GWR 1813 Class

GWR 1813 Class

Type and origin Power type Steam Designer William Dean Builder GWR Swindon Works Build date 1882-1884 Total produced 40

Specifications Configuration 0-6-0T Gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Driver diameter 4 ft 6 in (1.37 m) Wheelbase 15 ft 6 in (4.72 m) Fuel type coal Cylinders two Cylinder size 17 in × 24 in (430 mm × 610 mm)

Career Operators GWR

The Great Western Railway's 1813 Class was a series of 40 0-6-0 side-tank engines built at Swindon Works in two lots of 20 engines each. No. 1813 was sold to the Pembroke & Tenby Railway in May 1883 becoming No.7 Holmwood, retaining this name after being absorbed by the GWR. Nearly all of these engines spent their lives on the GWR's Southern Division.

Construction

• Nos. 1813-1832 (Lot 59, 1882-3)
• Nos. 1834-1853 (Lot 60, 1883-4)

Design

This was the first 0-6-0 tank design of William Dean and in its concept and dimensions may be regarded as the precursor of all the larger GWR pannier tanks of the 20th century, such as the 5700 and 9400 classes:

• Inside frames
• Wheels 4 ft 6 in (1.37 m) diameter, wheelbase 15 ft 6 in (4.72 m)
• Cylinders 17 in × 24 in (430 mm × 610 mm)

Rebuilding

From 1894 some of the 1813s were rebuilt with saddle tanks, and in 1903-6 six were rebuilt with either short or full-length pannier tanks, resulting in a very early example of this type of engine. The rest were so converted between 1911 and 1925, as had become standard practice on the Great Western. The class also carried an unusually wide variety of different boilers.

British Railways

No. 1835 alone passed into British Railways stock, to be withdrawn in January 1949.