GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Henley in Arden - New Station: gwrha3019

Great Western Railway 0-6-0 2251 class No 2297 heading north with a Permanent Way train in July 1947. The locomotive is displaying a class A lamp headcode (see 'Headcodes') usually reserved for Express Passenger or Breakdown Trains, but also used for other Engineering Department Trains not requiring to stop in section and travelling at speed.

Locomotive No 2297 was built in June 1938 at Swindon Works as part of lot 312. The 2251 class of locomotives were built to replace the life expired Armstrong and Dean 0-6-0 tender engines, which had operated goods trains over the relatively light lines absorbed into the Great Western Railway system following the grouping. With an axle weight of under 16 tons, the 2251 class could operate over Yellow classified routes, so was less restricted than the heavier 2-6-0 43xx class and proved to be versatile operating both local goods and passenger services. They had inside frames and cylinders and carried a standard No 10 tapered boiler which operated at a pressure of 200lb producing a tractive effort at 85% of 20,155lbs – Power Group B. See 'Engine Map' for more details of the Great Western Railway classification system. No 2297 was initially allocated to Aberystwyth Shed (ABH), but when this photograph was taken was allocated to Stratford-upon-Avon Shed (see 'Stratford upon Avon Shed'). No 2297 was withdrawn from Banbury Shed (84C) in June 1960.

Robert Ferris

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