GWR 3200 Class

GWR 3200 class

Preserved GWR 9017 Earl of Berkeley at Horsted Keynes railway station

Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Charles Collett (rebuild) Rebuilder GWR Swindon Works Rebuild date 1936–1939 Number rebuilt 30

Specifications Configuration 4-4-0 UIC class 2'B h Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Leading dia. 3 ft 8 in (1.118 m) Driver dia. 5 ft 8 in (1.727 m) Minimum curve 6 chains (396 ft; 121 m) normal, 5 chains (330 ft; 101 m) slow Length 56 ft 2 1⁄4 in (17.13 m) Width 8 ft 9 1⁄2 in (2.680 m) Height 12 ft 10 in (3.912 m) Axle load 15 long tons 8 cwt (34,500 lb or 15.6 t) (17.2 short tons) full Adhesive weight 30 long tons 8 cwt (68,100 lb or 30.9 t) (34.0 short tons) full Loco weight 49 long tons 0 cwt (109,800 lb or 49.8 t) (54.9 short tons) full Tender weight 40 long tons 0 cwt (89,600 lb or 40.6 t) (44.8 short tons) full Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 6 long tons 0 cwt (13,400 lb or 6.1 t) full Water cap 3,500 imp gal (16,000 l; 4,200 US gal) Firebox:  • Firegrate area 17.0 sq ft (1.58 m2) Boiler pressure 180 lbf/in2 (1.24 MPa) Heating surface:  • Tubes 1,001.0 sq ft (93.00 m2)  • Firebox 108.0 sq ft (10.03 m2) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 81.2 sq ft (7.54 m2) Cylinders Two, inside Cylinder size 18 in × 26 in (457 mm × 660 mm) Valve gear Stephenson Valve type Slide valves

Performance figures Tractive effort 18,955 lbf (84.32 kN)

Career Operators GWR » BR Power class GWR: B, BR: 2P Numbers 3265, 3200–3228; renumbered 9065, 9000–9028 Nicknames Dukedog Axle load class Yellow Withdrawn 1948–1960 Preserved 9017 Disposition One preserved, remainder scrapped

The Great Western Railway 3200 Class (or 'Earl' Class) was a design of 4-4-0 steam locomotive for passenger train work. The nickname for this class was Dukedog since the locomotives were composed of former Duke Class boilers on Bulldog Class frames. As such they were one of the last steam locomotive classes to retain outside frames.

The GWR absorbed the Cambrian Railways in 1923, but with the Cambrian main line being lightly built, permanent way restrictions debarred the use of heavier locomotives, meaning that only a few classes of GWR locomotive were allowed to run over it, including the Duke Class. However, by the 1930s the Duke class engines were past their estimated life, and in particular the frames were in poor condition. At the same time the heavier Bulldog Class was becoming redundant and being withdrawn, and later members of this class had an improved straight topped frame design.

In December 1929, Duke No.3265 Tre Pol and Pen was withdrawn, and the cab, cylinders and motion, together with a Duke boiler and smokebox, were fitted to the straight-topped frames of Bulldog no. 3365 Charles Grey Mott. The rebuilt locomotive was given the name and number of the Duke. This resulted in an engine with stronger frames which could still be used on yellow weight restricted routes.

The conversion was a success and from 1936 twenty-nine "new" locomotives were constructed from the relevant components of withdrawn Dukes and Bulldogs. The classification of the rebuilds as "new" locomotives had advantages in the railway's accounts, and they were given new numbers in the 32xx series (3200-3228). A further eleven conversions were scheduled, but the onset of World War II brought a halt to the program.

The prototype conversion retained its Duke number and name (3265 Tre Pol and Pen). The first nominally new locomotive was numbered 3201, and originally kept the name of the parent Duke. A decision was then taken to name the class after living Earls who had some connection with the GWR. Apparently, as a riposte to repeated requests from aristocratic GWR directors for engines to be named after them, the CME of Great Western, Charles Collett decided that these "new" engines, with their decidedly old-fashioned Victorian appearance, should be given the names of those directors. When the directors assembled at Paddington Station for the unveiling of the "new" class, the group were not impressed at Collett's joke. So, although the first batch of twenty were allocated Earl names, following the construction and naming of no. 3212 Earl of Eldon in May 1937, the nameplates were removed and the names given to nos. 5043-5062 of the express Castle class instead.