GWR 7812 Erlestoke Manor
| GWR 7812 Erlestoke Manor | |
|---|---|
 7812 Erlestoke Manor entering Arley with a Down train, July 2011 | |
| Built By | GWR Swindon Works |
| Configuration | 4-6-2 |
| Power class | 5MT |
| Status | In Service |
| Loco Number | 7812 |
| History | |
| Built | 1939 |
| Designed By | Charles Benjamin Collett |
| Type | GWR 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| 1985 | Withdrawn for overhaul |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 |
7812 Erlestoke Manor is a GWR Collett 7800 Manor class 4-6-0 mixed traffic locomotive
Contents
7812 Erlestoke Manor in service
7812 Erlestoke Manor is one of three Manor class locomotives based at the SVR, 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 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.
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 Both locomotives were thought to have been withdrawn at Shrewsbury on 6th November 1965, and both moved to Woodham’s scrapyard at Barry in June 1966.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.
Footplate diary showing probably the last move of 7812 by a BR driver
7812 Erlestoke Manor in preservation
Both 7812 and 7802 were acquired from Barry by The Erlestoke Manor Fund.
7812 was the first to enter service on the SVR 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 | SVR 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
7812 Erlestoke Manor on shed at Bridgnorth, May 2016
