GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Tyseley Shed: gwrt1076

GWR 2-6-0 No 8300, the first of several 43xx class locomotives modified, is seen standing in front of Tyseley's carriage sidings on Sunday in June 1934. The modification was the adding of weight to the pony truck to relieve wear on leading driver flanges. This added weight was in the form of a heavy casting mounted on the front buffer beam. Built at Swindon works in February 1914 as No 4351 and remained in service until August 1936 when it was withdrawn from Worcester shed to be scrapped by Swindon works. This alteration was first tried on No 4351, No 4385, No 4386 and No 4395, and when found to be successful, the four locomotives were renumbered No 8300, 8334, 8335 and 8344 before quickly reverting back to their previous numbers. Carried out between January and March 1928, 65 engines of 5300 series were so treated. The 65 engines in question were numbers: 5300-2, 5304/5, 5307-9, 5313-15, 5318, 5320, 5322, 5325-29, 5331-35, 5337/8, 5340-44, 5350-54, 5357-66, 5368/9, 5372-74, 5376, 5378/9, 5381-84, 5386-91 and 5393. These locomotives were also renumbered to the 83xx series but keeping the last two digits of the number. Therefore number 5326, although the 16th member of the 8300 class, became number 8326. However, these engines reverted back to their original numbers when the cast iron weight was removed between 1944 and 1948. Similarly, engines numbered 9300 - 9319 were renumbered 7322 - 7341 when their weights were removed between 1956 and 1959. Courtesy 'Great Western Steam'.

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