GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Bentley Heath Crossing: gwrbh25

Great Western Railway 4-6-0 29xx or 'Saint' class No 2903 'Lady of Lyons' on an Up express about to cross Bentley Heath Level Crossing. The signals behind the train are believed to be those protecting the switch to the Up goods running loop. Above the distance signal, obscured by the smoke trail, is the upper home signal for the main line. No 2903 was built at Swindon works in May 1906 as part of Lot 164 and until April 1907 no name was carried. Designed as a two cylinder express locomotive it had a C power classification and was limited to Red routes. No 2903 was originally constructed with the D4 version of the standard No 1 boiler which had a long cone, but during a boiler change in March 1909 the D2 version of the standard No 1 boiler with a short cone was fitted. In September 1909 No 2903 reverted to the D4 long cone boiler version. The locomotive was superheated in August 1910. The locomotive's appearance changed again in July 1920 when another D2 version short cone boiler was fitted and again in July 1922 when a D4 version long cone boiler was fitted.

No 2903 was the first of the class to be fitted with outside steam pipes in November 1930. No 2903 was known to have been allocated to Pontypool Road shed (PPL) in January 1921. In January 1934 the locomotive was allocated to Swindon shed (SDN) and in January 1938 allocated to Chester shed (CHR). On the eve of nationalisation, in December 1947, No 2903 was allocated to Tyseley shed (TYS). No 2903 was withdrawn in November 1949. The first carriage appears to be a corridor clerestory composite coach (possibly diagram E69 or E70) with three first class and four second class passenger compartments. There are toilets at both ends of the coach. The second carriage appears to be a diagram H41 57 foot long Buffet Car (two of which were built in 1934 under Lot 1518). The third carriage is another corridor clerestory coach but this has eight third class passenger compartments.

Robert Ferris

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