GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Birmingham Snow Hill - Grouping Period Locomotives: gwrbsh50

GWR 4-6-0 Saint class No 2975 'Lord Palmer' is stands light engine fully coaled to take forward an express forward to Paddington on 4th July 1936. Originally built unnamed as No 175 at Swindon works in March 1905, No 2975's first shed was Bath Road in Bristol and was originally named 'Viscount Churchill' in 1907 but was then renamed 'Sir Ernest Palmer' in February 1924. The name 'Lord Palmer' was then applied in October 1933 on Sir Earnest Palmer's elevation to the House of Lords and as such No 2975 remained in service until November 1944 when it was withdrawn from Banbury shed to be scrapped early in the following year by Swindon works. The locomotive was involved in the accident with Castle class No 4088 'Dartmouth Castle' at Appleford Crossing on 13th November 1942 when No 2975 was driven off the end of the down goods loop.

Three prototype versions of what was to become the 'Saint' class of locomotives were made in 1902-3. Having studied American boiler design he was also influenced by continental practice in efficient motion design. He ordered from the Société Alsacienne de Constructions Mécaniques (SACM) a De Glehn 4-4-2 compound engine with parallel boiler, No 100, for comparative trials on the GWR. A second prototype locomotive, No 98, also of a 4-4-2 configuration but with a half-cone boiler as standard together with a re-designed valve gear layout and cylinders with valve diameters increased from 6½ inches to 10 inches was then built. A third prototype, No 171, was built as a 4-6-0 but was soon converted to 4-4-2 for comparative trials with the the De Glehn designs. Even whilst No 171 was undergoing trials Churchward ordered nineteen locomotives to be built to a similar design, of which thirteen were built as 4-4-2s and six as 4-6-0s until a decision was made on the best wheel arrangement for the Great Western's lines.

With driving wheels of 6 ft 8½ inches diameter the Saints could run like hares and like all Great Western locomotives were remarkably sure footed. But the class did have its faults such as low superheat and a rather cramped cab, the draughtiness of this being made worse by the low tender. The second batch of 'Saints' were built in August and September 1907, numbered from No 2911 to No 2930, and were easily distinguishable from the earlier locomotives as they had curved frames at the front and rear of the locomotive. The later batches were also given curved frames. The Saints were extremely long lived by express passenger locomotive standards with No 2920 'Saint David' seen around the Gloucester area well into the 1950s to finally disappear in 1953 as the last of the class to be withdrawn. Others, notably No 2948 'Stackpole Court' and No 2954 'Tockenham Court' wandered around the Bristol - Westbury - Devizes area in the early 1950s. The prototype for the Hall class was rebuilt from a GWR Saint Class No 2925 'Saint Martin' in 1924 but with 6ft driving wheels. No survivors of the class exist although plans are afoot to reverse engineer Hall class No 4242 'Maindy Hall' into a Saint Class locomotive No 2999 carrying the name 'Lady of Legend'.

back