GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Hatton Station: gwrhj104

Light engine GWR 78xx class 4-6-0 No 7818 Granville Manor at the Warwick end of the Hatton branch platform on 19th July 1956. This class of engines were built as replacements for the 43xx 2-6-0 engines and had a lighter No 14 boiler to enable them to operate over Blue routes. The first twenty of the class reused the wheels and motion from the engines they were replacing.

was Built at Swindon in January 1939, No 7818 withdrawn from Machynlleth Shed (6F) in January 1965 and scrapped three months later at J Cashmore, Great Bridge. Engine No 7818 was used to test modified draughting arrangements during 1951 and 1952 and the results transformed the boiler's performance. The successful modification was then incorporated into the remainder of the class.

Robert Ferris

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