5224 – ‘52xx’ class tank locomotive. Owned by Waterman Heritage Trust, this locomotive has recently had work carried out at Crewe Railway Heritage Centre and is spending 2004 with the GWR.

Photograph copyright Steve Huddy, courtesy of West Somerset Railway

Wheel arrangement:

2-8-0T. The ‘42xx’ and ‘52xx’ classes were the only 2-8-0 tank locomotives to run in the UK.

Origin:

Great Western Railway. All were built at Swindon.

Introduced:

1923. A development of the ‘42xx’ class which was introduced in 1910.

Working weight:

82 tons

Water capacity

1,800 gallons

Purpose:

Heavy freight, mainly in the South Wales coalfields. No. 5224 was one of 65 locomotives built from 1923 (5224 was built in 1924) and were somewhat more powerful than the earlier 42xx class, of which GWR resident no. 4247 is an example. The later class had larger cylinders and other minor modifications. The class had a British Railways power classification of 8F (as opposed to 7F for the earlier class), placing them firmly among the most powerful tank locomotives to run in the UK. Several members of the class were re-built to 2-8-2T with larger bunkers, increasing their coal and water capacity and thus their range.