GWR 7812 Erlestoke Manor

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GWRGreat Western Railway 7812 Erlestoke Manor
7812AY.jpg
7812 Erlestoke Manor on shed at Bridgnorth, May 2016
Built By GWRGreat Western Railway Swindon Works
Configuration 4-6-2
Power 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.
Status In Service
Loco Number 7812
History
Built 1939
Designed By Charles Benjamin CollettCharles Benjamin Collett, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the Great Western Railway 1922-1941
Type GWRGreat Western Railway 7800
1974 Purchased by The Erlestoke Manor Fund
1979 First steamed in preservation
1985 Withdrawn for overhaul
2008 Reentered service
Technical
Length 61ft 9¼"
Weight 68t 18cwt

Steam Locomotives

7812 Erlestoke Manor is a GWRGreat Western Railway CollettCharles Benjamin Collett, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the Great Western Railway 1922-1941 7800 Manor class 4-6-0 mixed traffic locomotive

7812 Erlestoke Manor in service

7812 Erlestoke Manor is one of three Manor class locomotives based at the SVRSevern Valley Railway, the others being 7802 Bradley 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..

7812 was named after the Manor at Erlestoke, a village near Devizes in Wiltshire. It entered service in January 1939 in the Bristol/Bath area, working passenger and freight trains to places such as Salisbury, Weymouth, Weston Super Mare and Cardiff. Post-War, 7812 was based in the far South-West, often assisting with long distance expresses on the notorious ‘Devon banks’.

In late 1960, 7812 moved to the Oswestry/Shrewsbury/Cambrian area where 7802 Bradley Manor was already working. Both locomotives were thought to have been withdrawn at Shrewsbury on 6th November 1965, and both moved to Woodham’s scrapyard at BarryWoodham Brothers Scrapyard, Barry, South Wales.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. However, in November 2015, evidence in the form of a footplate diary (see below) was presented to the Erlestoke Manor Fund, indicating that Erlestoke Manor was still in service on 13th November 1965.

7812 Erlestoke 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.

7812 was the first to enter service on the SVRSevern Valley Railway in September 1979 and ran through to 1985. During this time it hauled a number of main line rail tours as follows:

Date Tour name Route Notes Web SVRSevern Valley Railway News
17 Apr 1982 Welsh Marches Express Hereford - Newport - Hereford D/H with 4930 Hagley Hall 64-28
24 Apr 1982 Welsh Marches Pullman Shrewsbury - Hereford D/H with 4930 Hagley Hall SBJ 64-29
05 May 1982 Welsh Marches Express Hereford - Chester 66-9
05 Jun 1982 Shrewsbury-Newport D/H with 43106
For further information on sources and references, see The Severn Valley Railway on the main line

After overhaul, Erlestoke returned to service in 2008.

Gallery

See Also

Steam Locomotives
The Severn Valley Railway on the main line

Links

Erlestoke Manor Fund
GWR 7800 Class on Wikipedia
SharposWorld video of 7812 climbing towards Foley Park tunnel, 20/12/14