GWR 5101 Class

The GWR 5101 Class or 'Large Prairie' is a class of 2-6-2T steam locomotives of the Great Western Railway.
==History==
The 5101 Class were medium-sized tank engines used for suburban and local passenger services all over the Great Western Railway system. The class was an updated version, by Collett, of Churchward's 1903 3100/5100 Class.
The original 40 members of the 3100 class were renumbered 5100 and 5111 to 5149 in 1927. The first batches of 5101s filled in the numbers 5101 to 5110 and extended the class from 5150 to 5189. They were little changed from the Churchward locomotives as they then were, but had an increased axle loading of 17 long tons 12 cwt (39,400 lb or 17.9 t); the maximum permitted for the ‘Blue’ route availability. Bunkers were of the standard Collett design with greater coal capacity. The 5100 number series was exhausted in 1934, and further new locomotives were numbered from 4100. The last 20 were built after nationalization. 
Table of orders and numbers
Year	Quantity	Lot No.	Locomotive numbers	Notes
1929	10 	257 	5101–5110 	
1930	10 	257 	5150–5159 	
1930	13 	259 	5160–5172 	
1931	17 	259 	5173–5189 	
1934	10 	284 	5190–5199 	
1935	10 	292 	4100–4109 	
1936	10 	292 	4110–4119 	
1937	2 	313 	4120–4121 	
1938	8 	313 	4122–4129 	
1939	10 	323 	4130–4139 	
1946	10 	335 	4140–4149 	
1947	10 	361 	4150–4159 	
1948	10 	369 	4160–4169 	
1949	10 	369 	4170–4179 	
As both freight and passenger traffic on branch lines declined post-World War II with increasing volumes of private motor cars, and replacement on urban services by diesel-powered rail cars, the bulk of the class found itself allocated to various mainline support duties, mainly banking and piloting, often on the South Devon Banks on the Exeter to Plymouth Line, or around the Severn Tunnel on the South Wales Main Line.
A number of the class - 4110, 4115, 4121, 4144, 4150, 4156 and 4160 - ended their operational lives allocated to the major locomotive shed (88E) at Severn Tunnel Junction, undertaking piloting and banking duties through both the Severn Tunnel and the associated goods yard. Assistance was needed by all heavy trains through the Severn Tunnel, which entailed: 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of 1-in-90 down to the middle of the tunnel; then a further 3.5 miles (5.6 km) at 1-in-100 up to Pilning; a short level then 3.5 miles (5.6 km) more at 1-in-100 to Patchway. However, the pilot locomotive usually came off at Pilning. Several of this group were sold for scrap to Woodham Brothers and consequently have survived into preservation.
==Accidents and incidents==
*On 30 November 1948, locomotive 4150 was running round its train at Lapworth when it was in collision with a passenger train hauled by 5022 Wigmore Castle, which had overrun signals. Eight passengers were injured.
==Withdrawal==
The below list shows when all of the original 5101's and later 4100's were withdrawn from service.
Table of withdrawals
Year	Quantity inservice atstart of year	Number withdrawn	Quantitywithdrawn	Locomotive numbers
1956	140 	1 	1 	5159.
1957	139 	5 	6 	5107/09/56–57/61.
1958	134 	10 	16 	4138–39, 5105/08/60/62/65/68/71–72.
1959	124 	4 	20 	5170/86/89/96.
1960	120 	16 	36 	4162/64/70, 5102–04/06/10/50/55/63/69/78–79/85/97.
1961	104 	11 	47 	4117/23, 5158/66/74–77/94–95/98.
1962	93 	22 	69 	4102/06/12/16/18/26/29/45–46/52/63, 5151/67/73/80–83/87–88/90/93.
1963	71 	14 	83 	4114/19/27/34/40–42/49, 5101/52/54/64/92/99.
1964	57 	28 	111 	4101/03–05/08–09/20/22/24/28/30–33/35–37/43/53/59/66–67/71/73–74, 5153/84/91.
1965	29 	29 	140 	4100/07/10–11/13/15/21/25/44/47–48/50–51/54–58/60–61/65/68–69/72/75–79.
==Preservation==
Ten of the class were preserved after withdrawal in the 1960s (six built in the 1930s before World War II and four built after the war in the late 1940s, one of which under the British Railways banner). As of 2017, five have run in preservation, two are under restoration, one is still in scrapyard condition and two have acted as donor locomotives for other projects:
Number	Built 	Withdrawn	Service Life 	Owner 	Current Location 	Status 	Livery 	Notes 	Image
5164 	Nov 1930 	Apr 1963 	32 Years, 5 months 	Erlestoke Manor Fund 	Barrow Hill Engine Shed 	Static Display 	GWR Unlined Green, Great Western Lettering	Normally located at the Severn Valley Railway but on static display at Barrow Hill MPD since 2014 following expiry of boiler certificate on 5 January 2014. Ownership transferred to the Erlestoke Manor Fund in 2021; plans to overhaul the locomotive are being developed. 	
5193 	Oct 1934 	Jun 1962 	27 Years, 8 months 	West Somerset Railway plc	West Somerset Railway 	Operational (Donor locomotive) 	BR Lined Green, Early Emblem 	<Small>Originally built in 1934, withdrawn in 1962 and recovered from Woodham Brothers scrapyard in 1979. Rebuilt by the West Somerset Railway into a 2-6-0 resembling a small boilered version of the GWR 4300 Class, which has been numbered 9351. Returned to service in 2019 following an overhaul.</Small>	
5199 	Nov 1934 	Mar 1963 	28 Years, 3 months 	Llangollen Railway 	West Somerset Railway 	Operational 	GWR Unlined Green, Great Western Lettering	Overhaul completed 23 November 2014. Repainted into GWR Green livery in 2021. 	
4110 	Oct 1936 	Jun 1965 	28 Years, 8 months 	Dartmouth Steam Railway 	East Somerset Railway 	Under restoration 	N/A 	Sold in May 2015 by GWR Preservation Group Limited of Southall Railway Centre to WSR plc. Sold again in January 2019 to the Paignton and Dartmouth Steam Railway. On 10 January 2020 it was moved to the East Somerset Railway for restoration to begin. Returned to operational condition in 2023. 	
4115 	Oct 1936 	Jun 1965 	28 Years, 8 months 	Great Western Society 	Didcot Railway Centre 	Donor locomotive, frames scrapped in 2016.	 	Built October 1936, withdrawn from service in June 1965. One of the "Barry Ten", she was sold to the Great Western Society, Didcot in 2010, to act as a donor locomotive. Its frames were scrapped in 2016: 	
4121 	Dec 1937 	Jun 1965 	27 Years, 6 months 	 	Tyseley Locomotive Works	Unrestored, partially stripped 	N/A 	Stored at Tyseley in a partially stripped down state 	
4141 	Aug 1946 	Mar 1963 	16 Years, 7 months 	 	Epping Ongar Railway 	Awaiting completion of repairs 	BR Lined Green, Late Crest 	Returned to steam in 2012 after an overhaul, but currently out of service awaiting boiler repairs. 	
4144 	Sept 1946	Jun 1965 	18 Years, 8 months 	Great Western Society 	Didcot Railway Centre 	Operational 	GWR Unlined Green, GWR Lettering 	Returned to steam in 2015 after an overhaul. On loan to the Kent & East Sussex Railway for the 2020 season. Returned to Didcot Railway Centre before visiting other railways, Currently at the Kent & East Sussex Railway for the Santa’s in 2021 	
4150 	Jun 1947 	Jun 1965 	17 Years, 11 months	4150 Fund 	Severn Valley Railway 	Restoration in progress 	N/A 	 	
4160 	Sept 1948	Jun 1965 	16 Years, 8 months 	4160 Ltd 	South Devon Railway 	Under Overhaul 	N/A 	Overhauled in 2007, previously operated on the West Somerset Railway. Sent to the Llangollen Railway in January 2016 for overhaul. Moved to the South Devon Railway for the completion of its overhaul, upon which it shall become a resident of the line under the custodianship of 5542 Ltd. 	
==Models==
Graham Farish manufacture a model of the Large Prairie in N scale. Hornby have manufactured two models of the class in 00 gauge in both Great Western and British railway liveries; the first was based on a 1980's Airfix model of the engine, the second was a 2020 re-tooled model with a 5 pole motor. Dapol have a 00 gauge model due for release in q4 2021; this has both GWR and BR livery versions planned. Heljan are planning on producing a model of the large prairie in O gauge in 2017.
== Gallery ==
File:4110returns.jpeg
File:Loco 4141 at Ongar 2 Dec 2012.JPG
File:Splash Point - 5199 down train.JPG
==See also==
*GWR 3100/5100 Class (1906)
*GWR 3150 Class
*GWR 6100 Class
*GWR 3100 Class (1938)
*GWR 8100 Class
*List of GWR standard classes with two outside cylinders
==External links==
*5101 tank class
*4144 - 2-6-2T
*The 4150 Fund
*The 5164 Website
*4160 History
Category:Mixed-traffic locomotives
Category:Tank locomotives
Category:2-6-2T locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:2-6-2T steam locomotives
Category:Built in 1936
Category:Pusher engines
Category:2-6-2 locomotives
Category:2-6-2 steam locomotives
Category:Locomotives
Category:Great Western Railway locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:Standard gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain
Category:Swindon Works locomotives
Category:GWR Standard Class Locomotives
Category:GWR 5101 Class