GWR 1400 CLASS

The Great Western Railway '1400 Class' is a class of steam locomotive designed for branchline passenger work, originally classified as the '4800 Class' when introduced in 1932.
Although credited to Collett, the design dated back to 1868 with the introduction of the Armstrong 517 class. Like the 48/14xx, this was a lightweight loco for branchline work built at Wolverhampton between 1868 and 1885.
In this period evolutionary changes included:-
517-570 with 13' 7" wheelbase, inside bearings to trailing wheels, and saddle tanks built 1868-1869.
571-576 with 13' 7" wheelbase, outside bearings and side tanks built 1869-1870
826-836, 838-849, 1154-1165, 202-05, 215-222, 1421-1432, 1433-1444, 1465-1482 all with 15' wheelbase with side tanks built 1873-1883.
1483-1488 with 15' 6" wheelbase and side tanks built 1884-1885.
Later gradual changes included:-Belpaire fireboxes, boilers rated at 165psi as opposed to 150 psi, full cabs, extended bunkers and progressively converting short wheel base locos to 15' or 15' 6". From 1924 onwards, several were converted to run with an autocoach, and in this configuration were the direct ancestors of the 48xx class.
In this form, the updated 517's were but a small step away from the 48xx. The wheelbase was still 15' 6", the boiler still rated at only 165 psi, and the wheels 5' 2" and 3' 8''. New was the Collett style cab and bunker and the boiler nominally to a new design. A three bar crosshead was added to the motion. This was a 1924 innovation introduced with the GWR 5600 Class and also seen in the 1930's built 54xx, 64XX and 74xx classes.
The twenty 1933 built 5800 Class locos were almost identical. The defining feature between the two classes of locomotive was that the 48xx was fitted for autotrains with a mechanical system linking them and the autocoach. The autocoach was a specialist coach, designed for this purpose, which could also be used with the 517's, the GWR 5400 Class , the GWR 6400 Class and the older GWR 2021 Class. In later life, lack of auto gear was the cause of earlier scrapping of the newer locos as there was no work for them. They were all gone by 1959.
The auto fitted locos lasted little better, scrapping commenced in 1956 and all were withdrawn by early 1965. By the early 1960's several had been in store (read parked in a back siding with a tarp over the funnel) for some time being occasionally steamed to replace failed diesels.

Contents

Preservation

The 1400 class in fiction

External links

Preservation

Happily four have been preserved, these being 1420, 1442, 1450 and 1466. All were late withdrawals from service in the 1963-1965 period and went direct to preservation from BR (WR) in relatively good condition.

★ 1420 is under overhaul on the South Devon Railway Trust

★ 1442 is a static exhibition at the Tiverton Museum

★ 1450 is on the Dean Forest Railway

★ 1466 is at the Didcot Railway Centre

The 1400 class in fiction

A fictional 1400 class locomotive (''Oliver the Western Engine'') appears in The Railway Series of children's books written by the Rev. W. Awdry, and in the spin-off TV series (''Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends'').
One of these engines (a GWR 1401) played a prominent role in the film ''The Titfield Thunderbolt'' as the main locomotive of the Titfield-Mallingford branch, and as a stolen locomotive.

External links

★ http://www.greatwestern.org.uk/m_in_042.htm

★ http://www.southdevonrailway.org/1420.html

★ http://www.tivertonmuseum.org.uk/