GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Knowle & Dorridge Station: gwrkd1009

An unidentified GWR 4-6-0 Star class at the head of a London bound express with coaching stock carrying crimson lake livery near Bentley Heath Crossing circa 1912. Introduced in April 1906 the Churchward GWR 'Star' design developed from No 4000 which was initially introduced as 4-4-2 No 40 in 1906. Earlier locomotives were subsequently fitted with new boilers and superheated whilst the rest of the class were built with the tapered boiler from new. The first of the class to be withdrawn was No 4016 'The Somerset Light Infantry (Prince Albert's)' from Old Oak Common shed in October 1925. A further 15 were withdrawn by the GWR, leaving 47 locos in the class at nationalisation in January 1948. The class survived until October 1957 when the final member, No 4056 'Princess Margaret', was withdrawn from Bristol Bath Road shed. None are preserved. Courtesy of Rail UK.

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