GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Leamington Spa - GWR Locomotives: gwrls198

GWR 33xx Bulldog class 4-4-0 No 3338 'Swift' stands on the up through line with empty coaching stock circa 1928. These engines were regularly used on locals between Leamington and Oxford. The Bulldog class was initially known as the Camel class, which was the name of the first engine of this type built with a Standard No 2 domeless boiler and Belpaire firebox. The first twenty of the class had curved outside frames as seen on No 3338, but later batches had straight frames - see 'gwrhb96'. Number 3338 was built at Swindon as No 3350 ‘Swift’ in March 1900. At this time the Great western incorporated the engine name on the oval number plate on the cab side and not on the prominent wheel splashers as seen on later engines. In 1912 the class was renumbered, but most of the class retained their names and in this new guise No 3338 was withdrawn from Chester shed (CHR) in November 1933 to be scrapped at Swindon soon after.

There were several variations of Standard No 2 boilers and this engine had three of them. As built, a parallel boiler was fitted, but in January 1905 this was replaced with a more efficient tapered boiler, which was coned for two thirds its length. In August 1915 a shorter half coned boiler was fitted (probably as a wartime measure), but in October 1924 a new two thirds coned boiler was refitted. Superheating was fitted in June 1910. The Bulldogs had a tractive effort of 21,060 lbs (group B) and were route colour Blue, which made them very versatile. They were initially used for secondary express work, but were gradually displaced from these passenger duties by newer locomotives. The first withdrawals started in 1930 following the introduction of the 4-6-0 49xx ‘Hall’ class, but these were useful engines and withdrawal was protracted.

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