GWR 7802 Bradley Manor
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7802 Bradley Manor in service
7802 Bradley Manor is one of three GWR Collett 7800 Manor class locomotives based at the SVR, 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 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.
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 Both locomotives were withdrawn at Shrewsbury on 6th November 1965, and both moved to Woodham’s scrapyard at Barry in June 1966.
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. 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A quick overhaul was achieved by exchanging Erlestoke Manor’s boiler (withdrawn in 1985) with Bradley Manor’s, allowing a return to service for 7802 in May 2002.
7802 Bradley Manor was withdrawn from service again at the end of the 2010 season, having accumulated over 110,000 miles in preservation, including working on the main line. 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.
Bradley Manor has been running with a 4000 gallon Collett tender (pictured above). Owning group The Erlestoke Manor Fund are constructing a more appropriate 3500 gallon Churchward tender for Bradley Manor using serviceable parts from a GWR 3500 gallon tender (No 2329) which they have acquired in ex-Barry condition. Sister locomotive 7812 Erlestoke Manor already has a 3500 gallon tender; the contrast in tender size may be seen in the picture below.
Erlestoke Manor with a 3500 gallon tender
Bradley Manor features on the pub sign of The Railwayman's Arms at Bridgnorth.