GWR Route: Stratford on Avon to Honeybourne

Stratford-on-Avon Racecourse Platform: gwr_src1454

Ex-Great Western Railway 2-8-0 28xx class No 3865 on a class F express freight heading North through Stratford Racecourse watched by two young train spotters on Sunday 30th January 1960. The class F headcode was used for express freight, livestock, perishable or ballast trains not fitted with automatic brake. They were restricted to a maximum speed limit of 30 mph. and required to have an intermediate inspection every 125 miles. At the end of the platform the new line to Fenny Compton can be seen to the left and close inspection of the platform edges reveals the platform's wooden construction.

Built at Swindon Works in November 1942 No 3865 was part of Lot 346 to a design that basically dated back to 1903. The only visible modifications were outside steam pipes and cab windows, but because No 3865 was built during the war, solid cab sides were initially provided and the windows only added when the war had ended. The lack of good quality steam coal at the end of the Second World War initiated a trial involving locomotives burning fuel oil instead of coal and in December 1946 No 3865 was converted as part of this trial. Converted locomotives were renumbered to aid identification and No 3865 was renumbered No 4851. At nationalisation on 1st January 1948 No 4851 was allocated to Severn Tunnel Junction shed (STJ). Unfortunately although the trial was technically successful, the cost of fuel oil was prohibitively expensive and the trial locomotives were reconverted back to coal firing and given back their old numbers (for No 3865 this occurred in April 1949).

Robert Ferris

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