GWR 2800 Class

The Great Western Railway (GWR) 2800 Class is a class of Churchward-designed 2-8-0 steam locomotive.
==History==
The class was designed by George Jackson Churchward for heavy freight work. They were the first 2-8-0 locomotive class in Great Britain.
The prototype, originally numbered 97 but later renumbered 2800, appeared in 1903. Construction of the production series commenced in 1905 and continued until 1919. The 2884 Class which appeared in 1938–1942 was developed from the 2800 class and is sometimes classified with it.
===Prototype===
No. 97 was originally outshopped in lined black livery and undertook two years of trials before the type went into production. Initial results suggested that only the front end needed further development and where the boiler of No. 97 was parallel for the first four segments, the production series had the familiar taper boiler. Initially the boiler pressure of the 2-8-0 was set at 200 lbf/in2 (1.4 MPa) with 18-inch (457 mm) diameter cylinders. Tractive effort started out at 29,775 lbf (132.45 kN) but was increased substantially in the production engines by enlarging the cylinder diameter to 18+1⁄2 in (470 mm) and raising the steam pressure to 225 lbf/in2 (1.55 MPa). The 8+1⁄2 in (216 mm) piston valves were enlarged to 10 in (254 mm).
===Production===
The most visible difference between No. 97 and the first of the 1905 production batch was the higher pitch of the boiler (8 ft 2 in or 2.49 m opposed to 7 ft 8+1⁄2 in or 2.35 m). At first the prototype was given a 4,000-imperial-gallon (18,000 l; 4,800 US gal) tender but almost without exception the 2800s were harnessed to the 3,500-imperial-gallon (16,000 l; 4,200 US gal) variety throughout their working lives. Superheating was incorporated into the class from 1909 with No. 2808 the first to be retro-fitted. Other modifications centred on improving the weight distribution, altering smokebox lengths and fitting larger diameter chimneys. The 84 2800s built by Churchward were constructed over more than a decade and remained the GWR's principal long haul freight engines throughout the 1920s and 1930s. The only serious problem met with in traffic was with the sealing of the internal steam pipes and beginning in 1934 most of the class had them replaced with outside pipes. This change, along with a side-window cab, were the only notable changes for the later construction when a further 83 locomotives were built over a mere 3 years from 1938.
Table of orders and numbers
Year 	Quantity	Lot No.	Works No.	Locomotive numbers	Notes
1903 	1 	139 	1991 	97 	Renumbered 2800 in 1912
1905 	10 	153 	2096–2105	2801–2810 	
1905 	10 	155 	2115–2124	2811–2820 	
1907 	10 	160 	2158–2167	2821–2830 	
1911 	5 	181 	2390–2394	2831–2835 	
1912 	10 	186 	2436–2445	2836–2845 	
1913 	10 	190 	2486–2495	2846–2855 	
1918–19	28 	210 	2762–2789	2856–2883 	
=== Operation===
The 2800 class was particularly used for hauling heavy trains of coal from the South Wales coalfields to the large conurbations served by the GWR, and large numbers were allocated to sheds in South Wales, but the type was the main heavy freight type on the GWR and was used across the network. Due to the variety of freight flows it was found that individual locomotives could spend extended periods away from their home shed and a container was added to the left hand valence which carried details of boiler washout dates to ensure that this necessary activity was carried out in a timely manner.
There was no differentiation in duties between the original 2800 class of 1905 and the modified 2884 design of the 1930s.
At the outbreak of World War II, an order was placed for 60 additional locomotives for use in France, but this was cancelled following the evacuation at Dunkirk, the 10 engines that had already been completed being included in the GWR stocklist.
===Oil firing===
Between 1945 and 1947, coal shortages caused GWR to experiment with oil fired 2800 locomotives and 12 of the 2800 class were converted. They were renumbered into the 4800 series, which necessitated re-numbering the entire 4800 class autotanks into the 1400 series, and reclassified as 1400 class. The experiment, encouraged by the government was abandoned in 1948 once the extra maintenance costs were calculated and the bill had arrived for the imported oil.
==Accidents and incidents==
*On 6 January 1932, locomotive No. 2808 was hauling a freight train was in collision with a milk train at Didcot East Junction. The locomotive was extensively damaged. Ten wagon were destroyed and seventeen more were damaged. The milk train had overrun signals.
*On 15 January 1936, locomotive No. 2802 was hauling a freight train that became divided at Shrivenham, Oxfordshire. An express passenger train collided with the rear portion of the freight due to errors by the guard and signalman. Two people were killed.
==Withdrawal==
Table of withdrawals
Year	Quantity inservice atstart of year	Quantitywithdrawn	Locomotive numbers
1958	84 	7 	2800/1-2/14/20/27/38.
1959	77 	35 	2803-4/8/10-12/15-17/23-26/28-29/32-33/40/43/48-49/63-64/68-70/78/80.
1960	49 	50 	2805-6/9/13/21/30-31/35/37/44/46-47/50/77/81.
1961	34 	51 	2819.
1962	33 	56 	2834/53/55/60/83.
1963	28 	74 	2807/18/41-42/45/51-52/54/57-58/61/65-67/71-72/74/82
1964	10 	83 	2822/36/39/56/59/62/73/75/79.
1965	1 	84 	2876.
==Preservation==
Six 2800 Class locomotives survive, these being 2807, 2818, 2857, 2859, 2873, 2874, along with nine 2884 class locomotives. A seventh survivor was used to provide parts for other projects. Only two members of the class have so far operated in preservation, these being 2807 and 2857. Currently only 2857 is operational, whilst 2807 is under overhaul which began in early 2020. One of the class, No. 2857, briefly operated on the main line in 1985.
Number	Year Built	Withdrawn	Location 	Status 	Owner 	Image	Notes
2807 	Aug 1905 	Mar 1963 	Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway	Under Overhaul 	Cotswold Steam Preservation Ltd 	 	Salvaged from Woodham Brothers in 1981 it was restored to running order at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, it is the oldest survivor of its class in preservation being 117 years old as of August 2022. Undergoing a ten-yearly overhaul.
2818 	Dec 1905 	Oct 1963 	Museum of the Great Western Railway 	Static Display 	Museum of the Great Western Railway	 	Preserved straight from service. Previously part of the National Collection, ownership was transferred to Museum of the Great Western Railway, Swindon in 2017 and the locomotive moved there in 2018. Retains inside steam pipes and straight frames.
2857 	May 1918 	Apr 1963 	Severn Valley Railway 	Operational, boiler ticket expires: December 2022	The 2857 Society 	 	Purchased from Woodham Brothers in May 1974 by the 2857 Society for £5,775 it was later moved by rail to the Severn Valley Railway in August 1975 and steamed for the first time in September 1979. As of 2018 the engine is the second oldest of the class to run in preservation becoming 100 years old in May 2018.
In 1985 during the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Great Western Railway, it took a selection of the Severn Valley Railway's goods wagons to Newport for a Railfreight spectacular event. The outward route took the engine via Worcester & Hereford with the return route being via Severn Tunnel Junction, Chepstow & Gloucester.
2859 	May 1918 	Dec 1964 	Private Site, Congleton 	Under Restoration 	Private Owner 	 	Moved to Congleton from the Llangollen Railway for restoration in November 2017 following its sale to a private owner.
2873 	Nov 1918 	Dec 1964 	Dartmouth Steam Railway 	Dismantled 	Dartmouth Steam Railway 	 	Currently stored (frames only) at Churston. To be used as strategic Spares for other Great Western locomotives based on the Dartmouth Steam Railway.
2874 	Nov 1918 	May 1963 	Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway	Under Restoration 	The 2874 Trust 	 	Under Restoration from Barry Scrapyard condition. Retains inside steam pipes and will be the only one of her class when restored running with inside steam pipes.
2861, built in 1918, was one of the "Barry Ten" and eventually broken up for parts at the Llangollen Railway in 2014 and the frames scrapped. The cylinder and saddle block, along with several other components, are being used in the construction of the next GWR 4700 Class 2-8-0 No. 4709.
==Models==
Hornby Railways manufacture a model of the 28xx in OO gauge.
==In Fiction==
*An episode of the 2001 TV series "Off the Rails" filmed part of No. 2857's overhaul.
*No. 2857 appeared in the 2020 Netflix film "Enola Holmes".
==See also==
*List of GWR standard classes with two outside cylinders
==Gallery==
*Gallery
==External links==
*2800 class
Category:2-8-0 steam locomotives
Category:2-8-0 locomotives
Category:Great Western Railway locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives
Category:Swindon Works locomotives
Category:British locomotives
Category:Freight locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:Standard gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain
Category:British steam locomotives
Category:GWR Standard Class locomotives
Category:GWR 2800 Class