GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Birmingham Snow Hill - British Railways Period Locomotives: gwrbsh37

Ex-GWR 2-6-2T 'Large Prairie' No 8108 is seen passing through Snow Hill on the up through road on a Class K mixed goods train on 25th August 1953. The Great Western Railway 5101 Class or 'Large Prairie' were a medium-sized tank engines designed for stopping passenger work and as such they were to be found all over the GWR's system. The original design known as the '31XX' class and was the work of G J Churchward in 1903 with later modifications to the class being made by C B Collett.

The 8100 class were a development of the earlier 3100 class subsequently renumbered in 1927 in the 5100 series. Their origin lay in the decision by the GWR in 1938 to rebuild a number of 5100 class locomotives to modern standards and working other duties such as banking assistance. The 8100 class and were fitted with the Standard number 2 boiler, but working at 225 psi and coupled wheels of 5 feet 6 inches diameter. Ten of these locomotives were produced by rebuilding No 5123, No 5118, No 5145, No 5124, No 5126, No 5120, No 5116, No 5133 and No 5115 as No 8100 to No 8109 respectively.

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