GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Birmingham Snow Hill - Pre-grouping locomotives: gwrbsh1203

Ex-West Midlands Railway 2-4-0 No 197 is seen standing at the North end of Snow Hill station on the up platform circa 1900. Birmingham's Roman Catholic Cathedral St Chads designed by Pugin can be seen on the left in the distance. Robert Ferris writes. 'The locomotive was one of six built by Beyer Peacock in 1862 for Main Line Passenger traffic on the West Midland Railway and was originally No 107. Following the amalgamation of the West Midland Railway by the Great Western Railway in August 1863, 131 engines were renumbered into GWR stock, including these relatively new 2-4-0 engines.

No 107 had 6 foot coupled wheels and 16in x 20in inside cylinders. In 1880 No 197 was completely rebuilt at the Great Western Railway's Wolverhampton Works. This renewal was part of a process of reconstructing both these six engines (GW Nos 196-201) and six similar ex-WMR 2-2-2 engines (GW Nos 190 – 195) into a single class of 2-4-0 engines. The new class retained the 6 foot coupled wheels, but the cylinders were increased to 17in x 24in. The renewal work was completed between 1877 and 1883 and in some cases very little of the original engines were left. The renewed No 197 was to remain in service until 1914, when it was withdrawn'.

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