdrawn for overhaul
2002	Reentered service
2010	Withdrawn for overhaul
2015	Reentered service
Technical
Length	61ft 9¼"
Weight	68t 18cwt
Tractive effort	27,340 lb
Pressure	225 lb/sq in
Steam Locomotives

7802 Bradley Manor is a GWR Collett 7800 Manor class 4-6-0 mixed traffic locomotive. The Class was designed as a lighter version of the GWR Grange Class, giving a wider Route Availability. The first 20, including all three at the SVR, were built between 1938 and 1939 and incorporated parts from old GWR 4300 Class Moguls. BR built a further 10 in 1950 and rated the class 5MT. BR altered the draughting arrangements in the 1950s, resulting in a narrower chimney.

7802 Bradley Manor is one of three Manor class locomotives based at the SVR, the others being 7812 Erlestoke Manor and 7819 Hinton Manor.

Contents

7802 Bradley Manor in service

7802 was built at Swindon in January 1938 to Lot 316 at a recorded cost of £5,002. It 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 Both locomotives were withdrawn at Shrewsbury on 6 November 1965, and both moved to Woodham’s scrapyard at Barry in June 1966.

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  Bradley Manor at Crewe in 1962, bound for Wellington (Wikimedia Commons)

7802 Bradley Manor in preservation

Both 7812 and 7802 were acquired from Barry by The Erlestoke Manor Fund. 7802 was purchased from Barry in 1979, arriving 28 November, intended as a source of spares for 7812. Second thoughts brought about a start to restoration in 1983, which was completed in April 1993, helped by the proceeds of the 1987 "Project 7802" SVRA raffle. 7802 ran until August 2000, including a number of appearances on the main line (see below).

A quick overhaul was achieved by exchanging Erlestoke Manor’s boiler (withdrawn in 1985) with Bradley Manor’s, allowing a return to service (and main line working) for 7802 in May 2002. The engine is recorded as having surpassed 100,000 miles of running in preservation in 2009.

It was filmed for the major motion picture The Chronicles Of Narnia, released in 2005.

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. Another overhaul was undertaken, with the chassis being overhauled at Tyseley Loco Works and the boiler overhauled in the SVR Bridgnorth Boilershop. This overhaul was completed in November 2015, the return to service coinciding with the 'Manor 50' weekend celebrating the end of steam on the Cambrian network.

In 2019 an agreement was reached to send 7802 to the West Somerset Railway between May and October with GWR 6960 Raveningham Hall coming to the SVR for a similar period. Whilst working on the WSR on 7 July the right-hand piston rod broke due to fatigue caused by a long-standing defect in the metal: the piston and rod were forced forward out of the cylinder block, damaging the front cylinder cover, securing studs and the cylinder casting beyond repair. The locomotive and tender were moved to Tyseley Locomotive Works, with new replacement cylinders delivered in 2021 and the boiler lifted in 2022 for work (e.g. re-tubing and some pipework) which will reset the 10 year boiler certificate.

At the end of 2019, 7802 had recorded a total of 142,196 miles in preservation on the SVR. The reported total may include mileage on the main line and on hire to other railways.

Main line appearances

A full listing of Bradley Manor’s main line appearances while resident at the SVR is as follows:

Date	Tour name	Route	Notes	Web	SVR News
29 Mar 1995		Bristol-Paignton + return	Test trip prior to summer season (Pete Waterman)		114-59
19 May 1995		Gloucester-Worcester-Kidderminster	D/H with 7325 to Worcester. 7325 test run, the last leg of which was d/h with 7802. 7325 developed a warm tender bearing by Worcester so came off and 7802 took the train back to Stourbridge before returning LE to the SVR		115-44
14 Oct 1995	Duchy Explorer	Bristol-Penzance	D/H with 70000 Britannia		117-2
20 Jan 1996	Teign Valley Wanderer	Stourbridge - Newton Abbot			117-7
17 Feb 1996		Newton Abbot-Plymouth	D/H with 5029 Nunney Castle	PSOV
24 Feb 1996		Plymouth-Newton Abbot	D/H with 5029 Nunney Castle	PSOV	119-39
16 Mar 1996		Totnes-Worcester	(single headed)	PSOV	119-39
22 Jan 2000	Flying Dutchman	Bristol Temple Meads - Plymouth - Bristol Temple Meads		SBJ
10 Aug 2003	Torbay Express	Bristol Temple Meads - Paignton - Kingswear	failed with hot box at Kingswear	SBJ	145-31
31 Aug 2003	Torbay Express	Bristol-Kingswear + return		UKS	145-31
07 Sep 2003	Torbay Express	Bristol-Kingswear + return		UKS	145-31
23 Oct 2004	Cambrian Coast Express	Shrewsbury - Aberystwyth - Shrewsbury		SBJ
28 Feb 2005	Staite Pullman	Taunton - Paignton - Tanton	D/H with 6024	SBJ
12 Mar 2005	Cambrian Coast Express	Shrewsbury - Aberystwyth - Shrewsbury	Replaced 42968	SBJ
16 Sep 2006	Cambrian Coast Express	Shrewsbury - Aberystwyth - Shrewsbury		EMF
10 Mar 2007	Cider Express	Hereford - Bishops Lydeard - Minehead - Bishops Lydeard		SBJ
28 Mar 2007	Severn Valley Wanderer	Bristol Temple Meads - Kidderminster	Last run before OTMR became mandatory	SBJ
For further information on sources and references, see The Severn Valley Railway on the main line

Tender

Bradley Manor has used in preservation a 4000 gallon Collett tender (No T2792, main picture above). There is evidence of (at least) 7808 Cookham Manor running with such a tender near the end of its BR service. In September 2021 this tender moved by road from Bridgnorth to the West Somerset Railway on temporary hire, to be paired with 7828 Odney Manor.

Sister locomotive 7812 Erlestoke Manor already has a more appropriate Churchward 3500 gallon tender, No T2334; the contrast in tender size may be seen in the picture below. In January 2018, this tender was detached prior to 7812's move to Tyseley for overhaul, with the 3500 gallon tender remaining at Bridgnorth to be repainted and paired 'temporarily' with 7802. The swap was completed in March 2018.

Owning group The Erlestoke Manor Fund are constructing a 3500 gallon tender for Bradley Manor using serviceable parts from the remains of a GWR 3500 gallon tender (No T2329) which they acquired in ex-Barry condition from the Llangollen Railway and owning group of ex-GWR Prairie tank 5532. In July 2011 it was duly delivered to Bewdley. The Fund have since set about recovering the re-useable parts including horns, axle boxes, some springs and spring brackets, rear steps, draw bars, some brake gear and brake cylinder parts together with various other parts such as tank filler and beading which eventually can be incorporated into the tender tank. They opted not to re-use the somewhat deteriorated tender frames or wheels, which will be available for resale elsewhere. As of 2022, work on this is continuing at Tyseley.

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  Erlestoke Manor with a 3500 gallon tender

Bradley Manor features on the pub sign of The Railwayman's Arms at Bridgnorth, from a painting by John Austin GRA. She also featured on the 42 pence Royal Mail postage stamp from the Classic Locomotives series issued on 13 January 2004 and on the poster advertising the issue.

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  The Railwayman's Arms pub sign featuring 7802 Bradley Manor

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  42 pence stamp featuring Bradley Manor

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  Poster for 2004 Classic Locomotives stamps

See also

Steam Locomotives
The Severn Valley Railway on the main line
SVR-based locomotives visiting other events
Rolling stock currently under restoration
Classes of locomotives used on the Severn Valley Branch in commercial service

References

SVR Stock Book, ninth edition

Links

Erlestoke Manor Fund
GWR 7800 Class on Wikipedia