GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Olton Station: gwro4011

The four Great Western Railway 2-6-2T Prairie Tank locomotives, each pair with a Great Western Railway 4-6-0 6000 (King) class locomotive sandwiched between them, decelerate after performing speed tests on the lattice girder bridge over the Warwick Road at Olton. The two sets of three locomotives have crossed over the two Main line spans of the 152 foot wide lattice girder bridge while travelling in parallel, in the same direction. The total dead weight of the two sets of three locomotives would be approximately 600 tons. This photograph was taken alongside Olton Mere, looking towards Solihull. near milepost 123½. The locomotives are adjacent to the Down Main and Relief Distant Repeater Signals (Solihull Signal Box Levers 61 and 69).

The extended coal bunker and fenders of the nearest 2-6-2T Prairie Tank are clearly visible here, but there is no central recess in the fender to protect the lamp. This was a modification carried out on many prairie tanks starting in the 1930s.

This photograph is Solihull Central Library record reference No 1792, courtesy R Waring

Robert Ferris

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