GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

GWR Route: Hatton to Stratford on Avon

Wilmcote Station: gwrwil3866

Ex-GWR 2-6-2T No 5104 enters the station with the 6:40pm Birmingham Moor Street to Stratford on Avon service on 28th May 1957. Built by Swindon works in November 1929, No 5104 was to remain in service until November 1960 when it was withdrawn from 82B St Philips Marsh shed to be scrapped. The GWR 5101 Class or 'Large Prairie' was a class of 2-6-2T steam locomotives with a long pedigree insofar the class was an updated version, by Collett, of Churchward's 1903 31xx/51xx Class, built in 1903 to 1906 with 5 foot 8 inch driving wheels. The original forty engines of the earlier series were initially numbered 3100 and 3111-3149, but later altered to 5100 and 5111-5149 in 1927. Collett's 5101 Class were so described because the first batch of 5101s filled in the numbers 5101 to 5110 with later batches extending the class from No 5150 to No 5189. They were little changed from the Churchward locomotives as they then were, but had an increased axle loading of 17 long tons 12 cwt which was the maximum permitted for the ‘Blue’ route availability. Bunkers were of the standard Collett design with greater coal capacity. Further construction of new locomotives were numbered from 41xx.

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