GWR 5400 Class
Encyclopedia
The Great Western Railway
(GWR) 5400 Class is a class of 0-6-0
pannier tank steam locomotive
. They were similar in appearance to many other GWR tank engines but smaller than the ubiquitous GWR 5700 Class
.
The nominally Collett
-designed 5400 Class had 5 inch driving wheel
s for greater top speed with autocoaches
, and were all fitted with the required remote control gear for working the push-pull autotrains. They had a modern cab and a larger bunker. They were frequently seen on inner suburban routes from Paddington.
saddle tank, designed by William Dean and built at Wolverhampton railway works
. This was a light compact design with 4 foot wheels, itself derived from the smaller Armstrong
GWR 850 Class dating back to 1874.
The class pioneer was not a new engine at all, rather it was a 1930 rebuild of 2021 tank
2080. It merely had substitute larger wheels and splashers and a larger bunker, whereas the new locos built from 1931 onwards had the rounded-edge cab as well. This cab style was to be fitted to all subsequent GWR pannier tank designs including the later derivations of the 5700 Class.
Despite its success, the protoype had a short life as number 5400, lasting only two years before scrapping. It was replaced with an all-new engine with the same number. Twenty-five locomotives were built and they were numbered 5400-5424.
and 7400 Class that followed were closely related, fundamentally differing only in wheel size - 4 foot - and, in the case of the 74xx, a higher boiler pressure of 180 psi (1.2 MPa). This produced two general purpose classes with wide route availability. The 6400 was auto-fitted but more suitable for hilly routes than the 5400. The 7400 was not auto-fitted.
General
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
(GWR) 5400 Class is a class of 0-6-0
0-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels...
pannier tank steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
. They were similar in appearance to many other GWR tank engines but smaller than the ubiquitous GWR 5700 Class
GWR 5700 Class
The Great Western Railway 5700 Class is a class of 0-6-0 pannier tank steam locomotive, built between 1929 and 1950. 863 were built, making them the second most-produced British class of steam locomotive.- Overview :...
.
The nominally Collett
Charles Collett
Charles Benjamin Collett was chief mechanical engineer of the Great Western Railway from 1922 to 1941. He designed the GWR's 4-6-0 Castle and King Class express passenger locomotives.-Career:...
-designed 5400 Class had 5 inch driving wheel
Driving wheel
On a steam locomotive, a driving wheel is a powered wheel which is driven by the locomotive's pistons...
s for greater top speed with autocoaches
GWR Autocoach
The GWR Autocoach is a type of coach that was used by the Great Western Railway for push-pull trains powered by a steam locomotive. The distinguishing design feature of an autocoach is the driving cab at one end, allowing the driver to control the train without needing to be located in the cab of...
, and were all fitted with the required remote control gear for working the push-pull autotrains. They had a modern cab and a larger bunker. They were frequently seen on inner suburban routes from Paddington.
History
The 5400 class was related to the 2021 classGWR 2021 Class
The GWR 2021 Class was a class of 140 0-6-0 saddle tank steam locomotives. They were built at the Wolverhampton railway works of the Great Western Railway between 1897 and 1905...
saddle tank, designed by William Dean and built at Wolverhampton railway works
Wolverhampton railway works
Wolverhampton railway works was in the city of Wolverhampton in the county of Staffordshire, England. It was almost due north of the city centre, and is commemorated with a small display of level crossing gates and a plaque...
. This was a light compact design with 4 foot wheels, itself derived from the smaller Armstrong
Joseph Armstrong (engineer)
Joseph Armstrong was a British locomotive engineer and the second locomotive superintendent of the Great Western Railway...
GWR 850 Class dating back to 1874.
The class pioneer was not a new engine at all, rather it was a 1930 rebuild of 2021 tank
GWR 2021 Class
The GWR 2021 Class was a class of 140 0-6-0 saddle tank steam locomotives. They were built at the Wolverhampton railway works of the Great Western Railway between 1897 and 1905...
2080. It merely had substitute larger wheels and splashers and a larger bunker, whereas the new locos built from 1931 onwards had the rounded-edge cab as well. This cab style was to be fitted to all subsequent GWR pannier tank designs including the later derivations of the 5700 Class.
Despite its success, the protoype had a short life as number 5400, lasting only two years before scrapping. It was replaced with an all-new engine with the same number. Twenty-five locomotives were built and they were numbered 5400-5424.
GWR 6400 and 7400 classes
The GWR 6400 ClassGWR 6400 Class
The Great Western Railway 6400 Class is a class of 0-6-0 pannier tank steam locomotive introduced by Charles Collett in 1932. All 40 examples were 'auto-fitted' – equipped with the remote-control equipment needed for working autotrains....
and 7400 Class that followed were closely related, fundamentally differing only in wheel size - 4 foot - and, in the case of the 74xx, a higher boiler pressure of 180 psi (1.2 MPa). This produced two general purpose classes with wide route availability. The 6400 was auto-fitted but more suitable for hilly routes than the 5400. The 7400 was not auto-fitted.
See also
- GWR 0-6-0PT – list of classes of GWR 0-6-0 pannier tank, including table of preserved locomotives
External links
5400 Class- http://www.greatwestern.org.uk/m_in_060_5400.htm
- http://www.hmilburn.easynet.co.uk/enthuse/steam/locos/gwr/5400.htm
General