GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Leamington Shed: gwrls3891

A line of ex-Great Western Railway locomotives outside Leamington shed on Tuesday 16th April 1963. Leamington shed had always provided the motive power for suburban passenger services from Leamington to Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon and these from the outset had predominately utilised tank locomotives. Prior to the turn of the century 0-4-2T (517 class) locomotives were sufficient, but as train loads increased these were displaced by 2-4-2T (36xx class) locomotives. In the 1930s, these gave way to the more powerful and faster 2-6-2T (51xx class) locomotives, which lasted until the end of steam. The locomotives in the photograph are from left to right:

• Ex-GWR 2-6-2T (51xx class) No 5101 – Built at Swindon Works in November 1929 as part of lot 257 and originally allocated to Stafford Road shed near Wolverhampton. No 5101 spent most of its service life in the Midlands, moving to Leamington shed on 15th June 1957, where it remained until withdrawn on 24th June 1963 having completed 745,024 miles.
• Ex-GWR 0-6-0 (2251 class) No 2210 – Built at Swindon Works in in September 1939 as part of lot 322 and originally allocated to Oswestry shed. No 2210 was withdrawn from Banbury shed in June 1965.
• Ex-GWR 2-6-2T (51xx class) No 4133 – Built at Swindon Works in November 1939 as part of lot 323 and originally allocated to Swansea East Dock shed, before moving to the South West. No 4133 was allocated to Tyseley shed on 27th January 1962 and subsequently moved to Leamington shed on 6th October 1962, where it remained until withdrawn in October 1964.
• Ex-GWR 4-6-0 (49xx or Hall class) No 6926 ‘Holkham Hall’ – Built at Swindon Works in November 1941 as part of lot 340 and originally allocated to Newport Ebbw Junction shed. The locomotive moved to the Midlands in 1953 and in October 1962 was allocated to Tyseley shed. No 6926 was withdrawn from Banbury shed on 27th May 1965 having completed 725,393 miles.

Robert Ferris

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