GWR Pannier 7714
GWR Pannier 7714 | |
---|---|
7714 near Bewdley Tunnel (March 2017) | |
Built By | Kerr Stuart & Co., Stoke |
Configuration | 0-6-0PT |
Power class | GWR: C, BR(W): 4F |
Axle load class | GWR: Blue (Yellow from 1950) |
Status | In Service |
Loco Number | 7714 |
History | |
Built | 1930 |
Designed By | Charles Collett |
Type | GWR 5700 |
1973 | Arrived on the SVR |
2009 | Withdrawn for overhaul |
2016 | Return to service |
Technical | |
Length | 31ft 2" |
Weight | 47t 10cwt |
Tractive effort | 22,515 lb |
Pressure | 200 lb/sq in |
7714 is a GWR Collett 5700 class 0-6-0PT ‘pannier tank’, one of two examples on the SVR (the other being 5764). The 5700 class was the most numerous class of engine designed and built by the Great Western Railway; more than 860 were built between 1929 and 1950. Pannier tanks could be found at work all over the former GWR system and although designed primarily for shunting duties, they were regularly used on local freight and passenger workings. British Railways Western Region 'BR(W)' rated the class as 4F,[1] although elsewhere the class was rated 3F.[2]
Contents
7714 in service
7714 was built for the GWR by Kerr Stuart & Co. of Stoke, Works No 4449 of 1930. The visible rivets on the water tanks are a sign of its non-Swindon origin. The locomotive entered service at Tyseley the same year, and worked at various sheds until withdrawn by BR in January 1959, having run an estimated 520,259 miles in service.[3]
7714 was sold to the National Coal Board for use at their Penallta Colliery near Rhymney in South Wales, moving the following July. Initially used daily, the long wheelbase proved unsuitable for the tight curves in the track there so it mostly acted as a spare engine.[3]
7714 in preservation
7714 came to the SVR on 29 March 1973 following a successful bid by the SVRA – Kidderminster Branch.
As with other ex-NCB locomotives it was in a worn condition and a lengthy restoration followed. In 1979 an SVRA raffle was held to raise funds for the restoration.[4] In spring 1985 another SVRA raffle was held to raise funds for contract work on the motion and the boiler. A total of around £5,600 nett was raised in this raffle.[5] In Spring 1989 “The Final Frontier” raffle organised by the SVRA Kidderminster Branch was held to raise money for the boiler, realising just over £6,000 after expenses.[6]
The locomotive was first steamed in 1992 and then regularly used on winter services; it also saw service at the South Devon Railway in 1995 and the East Somerset Railway in 1996.[3]
In mid-1999 the locomotive was repainted into GWR green livery. Shortly afterwards it suffered an issue with the driving stub-axle working loose. This was sent away for repair at the British Steel workshops near Redcar. The repair was successful with the axle reinstalled by the winter. Around this time the boiler also received an overhaul at Crewe Heritage Centre, with a return to service in summer 2000.[7]
In Spring 2006 an SVRA raffle was held to help raise funds for a new crank axle, further movement of the crank since the earlier repair having led to restrictions in train loadings. The raffle raised around £12,000 net of costs etc.[8] After working in each of the years 1992 to 2009, 7714 was withdrawn from service in August 2009 with a boiler issue.[9] The locomotive then spent a period on display in The Engine House, before being moved to Bridgnorth in April 2012 for overhaul.[10] It is thought the damage to the right hand half of the cylinder casting occurred during its NCB ownership. In 2014 a second SVRA raffle 'The Prized Pannier' raised around £20,000 gross towards the overhaul costs.[11] The riveting of the boiler barrel had been completed by January 2016, with the boiler passing its out of frames steam test in August 2016.[12] The locomotive was painted in BR black at Bridgnorth during October 2016,[13] with the overhaul being completed in November 2016.[14]
During 2019, 7714 recorded 9,254 miles, the highest mileage of any of the fleet in the year. At the end of that year, 7714 had recorded a total of 85,063 miles in preservation on the SVR. The reported total may include mileage on hire to other railways.[15] The locomotive is now owned by the SVR Pannier Tank Fund, who also own GWR Pannier 5764.
See also
References
- ↑ Midlands Division (Ex WR) & Gloucester District - Locomotive Route Availability (Branch Lines)- June 1963 Retrieved 7 January 2017
- ↑ Classic British Steam Locomotives (ISBN 1-86147-138-6), Wikipedia etc
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 SVR Stock Book 9th edition
- ↑ SVR News 52
- ↑ SVR News 75, 77
- ↑ SVR News 91, 93
- ↑ SVR News 130-133
- ↑ SVR News 153, 155
- ↑ SVR News 167
- ↑ SVR News 179
- ↑ SVR News 189
- ↑ SVR Forum
- ↑ SVR Live 'Ex-GWR 0-6-0PT No. 7714'
- ↑ SVR Meet the Locomotives page
- ↑ SVR News 210, SVR-based Steam Locomotive Mileage 2017-2019, Duncan Ballard
Links
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