GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Southam Road and Harbury: gwrsrh1601

GWR 2-8-0 30xx 'ROD' class No 3001 steams past Southam Road station with a Class H through freight train circa Summer 1932. The train has nine different types of covered vans from various companies and at least 21 open wagons. In the distance Southam Road Signal Box is just visible. No 3001 was built in 1919, as R.O.D. Locomotive No 2009 for the Railway Operating Division of the Royal Engineers by the North British Locomotive Co. Ltd. at their Hyde Park Works (Works No 22105). Needed to transport men and materials in France during the First World War, the JNo 3001G Robinson 8K class locomotives introduced on the Great Central Railway in 1911. By the time No 3001 had been built, the war had ended and vast number of the engines become surplus to requirements and were offered to British and Overseas Railway Companies at knock down prices.

This locomotive was one of twenty bought by the Great Western Railway under their Lot 215 in May 1919. The locomotive underwent a degree of swindonisation before being added to the Great Western Railway stock in July 1919. In April 1927 further work was carried out on No 3001 including replacement of the original boiler, which had a steel firebox, with a 'MB' type boiler with a copper firebox. These new 'MB' type boilers also had Swindon superheaters, top feed and Great Western safety valves. All the 30xx class had steam brakes, so were unsuitable for vacuum fitted trains, but they found plenty of work on the heavy unfitted freight trains. In January 1921 No 3001 was allocated to Tyseley shed (TYS) and could also be found allocated there in January 1934. No 3001 was withdrawn in August 1946.

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