GWR Rheidol Tanks

Class of 3 British 2-6-2T locomotives

GWR Rheidol Tank

Llywelyn outside the locomotive works in Aberystwyth in 2015

| Type and origin

Power type| Steam
Designer| Charles Collett
Builder| GWR Swindon Works
Order number|

* Nos. 7 & 8: Lot 227
* No. 9: none

Build date| 1923–24
Total produced| 3
| Specifications

Configuration:
| ​
• Whyte| 2-6-2T
• UIC| 1′C1′
Gauge| 1 ft 11+3⁄4 in (603 mm)
Leading dia.| 2 ft 0 in (610 mm)
Coupled dia.| 2 ft 6 in (762 mm)
Trailing dia.| 2 ft 0 in (610 mm)
Fuel type| Coal
Boiler pressure| 165 lbf/in2 (1.14 MPa)
Cylinders| Two, outside
Cylinder size| 11+1⁄2 in × 17 in (292 mm × 432 mm)
Valve gear| Walschaerts
Loco brake| Air brakes
Train brakes| Air brakes
Couplers| Chopper
| Performance figures

Maximum speed| 20 mph (32 km/h)
Tractive effort| 10,510 lbf (46.75 kN)
| Career

Operators| Great Western Railway
British Railways
Vale of Rheidol Railway
Number in class| 3
Numbers| 7, 8, 9 (1213)
Locale| Aberystwyth
Delivered| October 1923
Current owner| Vale of Rheidol Railway Ltd
Disposition| All preserved

The GWR Rheidol Tanks are a fleet of 2-6-2T steam locomotives of the Great Western Railway design built between 1923 and 1924. They were designed by the railway's Chief Mechanical Engineer, Charles Collett, for working services on the Vale of Rheidol Railway between Aberystwyth and Devil's Bridge (Pontarfynach).

## Background

[edit]

Prior to the railway grouping in 1923, the Vale of Rheidol Railway was operated by Cambrian Railways. The fleet consisted of two locomotives built by Davies and Metcalfe, supplemented by a Bagnall locomotive.

Shortly after taking control of the line, the GWR realised that the original rolling stock was in a poor state of repair. They built three new locomotives (numbered 7, 8 and 1213) at the GWR's Swindon Works. Number 1213 was later renumbered 9.

## Mistaken identity

[edit]

There are references (in print and online) to the misconception that No. 9 is one of the original Davies & Metcalfe Locomotives,[1] as some websites and books incorrectly report,[2] having been misled by Swindon Works.[3] Swindon listed the parts that made up the new No. 1213 as 'spares' in their accounting book as the GWR Board had only given them leave to build two new locomotives (No. 7 & No. 8).[4]

No. 9 is the same age as No. 7 & No. 8, as shown when comparing the working drawings between it and a Davies and Metcalfe locomotive. Rheidol historian C C Green, who carried out this comparison, said of all three current locomotives that "mechanically they are identical", and when the current No. 9 (the 'new' 1213) is compared with the plans of the original 1213 stated that "no single part" of the original locomotive could possibly have fitted the new one.[5]

In 1946, the GWR began a renumbering of the remaining locomotives inherited from pre-Grouping companies, but since it was only carried out as locomotives received heavy repairs, the process took several years.[6] Under this scheme, the 'new' 1213 was renumbered No. 9 in March 1949.[7][8]

## British Rail ownership

[edit]

7 Owain Glyndwr in BR blue

Along with other ex-GWR locomotives, Nos. 7 and 8 retained their numbers under British Railways ownership, with no. 1213 also initially retaining its number until renumbered in 1949 under the 1946 plan.[8] In June 1956 the three were given the names which they still carry today, being unnamed up to that point; no, 9 received the name Prince of Wales that its predecessor had borne until repainted into Cambrian Railways livery after that company absorbed the locomotive in July 1913.[9] These three locos were the only steam engines to survive in BR's ownership after the end of main line steam traction in August 1968, excluding steam powered cranes which remained in service until 1995. Under the TOPS numbering arrangements introduced at this time they were allocated Class 98 and were nominally numbered 98007–98009, but these numbers were never actually carried on the locomotives. All three locomotives, and the rolling stock, carried standard British Rail 'rail blue' livery until the 1980s, when the locomotives were given more traditional liveries that they had carried in the past.

## Conversion to oil firing

[edit]

The locomotives were originally designed to burn coal, however there was a period spanning over thirty years during which the three locomotives were oil fired. Problems with sparks and unreliability of the coal supplied caused British Railways to look to alternative fuels for the locomotives. Locomotive No. 7 was the first to be converted in 1978, followed by No. 8 in 1979 and No. 9 in 1981.[10] This change was later reversed with Locomotive No. 8 returning to coal in 2012 and No. 9 in 2013.[11]

## Preservation

[edit]

All three Vale of Rheidol tanks are still in service and operating on their original route.

The standard livery is Great Western Railway green and all three locomotives currently carry this livery. The locomotives were named by British Railways in 1956 and currently do not carry their nameplates.

Image  | Number  | Name  | Year built  | Notes  | In Traffic?

|
|
|
|
|

| 7  | Owain Glyndŵr | 1923  | Hauled the last steam service under British Rail ownership of the line.  | In Traffic
| 8  | Llywelyn[12] | 1923  |  | In Traffic
| 9 (1213)  | Prince of Wales | 1924  | Put through Swindon works during 1923–24 as an overhaul of the original No. 2, but is in fact a complete new locomotive.[13] Numbered 1213 from delivery until gaining the No. 9 in 1949.[7] As of November 2016 the locomotive carries No. 1213 once more.  | Awaiting Overhaul

## See also

[edit]

* List of Vale of Rheidol Railway rolling stock

## References

[edit]

1. ^ See, for example, Michael Rutherford, 'Railway Reflections No 129', photo caption of No. 8 and 'new' 1213, the latter referenced as 'formerly No 2': photo captions indexed at SteamIndex, here.
2. ^ See, for example, the incorrect locomotive data catalogued archived here by the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum website.
3. ^ See 'Vale of Rheidol Light Railway', by W J K Davies, published 1964 by Ian Allan Limited, for a discussion of the accounting coverup.
4. ^ See British Heritage Railways website Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine, section headed 'locomotives'.
5. ^ Green,1986, Page 189.
6. ^ Davies et al. 1966, p. K4.
7. ^ a b Green 1986, p. 192.
8. ^ a b Davies et al. 1966, p. K78.
9. ^ Davies et al. 1966, pp. K53, K77.
10. ^ Green, 1986, pages 201-203
11. ^ Johnson, 2020, pages 171-173
12. ^ "Locomotives". Vale of Rheidol Railway. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
13. ^ Green 1986, p. 189.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Boyd, James I.C. (1965). Narrow Gauge Railways in Mid Wales. Oakwood Press. ISBN 0-85361-024-X.
* Davies, F.K.; Firth, J.M.; Lucking, J.H.; Thomas, R.E.; Allcock, N.J.; Sterndale, A.C.; Barrie, D.S.M.; Reed, P.J.T.; Mountford, E.R. (April 1966). White, D.E. (ed.). The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway, part ten: Absorbed Engines, 1922-1947. RCTS. ISBN 0-901115-20-7.
* Green, CC (1986). The Vale of Rheidol Light Railway. Wild Swan. ISBN 0-906867-43-6.
* Johnson, Peter (1999). Welsh Narrow Gauge: a view from the past. Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 0-7110-2654-8.
* Johnson, Peter (2011). An Illustrated History of the Great Western Narrow Gauge. OPC. ISBN 978-0-86093-636-7.
* Johnson, Peter (2020). The Vale of Rheidol Railway: The Story of a Narrow Gauge Survivor. Pen and Sword. ISBN 978-1-52671-805-1.

## External links

[edit]

* Vale of Rheidol Railway website

* v
* t
* e

Vale of Rheidol Railway

Main articles|

* Vale of Rheidol Railway
* List of rolling stock
* List of stations

Locomotives|

* No. 3 Rheidol
* No. 7 Owain Glyndŵr
* No. 8 Llywelyn
* No. 9 Prince of Wales

Stations|

* Aberystwyth
* Llanbadarn
* Glanyrafon
* Capel Bangor
* Nantyronen
* Aberffrwd
* Rheidol Falls
* Rhiwfron
* Devil's Bridge

Operators|

* Cambrian Railways
* Great Western Railway
* BR Western Region
* BR London Midland Region
* Brecon Mountain Railway
* Phyllis Rampton Narrow Gauge Railway Trust

Miscellaneous|

* Great Little Trains of Wales
* British narrow gauge railways

* Trains portal
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* v
* t
* e

Great Western Railway locomotives

Swindon
broad gauge|

| Brunel
(1833–1837)|

* Haigh Foundry
* Mather, Dixon
* Sharp, Roberts
* Charles Tayleur
* Hurricane
* Thunderer

|

Gooch
(1837–1864)|

* Ariadne
* Banking
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* Caesar
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* Hercules
* Iron Duke
* Leo
* Metropolitan
* Premier
* Prince
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* Star
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J. Armstrong
(1864–1877)|

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* 1076

Dean
(1877–1902)|

* Experimental locomotives (8, 14, 16)
* 3001
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* 3521

Wolverhampton
standard gauge|

| J. Armstrong
(1854–1864)|

* 7/8/30/110
* 17
* 111
* 302

|

G. Armstrong
(1864–1897)|

* 34
* 108
* 119
* 322 (tank)
* 517
* 633
* 645
* 655
* 850
* 1016
* 1501
* 1901
* 3571

Swindon
standard gauge|

| Gooch
(1855–1864)|

* 57
* 69
* 77/167
* 79
* 91
* 93
* 131/310
* 149 England/Chancellor
* 157 Sharps
* 320
* 322 Beyer

|

J. Armstrong
(1864–1877)|

* 55 Queen/Sir Alexander
* 455 Metro Tank
* 56/717
* 927 Coal Goods
* 360
* 378 Sir Daniel
* 388 Standard Goods
* 439 Bicycle
* 481
* 806
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Dean
(1877–1902)|

* Experimental locomotives (1, 7, 9, 10, 13, 34, 35, 1490, 1833)
* Armstrong
* 36
* 69 River
* 157 Sharpies/Cobham
* 1661
* 1813
* 1854
* 2021
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* 2600 Aberdare
* 2602 Kruger
* 2721
* 3031 Dean Single
* 3201
* 3206
* 3232
* 3252 Duke
* 3300 Bulldog
* 3521
* 3600
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Churchward
(1902–1921)|

* 101
* 102 La France
* 103 President
* 111 The Great Bear
* 1361
* 2221 County Tank
* 2800
* 2900 Saint
* 3100 (later 5100)
* 3150
* 3700 City
* 3800 County
* 3901
* 4000 Star
* 4200
* 4300
* 4400
* 4500
* 4600
* 4700
* Petrol-electric railcar
* Rail motors

Collett
(1922–1941)|

* 12
* 1101
* 1366
* 2251
* 2884
* 3000 (ex-ROD 2-8-0)
* 3100
* 3200 (later 9000) Earl
* 4073 Castle
* 4575
* 4800 (later 1400)
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* 5101
* 5205
* 5400
* 5600
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* 5800
* 6000 King
* 6100
* 6400
* 6800 Grange
* 7200
* 7400
* 7800 Manor
* 8100
* Diesel railcars
* Diesel shunters
* 2

Hawksworth
(1941–1947)|

* 1000 County
* 1500
* 1600
* 6959 Modified Hall
* 9400
* Gas turbine-electric
* 18000
* 18100

Proposed designs|

* 8000 Cathedral

Absorbed
locomotives|

| Barry Railway|

* A
* B
* B1
* C
* D
* E
* F
* G
* H
* K
* J
* L

|

Rhymney Railway|

* A
* AP
* B
* I
* K
* L
* L1
* M
* P
* P1
* R
* S
* S1

Taff Vale Railway|

* A
* C
* D
* E
* H
* K
* L
* M1
* N
* O
* O1
* O2
* O3
* O4
* S
* T
* U
* U1
* V

Other|

* Other absorbed locomotives

Narrow gauge
locomotives|

| Corris Railway|

* 3
* 4

|

Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway|

* 822–823

Vale of Rheidol Railway|

* 1198
* 7–9

By wheel
arrangement|

* 0-4-0ST
* 0-6-0PT
* 0-6-2T

General|

* Locomotive numbering and classification
* Oil burning steam locomotives
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* British Railways steam locomotives
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