GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Birmingham Snow Hill Station: gwrbsh1754

Great Western Railway 1016 class 0-6-0PT No 1047 at platform No 6 with a down local on 9th July 1912. Locomotive No 1047 was built as a 0-6-0ST (short saddle tank) in September 1870 at Wolverhampton Works as part of lot J and was initially allocated to Tyseley shed (TYS). In April 1890 No 1047 was rebuilt at Wolverhampton with a centrally placed tall dome on a flush round top boiler (type W3) and larger capacity saddle tanks (1,000 gallons). Various boiler types were fitted including; a Swindon flush round top with a dome at the back (type S4) in July 1904, a Swindon flush round top with dome at the front (type S2) in June 1909, a Belpaire firebox and flush boiler with a large dome at the back (type B4) in December 1911. In the new year, January 1912 No 1047 was the first of the belpaire boiler types to be converted from a saddle tank to a Pannier tank and is in this guise in the photograph. Details of the locomotive as a pannier tank were; boiler pressure - 150 lb, tractive effort at 85% - 15,935 lbs, maximum axle weight - 14 tons, 16 cwt allowing work on all main and nearly all branch lines (Route colour yellow), pannier tank capacity - 1,000 gallons water.

As a wartime measure, a flush round top boiler with dome at the front (type S4) was fitted to No 1047 in May 1917, but this was replaced in March 1925 with one of the larger belpaire boilers designed for the ‘2301 class’ locomotives designated type B4(P). The boiler pressure was raised to 165 lb, which increased the tractive effort at 85% to 17,525 lbs and there was an increase in the maximum axle weight to 15 tons, 11 cwt. The pannier tank capacity was also increased to 1,200 gallons. The locomotive was superheated in February 1931, but the elements were later removed. At a similar time the locomotive was fitted with audible signalling apparatus for use with ATC. Locomotive No 1047 was known to have been allocated to Stafford Road shed, Wolverhampton in January 1921 and in January 1934 shed. Withdrawn from Wolverhampton in July 1935, No 1047 was the last of the class to be in service and had travelled a total of 1,114,942 miles.

Robert Ferris

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