GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Birmingham Snow Hill Station: gwrbsh2488

Great Western Railway 0-4-2T '517' class No 1475 at the southern end of Snow Hill Station, circa 1905. There were several variations of '517' class locomotives as the class was gradually improved and most of the locomotives were rebuilt several times in their lifetime as the design evolved. Early examples had Saddle Tanks on a 7 foot 4 inch + 6 foot 4 inch wheelbase, but by 1873 all the new locomotives in the class were being built with 620 gallon Side Tanks on a 7 foot 4 inch + 7 foot 8 inch wheelbase. One of these was No 1475 which was built in July 1883 at Wolverhampton Works (Works No 444) as part of lot M2. This lot was the first of the class to be built with 16 inch cylinders. No 1475 was renewed at Wolverhampton in February 1900, receiving new longer frames with a 7 foot 4 inch + 8 foot 2 inch wheelbase and larger side tanks (900 gallon capacity). A new boiler with a raised round topped firebox and large brass dome towards the rear (type R4) was fitted and the cylinders were increased to 16.5 inches. The distinctive ‘Wolverhampton’ straight fronted coal bunker with flared top was provided and this was later surmounted with coal rails to increase capacity. The modifications resulted in the maximum axle weight increasing to 14 tons 5 cwt (Route colour yellow). With the boiler pressure increased from 140lb to 150lb the tractive effort at 85% was 13,435lbs. The photograph shows the locomotive in this rebuilt form.

The 517 class was designed for light suburban passenger duties in urban centres and No 1475 like the majority of the class was initially based in the Northern Division. After 1904, some of the locomotives were dispersed to other locations, when a number were fitted with auto-apparatus. No 1475 did not receive this at this time and was known to have been allocated to Chester shed (CHR) in January 1921. In January 1922, No 1475 received a belpaire boiler (type BR4) and the boiler pressure was increased to 165lb resulting in an increase in the tractive effort at 85% to 14,780 lbs. Despite their age, the lack of locomotives with auto-apparatus (prior to the introduction of the 48xx class 0-4-2T locomotives) required a further eight of the 517 class to be fitted with auto-apparatus in the early 1930s as a stop-gap measure. No 1475 was fitted in February 1931 and at about the same time also received Automatic Train Control (ATC). Auto-trains typically operated branch line passenger services and this governed where the locomotives fitted with auto-apparatus were deployed, but with the 48xx class 0-4-2T locomotives now becoming available, No 1475 was withdrawn from Worcester shed (WOS) in August 1932.

Robert Ferris

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