GWR 2884 Class
3800 at Swindon Works
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Charles Collett Builder GWR Swindon Works Order number Lots 321, 328, 334, 341, 346 Build date 1938–1942 Total produced 83
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-8-0  • UIC 1'D h2 Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Leading dia. 3 ft 2 in (0.965 m) Driver dia. 4 ft 7+1⁄2 in (1.410 m) Minimum curve 7 chains (460 ft; 140 m) normal, 6 chains (400 ft; 120 m) slow Length 63 ft 2+1⁄4 in (19.26 m) Width 8 ft 11 in (2.718 m) Height 13 ft 0 in (3.962 m) Axle load 17 long tons 0 cwt (38,100 lb or 17.3 t) (19.0 short tons) full Adhesive weight 67 long tons 0 cwt (150,100 lb or 68.1 t) (75.0 short tons) full Loco weight 76 long tons 5 cwt (170,800 lb or 77.5 t) (85.4 short tons) full Tender weight 40 long tons 0 cwt (89,600 lb or 40.6 t) (44.8 short tons) full Fuel type Coal Water cap. 3,500 imperial gallons (16,000 L; 4,200 US gal) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 27.07 sq ft (2.515 m2) Boiler pressure 225 psi (1.55 MPa) Heating surface: ​  • Tubes 1,686.60 sq ft (156.690 m2)  • Firebox 154.78 sq ft (14.380 m2) Superheater: ​  • Type 4 or 6 element  • Heating area 4-element: 191.8 sq ft (17.82 m2), 6-element: 253.38 sq ft (23.540 m2) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 18+1⁄2 in × 30 in (470 mm × 762 mm) Valve gear Stephenson Valve type piston valves
Performance figures Tractive effort 35,380 lbf (157.4 kN)
Career Operators GWR » BR Class 2884 Power class GWR: E BR: 8F Numbers 2884–2899,3800-3866 : GWR/BR Axle load class GWR: Blue Withdrawn 1962–1965 Disposition Nine preserved, remainder scrapped

The Great Western Railway (GWR) 2884 Class is a class of 2-8-0 steam locomotive. They were Collett's development of Churchward's earlier 2800 Class and are sometimes regarded as belonging to that class.^[1]

History

The 2884s were designed for heavy freight work and differed from the original Class 2800 engines (Nos. 2800-2883) in a number of respects, the most obvious being that a more modern Collett side window cab was provided and that they were built with outside steam pipes.

Production

83 of the 2884 class were built between 1938 and 1941. Those built during the war did not have the side window to the cab, and the side window on the others was plated over. This was to reduce glare, as a precaution against enemy air attacks.^[2] The windows were reinstated after the war.

The locomotives were so popular with the ex-Great Western crews that the British Railways Western Region operating authorities wanted more of the class built after nationalisation in 1948; however, this request was turned down in favour of BR Standard Class 9Fs.

Oil firing

Between 1945 and 1947, coal shortages caused GWR to experiment with oil fired 2800 locomotives. Eight of the 2884 class were converted and renumbered from 4850. The experiment, encouraged by the government was abandoned in 1948 once the extra maintenance costs were calculated and the bill had arrived for the imported oil.

1948 Locomotive Exchange Trials

The year 1948 also saw one of the 2884 class, No.3803 (now preserved), emerge remarkably successfully from the 1948 Locomotive Exchange Trials against more modern engines including the LMS 8F and the WD Austerity 2-8-0 and WD Austerity 2-10-0. It took the appearance in 1954 of the British Railways BR standard class 9F 2-10-0 to displace the 2800s from their main role of mineral haulage. Nevertheless, there was still work for them right up to the end of steam on the Western region in 1965. Six decades of service testify to the fundamental excellence of Churchward's original conception.

Withdrawal

Preservation

Nine examples of the 2884, were saved from Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales and four of these engines have operated in preservation.

Number	Year Built	Withdrawn	Location	Status	Image	Notes
2885	Mar 1938	Jan 1964	Tyseley Locomotive Works	Undergoing restoration		Formerly on display at Birmingham Moor Street.
3802	Dec 1938	Aug 1965	Llangollen Railway	Operational, boiler ticket expires: 2027.		Currently paired with a 4,000 gallon Collett tender instead of the usual 3,500 gallon Churchward tender. Returned to service following an overhaul in January 2018 and now operational at Llangollen.
3803	Jan 1939	Jul 1963	Dartmouth Steam Railway	Stored		Previously based at the South Devon Railway, but now sold to the Dartmouth Steam Railway.[4]
3814	Mar 1940	Dec 1964	Northern Steam Engineering Limited, Stockton-on-Tees	Undergoing restoration		Currently under restoration to running condition. Moved to Llangollen Railway for restoration to continue, but subsequently moved to Northern Steam Engineering Limited at Stockton-on-Tees.[5]
3822	Apr 1940	Jan 1964	Didcot Railway Centre	Static display		Awaiting overhaul after being withdrawn from traffic in 2010. In 1989, 3822 was used in the Music video of the song Breakthru by the band Queen.[6][7]
3845	Apr 1942	Jun 1964	TBC	Stored		At a private site in the West Midlands awaiting restoration.
3850	Jun 1942	Aug 1965	Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway	Undergoing overhaul		Originally restored at and operated at the West Somerset Railway, now moved to Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway for 10-year overhaul.
3855	Oct 1942	Aug 1965	East Lancashire Railway	Undergoing restoration		Being restored from ex Barry Scrapyard condition.
3862	Nov 1942	Feb 1965	Northampton & Lamport Railway	Undergoing restoration		Being restored from ex Barry Scrapyard condition to full running condition.

Models

Hornby Railways manufacture a model of the 2884 Class in OO gauge.
Dapol produce a model in N gauge.