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19th October 2018. At Bury Bolton Street Station, GWR 28XX 2-8-0 No.2857 rolls into Platform 3 for her next duty of the day. The Churchward engine was one of the special guest locomotives for the traditional Autumn Steam Gala at the East Lancashire Railway. In their day, there where 84 of this 28XX Class of engine built...which were designed for heavy freight.
A scene at Toddington on the Glos/Warks Railway as Stirling Class O1 No.65, Churchward 2-8-0 No.2807 and Bullied No.35006 are prepared for action on 25 May 2025.
A gaggle of assembled National Collection icons bask around the NRM's turntable.
08-05-2025
A mixture of motive power on display in the Great Hall of the NRM; closest is SE&CR Wainwright ‘D’ Class No. 737, with GWR 4000 ‘Star’ Class No. 4003 ‘Lode Star’ on the turntable and EE Type 1 No. D8000 in the distance.
08-05-202
One of Churchward's earliest 4-cylinder locomotives, the 1907-built 4003 'Lode Star' takes pride of place on the NRM's turntable.
08-05-2025
York Railfest, 2nd June 2004. 1903 built Great Western Churchward 4-4-0 3440 "City of Truro"
The oldest 28xx Class No 2807 nears Crowcombe Heathfield with a short freight.
GWR 4-6-0 5P 4xxx Class Star No 4003 'Lode Star' in the Yard at Tyseley Locomotive Works Birmingham on 30th October 2010
Lode Star Was built at Swindon Works in February 1907 and was withdrawn for preservation by BR Western Region in July 1951 after having covered 2,005,898 miles in service! In preservation the loco is as it was in 1932 GWR condition.
Copyright Photograph Robin Stewart-Smith - All Rights Reserved
A Re-Edited Post with lamp standard etc removed.....
‘Small Prairie’ (2-6-2) tank No. 4566 was built at Swindon and entered service in October 1924. 175 engines of the same basic Churchward design were built, some at Wolverhampton in 1906/8, and some at Swindon from 1909 to 1929. Together with their predecessors, the smaller-wheeled 44XX 2-6-2 tanks of 1904/6, these machines were a common sight on Great Western Railway branch lines for nearly 60 years, and were very popular amongst railwaymen and travellers alike. They were staple power for Severn Valley line passenger services from the early 1920s, the last example disappearing off the route in 1961.
No. 4566 was seen on display in The Engine House at Highley during Severn Valley Railway’s spring steam gala on 20 April 2025.
No location for this one taken in March 1962 of GWR Churchward 2-8-0 28xx Class 2874. The BR database has her allocated to Aberdare at the time and the 88J shed plate matches that so could be there.
The loco was withdrawn from Neath in May 1963. The loco made in out of Barry but has not been fully restored yet and is at the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway.
Image from a negative in my collection taken by an unknown photographer.
Collett Hall 5945 Leckhampton Hall stands outside Swindon Works after overhaul in early 1960. It had been allocated to Swindon shed in July 1959 but moved onto South all in March 1961. It was transferred to Oxford in October 1962 from where it was withdrawn in April 1963. Also in the photo is ex GWR Churchward mogul 5333 which was withdrawn in May 1960.
Photographer unknown
Not a great negative but worth uploading.
Saltley Junction on the 16th of August 1965 and Churchward 28xx Class 3855 is on a short freight service. New to the GWR from Swindon in October 1942 the loco was allocated to Croes Newydd at this time and withdrawn 5 days later. It still exists today but is waiting to be restored at the East Lancs.
Image from a negative in my collection taken by an unknown photographer.
GWR 8F 2-8-0 Class 28xx No 2857 heads south near Droppingwells Farm on the Severn Valley Railway with a mixed goods working from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster on 22nd October 2013.
A 30742 Charter Event
Copyright Photograph Robin Stewart-Smith - All Rights Reserved
An eBay purchase.
GWR Churchward 2-6-0 5322 stands outside the shed at Didcot Railway Centre. The locomotive, now over 100 years old, is currently not operational.
Locomotive: Great Western Railway 4300 Class 2-6-0 Mogul 5322.
Location: The Great Western Society's Didcot Railway Centre, Oxfordshire.
© 2023 George McVitie. All rights reserved.
The third day of my second railway trip of 2023 which was about a week's tour of Heritage Railways was spent in the Swindon area and Day 3 continued at the GWR Steam Museum.
Here, a cab photo of GWR 3700 class 4-4-0 locomotive designed by Churchward and built at Swindon Works is no 3717 "City of Truro" which was photographed as I make my way round the displays.
On 2025-03-03, this photo was added to 100 Views Unlimited www.flickr.com/groups/100viewsunlimited/ Group Pool.