GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Birmingham Snow Hill Station: gwrbsh1795

Great Western Railway 29xx (Saint) class 4-6-0 No 2947 ‘Madresfield Court’ with shining brasswork and ornate copper top chimney, is seen waiting for an express on the central up main line track just to the south of the up scissors cross-over switch junction, circa July 1912.

No 2947 was built in June 1912 at Swindon Works as part of lot 189. These locomotives were the final development of the ‘Saint’ class. They carried a Churchward standard No1 fully coned boiler (type D4) with a long smokebox and belpaire firebox. This boiler was fitted with a Swindon No 3 superheater (14 tubes / 84 element) and topfeed apparatus combined with the safety valve. The boiler pressure of 225 lbs gave a tractive effort at 85% of 24,395 lb and the locomotive was classified in power group C. The maximum axle weight was 18 tons restricting the locomotive to main lines and a few branch lines (route colour – Red). In 1924, the Bridge Stress Committee installed recording equipment on the 112 foot span of the viaduct over the River Parrett at Langport in Somerset and travelling at a constant 86 mph the hammerblow was measured and a combined load of 25.3 tons calculated for the ‘Saint’ class locomotives. This compared unfavourably with the heavier (but four cylinder) ‘Star’ class, but was significantly less than many of the other British railway company express locomotives.

No 2947 was provided with cylinder by-pass valves and experimental valve spindle guides. In 1934 locomotive No 2947 was known to have been paired with Churchward 3,500 gallon tender No 1794, which had been built under lot A79 in 1911. When first built No 2947 was allocated to Paddington shed (PDN) and was also there in January 1921 and May 1922, but following the introduction of the more powerful ‘Castle’ class locomotives, the ‘Saints were displaced on to secondary express routes and in January 1934, No 2947 was known to have been allocated at Pontypool Road shed (PPRD). In January 1938, No 2947 was known to be allocated at Swindon shed (SDN) and was also there prior to Nationalisation in December 1947. No 2947 was withdrawn from Swindon shed in April 1951.

Robert Ferris

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