GWR Route: Alcester to Hatton Junction

Claverdon Station: gwrc2261

Ex-Great Western Railway 2251 class 0-6-0 No 3217 passing the old station at Claverdon on Tuesday 1st September 1964 with the 8:43pm Stratford on Avon to Leamington Spa local passenger service. When the track was doubled a new station was constructed on the other side of the road bridge with a ticket office and other facilities at road level which are visible above the locomotive. Locomotive No 3217 was the last locomotive to be built by the Great Western Railway, entering service just prior to nationalisation in December 1947. The locomotive was built at Swindon Works as part of lot 360, with the remaining two locomotives in the lot entering service with British Railways in January 1948. The 2251 class was designed to replace the aging 0-6-0 Dean Goods locomotives. They carried a superheated standard No 10 boiler operating at 200 lb and delivering a tractive effort (at 85%) of 20,155 lb, classifying the locomotive in Power Group B. This boiler was a modified standard No 2 boiler, which had previously been used on several absorbed classes. The maximum axle weight of 15 tons, 18 cwt, which meant the locomotive could operate on all main lines and nearly all branch lines (Route colour – yellow). The 120 locomotive in this class proved to be worthy successors to the Dean Goods locomotives and could regularly be seen on light passenger turns, in addition to their freight duties, but the closure of the cross country routes and introduction of diesel multiple units shortened their useful life. Locomotive No 3217 was initially allocated to Shrewsbury Shed (SLP). In March 1959, was known to be allocated to Worcester Shed (85A). In November 1964, after only sixteen years of operation, No 3217 was withdrawn from Leamington Spa Shed (2L), just over two months after this photograph was taken.

Robert Ferris

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