GWR Rheidol Tank

The GWR Rheidol Tanks are a fleet of 2-6-2T steam locomotives of the Great Western Railway design built between 1923 and 1924. They were designed by the railway's Chief Mechanical Engineer, Charles Collett, for working services on the Vale of Rheidol Railway between Aberystwyth and Devil's Bridge.

GWR Rheidol Tank
Llywelyn outside the locomotive works in Aberystwyth in 2015
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerCharles Collett
BuilderGWR Swindon Works
Build date1923-4
Total produced3
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte2-6-2T
Gauge1 ft 11 3⁄4 in (603 mm)
Fuel typeCoal
Boiler pressure165 lbf/in2 (1.14 MPa)
CylindersTwo, outside
Loco brakeAir Brakes
Train brakesAir Brakes
CouplersChopper
Performance figures
Maximum speed20 mph
Career
OperatorsGreat Western Railway
British Railways
Vale of Rheidol Railway
Number in class3
Numbers7, 8, 9 (1213)
LocaleAberystwyth
DeliveredOctober 1923
Current ownerVale of Rheidol Railway Ltd
DispositionAll preserved

Background

Prior to the grouping of in independent railway, the Vale of Rheidol Railway was operated by the Cambrian Railways. The fleet consisted of two locomotives built by Davies and Metcalfe, supplented by a Bagnall locomotive.

Shortly after taking control of the line, the GWR realised that the original rolling stock was in a poor state of repair. They built three new locomotives (numbered 7, 8 and 1213) at the GWR's Swindon Works. Number 1213 was later renumbered 9.

Mistaken identity

It is still possible to find references (in print, and on-line) to the mistaken belief that No 9 is one of the original Davies & Metcalfe Locomotives,[1] as some websites and books incorrectly perpetuate this myth,[2] having been successfully misled by Swindon Works.[3] The Works were very effective in their coverup, entitling the parts that made up the new No 1213 as 'spares' in the accounts book, as the GWR Board had only given them leave to build two new locomotives (No 7 & No 8).[4] A simple test to prove that No 9 is actually of the same vintage as No 7 & No 8 is to compare the working drawings between it and a Davies and Metcalfe locomotive — Rheidol historian C C Green, who carried out this comparison, stated of all three current locomotives that "mechanically they are identical", and having compared the current No 9 (the 'new' 1213) with the plans of the original 1213 stated that "no single part" of the original locomotive could possibly have fitted the new one.[5]

In 1946, the GWR began a renumbering of the remaining locomotives inherited from pre-Grouping companies, but since it was only carried out as locomotives received heavy repairs, the process took several years.[6] Under this scheme, the 'new' 1213 was renumbered No. 9 in March 1949.[7][8]

British Rail ownership

Along with other ex-GWR locomotives, Nos. 7 and 8 retained their numbers under British Railways ownership, with no. 1213 also initially retaining its number until renumbered in 1949 under the 1946 plan.[8] In June 1956 the three were given the names which they still carry today, being unnamed up to that point; no, 9 received the name Prince of Wales that its predecessor had borne until repainted into Cambrian Railways livery after that company absorbed the locomotive in July 1913.[9] These three locos were the only steam engines to survive in BR's ownership after the end of main line steam traction in August 1968, excluding steam powered cranes which remained in service until 1995. Under the TOPS numbering arrangements introduced at this time they were allocated Class 98 and were nominally numbered 98007–98009, but these numbers were never actually carried on the locomotives. All three locomotives, and the rolling stock, carried standard British Rail 'rail blue' livery until the 1980s, when the locomotives were given more traditional liveries that they had carried in the past.

Conversion to oil firing

The locomotives were originally designed to burn coal, however there was a period spanning over thirty years during which the three locomotives were oil fired. Problems with sparks and unreliability of the coal supplied caused British Railways to look to alternative fuels for the locomotives. Locomotive No 7 was the first to be converted in 1978, followed by No 8 in 1979 and No 9 in 1981.[10] This change was later reversed with Locomotive No 8 returning to coal in 2012 and No 9 in 2013.

Preservation

All three Vale of Rheidol tanks are still in service and operating on their original route.

The standard livery is Great Western Railway green and all three locomotives currently carry this livery. The locomotives were named by British Railways in 1956 and currently do not carry their nameplates.

Image Number Name Year built Notes In Traffic?
7 Owain Glyndŵr 1923 Hauled the last steam service under British Rail ownership of the line. In Traffic
8 Llywelyn 1923 In Traffic
9 (1213) Prince of Wales 1924 Put through Swindon works during 1923–24 as an overhaul of the original No 2, but is in fact a complete new locomotive.[11] Numbered 1213 from delivery until gaining the No 9 in 1949.[7] As of November 2016 the locomotive carries No 1213 once more. In Traffic

See also

References
  1. See, for example, Michael Rutherford, 'Railway Reflections No 129', photo caption of Nos 8 and 'new' 1213, the latter referenced as 'formerly No 2': photo captions indexed at SteamIndex, here.
  2. See, for example, the incorrect locomotive data catalogued here by the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum website.
  3. See 'Vale of Rheidol Light Railway', by W J K Davies, published 1964 by Ian Allan Limited, for a discussion of the accounting coverup.
  4. See British Heritage Railways website Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine, section headed 'locomotives'.
  5. Green,1986, Page 189.
  6. Davies et al. 1966, p. K4.
  7. Green 1986, p. 192.
  8. Davies et al. 1966, p. K78.
  9. Davies et al. 1966, pp. K53, K77.
  10. Green,1986, Page 201-203
  11. Green 1986, p. 189.

Bibliography
  • Boyd, James I.C. (1965). Narrow Gauge Railways in Mid Wales. Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-024-X.
  • Davies, F.K.; Firth, J.M.; Lucking, J.H.; Thomas, R.E.; Allcock, N.J.; Sterndale, A.C.; Barrie, D.S.M.; Reed, P.J.T.; Mountford, E.R. (April 1966). White, D.E. (ed.). The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway, part ten: Absorbed Engines, 1922-1947. RCTS. ISBN 0-901115-20-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Green, CC (1986). The Vale of Rheidol Light Railway. Wild Swan. ISBN 0-906867-43-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Johnson, Peter (1999). Welsh Narrow Gauge: a view from the past. Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 0-7110-2654-8.
  • Johnson, Peter (2011). An Illustrated History of the Great Western Narrow Gauge. OPC. ISBN 978-0-86093-636-7.
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