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GWR 2884 Class

Class of 2-8-0 steam locomotive

Field	Value
powertype	Steam
name	GWR 2884 Class
image	Swindon 7 Locomotive Works geograph-2537433-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg
caption	3800 at Swindon Works in 1962
designer	Charles Collett
builder	GWR Swindon Works
ordernumber	Lots 321, 328, 334, 341, 346
builddate	1938–1942
totalproduction	83
whytetype	[2-8-0](2-8-0)
uicclass	1'D h2
gauge
leadingdiameter	3 ft
driverdiameter	4 ft
minimumcurve	7 chain normal,
6 chain slow
length	63 ft
width	8 ft
height	13 ft
axleload
(17 LT) full
weightondrivers
(67 LT) full
locoweight
(76 LT) full
tenderweight
(40 LT) full
fueltype	Coal
watercap	3500 impgal
firearea	27.07 sqft
tubearea	1686.60 sqft
fireboxarea	154.78 sqft
superheatertype	4 or 6 element
superheaterarea	4-element: 191.8 sqft,
6-element: 253.38 sqft
boilerpressure	225 psi
cylindercount	Two, outside
cylindersize	18+1/2 x
valvegear	Stephenson
valvetype	piston valves
tractiveeffort	35380 lbf
operator	GWR » BR
fleetnumbers	2884–2899,3800-3866 : GWR/BR
operatorclass	2884
powerclass	GWR: E
BR: 8F
axleloadclass	GWR: Blue
withdrawndate	1962–1965
disposition	Nine preserved, remainder scrapped

6 chain slow (17 LT) full (67 LT) full (76 LT) full (40 LT) full 6-element: 253.38 sqft BR: 8F The Great Western Railway (GWR) 2884 Class is a class of 2-8-0 steam locomotive. They were Collett's development of Churchward's earlier 2800 Class and are sometimes regarded as belonging to that class.

History

The 2884s were designed for heavy freight work and differed from the original Class 2800 engines (Nos. 2800-2883) in a number of respects, the most obvious being that a more modern Collett side window cab was provided and that they were built with outside steam pipes.

Production

83 of the 2884 class were built between 1938 and 1941. Those built during the Second World War did not have the side window to the cab, and the side window on the others was plated over. This was to reduce glare, as a precaution against enemy air attacks. The windows were reinstated after the war.

Year	Quantity	Lot No.	Locomotive numbers	Notes
1938–39	20	321	2884–2899, 3800–3803
1939–40	20	328	3804–3823
1940–41	10	334	3824–3833	align-left
1941–42	10	341	3834–3843
1942	23	346	3844–3866

The locomotives were so popular with the ex-Great Western crews that the British Railways Western Region operating authorities wanted more of the class built after nationalisation in 1948; however, this request was turned down in favour of BR Standard Class 9Fs.

Oil firing

Main article: GWR oil burning steam locomotives

Between 1945 and 1947, coal shortages caused GWR to experiment with oil fired 2800 locomotives. Eight of the 2884 class were converted and renumbered from 4850. The experiment, encouraged by the government was abandoned in 1948 once the extra maintenance costs were calculated and the bill had arrived for the imported oil.

1948 Locomotive Exchange Trials

The year 1948 also saw one of the 2884 class, No.3803 (now preserved), emerge remarkably successfully from the 1948 Locomotive Exchange Trials against more modern engines including the LMS Stanier Class 8F and the WD Austerity 2-8-0 and WD Austerity 2-10-0. It took the appearance in 1954 of the British Railways BR Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 to displace the 2800s from their main role of mineral haulage. Nevertheless, there was still work for them right up to the end of steam on the Western region in 1965. Six decades of service testify to the fundamental excellence of Churchward's original conception.

No. 3863 on a down freight west of Patchway 12 August 1963

Withdrawal

Year	Quantity in
service at
start of year	Quantity
withdrawn	Cumulative
quantity
withdrawn	Locomotive numbers
1962	83	1	1	3827.
1963	82	16	17	2888–89/92/94/97–98,
3803/06/11/31/33/39/43/46/53/58.
1964	66	32	49	2884–87/91/93/96,
3800–01/04–05/09–10/14–15/19/21–22/24–25/28–29/32/34/38/41/45/47/52/56–57/60.
1965	34	34	83	2890/95/99,
3802/07–08/12–13/16–18/20/23/26/30/35–37/40/42/44/48–51/54–55/59/61–66.

Preservation

Nine examples of the 2884, were saved from Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales and four of these engines have operated in preservation.

	Number		Year Built		Withdrawn		Location
2885	Mar 1938	Jan 1964	Tyseley Locomotive Works	Undergoing restoration	[[File:GWR Class 2884 No 2885 2-8-0 (6761025903).jpg	150px]]	Formerly on display at Birmingham Moor Street.
3802	Dec 1938	Aug 1965	Llangollen Railway	Operational, boiler ticket expires: 2027.	[[File:GWR 3802 (05-04-14).jpg	150px]]	Currently paired with a 4,000 gallon Collett tender instead of the usual 3,500 gallon Churchward tender. Returned to service following an overhaul in January 2018 and now operational at Llangollen.
3803	Jan 1939	Jul 1963	Dartmouth Steam Railway	Undergoing Overhaul	[[File:3803 South Devon Railway (2).jpg	150px]]	Previously based at the South Devon Railway, but now sold to the Dartmouth Steam Railway.
3814	Mar 1940	Dec 1964	Northern Steam Engineering Limited, Stockton-on-Tees	Undergoing restoration	[[File:East Acton LTE Station geograph-2518393-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg	150px]]	Currently under restoration to running condition. Moved to Llangollen Railway for restoration to continue, but subsequently moved to Northern Steam Engineering Limited at Stockton-on-Tees.
3822	Apr 1940	Jan 1964	Didcot Railway Centre	Static display	[[File:3822 Didcot Railway Centre.jpg	150px]]	Awaiting overhaul after being withdrawn from traffic in 2010. In 1989, 3822 was used in the Music video of the song Breakthru by the band Queen.
3845	Apr 1942	Jun 1964	TBC	Stored		At a private site in the West Midlands awaiting restoration.
3850	Jun 1942	Aug 1965	Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway	Operational, boiler ticket expires: 2034	[[File:3850 at Toddington, May 2014.jpg	150px]]	Originally restored at and operated at the West Somerset Railway, now moved to Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. Returned to service following an overhaul in August 2024
3855	Oct 1942	Aug 1965	East Lancashire Railway	Undergoing restoration		Being restored from ex Barry Scrapyard condition.
3862	Nov 1942	Feb 1965	Northampton & Lamport Railway	Undergoing restoration		Being restored from ex Barry Scrapyard condition to full running condition.

Models

Hornby Railways manufacture a model of the 2884 Class in OO gauge.

In 2013, Dapol introduced a British N gauge model of locomotive 2892 in GWR green livery.

References

(c. 1952). "The ABC of British Railway Locomotives: Part 1 - Nos. 1-9999 Steam Locomotives: Western Region". Ian Allan.
Green-Hughes, Evan. (October 2010). "The GWR '28XX'". Ian Allan Publishing.
"3822 - 2884 Class".
"Devon heritage railway issues update on steam locomotive 3803".
(4 February 2022). "South Devon Railway sells GWR Steam Locomotive No. 3803".
(22 February 2021). "3rd time lucky? Steam locomotive 3814 moves from Llangollen to Stockton-on-Tees".
BWW News Desk. "ONE NIGHT OF QUEEN to Rock Didcot Railway Centre".
"Film and TV Credits {{!}} Didcot Railway Centre".
"3850".
Foster, Richard. (March 2013). "Dapol GWR '2884' 2-8-0". Bauer.

Info: Wikipedia Source

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