{"id":14190,"date":"2021-03-20T02:09:47","date_gmt":"2021-03-19T16:09:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railwayblogger.com\/?p=3512"},"modified":"2021-03-20T02:09:47","modified_gmt":"2021-03-19T16:09:47","slug":"steam-locomotive-county-of-montgomery-at-the-gwsr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=14190","title":{"rendered":"Steam locomotive County of Montgomery at the GWSR"},"content":{"rendered":"

New-build Churchward \u2018County\u2019 class 4-4-0 No. 3840 County of Montgomery <\/em>steam locomotive could be based on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway<\/a> (GWSR), following the signing of a new agreement between the Churchward County Trust<\/a> which is building the new engine, and the railway.<\/p>\n

The agreement, which supersedes an earlier \u2018agreement in principle\u2019 between the GWSR and the CCT, gives the railway first option to be the home of the locomotive when it is completed. This would see the engine based at the railway\u2019s Toddington, Gloucestershire locomotive workshops, where it would become part of the line\u2019s operating steam fleet.<\/p>\n

Richard Johnson, Chairman of GWSR Plc commented<\/strong>: \u201cWhile we clearly don\u2019t know what our railway\u2019s locomotive requirements will be in ten or 15 years, which is when the new \u2018County\u2019 is likely to be available, I\u2019m thrilled that we are being offered first choice for the engine\u2019s future base. <\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The frames of the new County locomotive being assembled at Tyseley Locomotive Works.  On these the rest of the locomotive will be built, the wheels and valve gear underneath and the boiler and cab on top.  (picture by Gary Boyd-Hope)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThat we are the Trust\u2019s railway of choice for this brand-new locomotive reflects the highly professional standards achieved by our steam locomotive department. This new-build project has captured the imagination of the heritage railway movement so this is a real honour. It will be a delightful addition to our fleet of locos, and a great attraction in its own right. It is something that we all look forward to, and are very grateful to the Trust for offering it to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"3827<\/a>
This picture, of 3827 \u2018County of Gloucester\u2019 (date and location not recorded but it might be Reading, its last allocation) shows one of the later locomotives with the front footplate sloping up to the running plate and it is in this form that \u2018County of Montgomery\u2019 will appear.  Picture courtesy Rail Archive Stephenson<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The original 40 \u2018County\u2019 class 4-4-0<\/a> express locomotives were introduced by the Great Western Railway\u2019s chief mechanical engineer G J Churchward in 1904 to modern, standard design principles that were applied to most new locomotive classes built at the GWR\u2019s Swindon works. However, the \u2018Counties\u2019 had relatively short lives, as were withdrawn by 1933, being superseded by more powerful 4-6-0 classes. <\/p>\n

The engines had a particular association with the Stratford-upon-Avon to Cheltenham route, over 14 miles of which the GWSR today operates (between Broadway and Cheltenham). They were used to haul Wolverhampton-Penzance express services, thanks to a weight restriction over Stonehouse viaduct that at the time, precluded the use of larger engines (the viaduct was subsequently strengthened).<\/p>\n

Gary Boyd-Hope, chairman of the Churchward County Trust said<\/strong>: \u201cI\u2019m both thrilled and grateful that we have been able to turn our previous \u2018agreement in principle\u2019 with the GWSR into something more formal. The line will \u2013 hopefully \u2013 make the perfect home for County of Montgomery<\/em>, as not only is the route an historically appropriate one for the \u2018County\u2019 class, but the GWSR today remains a stronghold for beautifully restored and maintained Swindon-built locomotives. No. 3840 would therefore be in good company and safe hands. <\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
An impression of the finished locomotive – a painting by Jonathan Clay.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThis will be the 41st<\/sup> member of the class to be built. It\u2019s being constructed at Tyseley Locomotive Works where the main frames are now being erected. Meanwhile, we have a standard Swindon No. 4 boiler of the type used by the class set aside at Didcot Railway Centre<\/a>, courtesy of the Great Western Society, and we have recently placed the orders for the casting of new cylinders and coupled wheels. Real progress is being made, but of course there is a huge amount of work still to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs with all such complex and costly projects timescales are difficult to predict, but if in time the GWSR takes up this \u2018first option\u2019 offer, I hope that we will be able to see County of Montgomery<\/em> proudly steaming out of Toddington station with its first train in time to mark 100 years since the last of the original class was withdrawn, in 2033.\u201d<\/p>\n

The engines were named after English and Welsh counties served by the Great Western Railway as well as Irish counties, reflecting the Great Western Railway\u2019s strong links with the country, thanks to its Irish shipping service to and from Fishguard.<\/p>\n

Read the view of a volunteer on another new build loco – Tornado – click here.<\/a><\/p>\n

The post Steam locomotive County of Montgomery at the GWSR<\/a> appeared first on RailwayBlogger<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New-build Churchward \u2018County\u2019 class 4-4-0 No. 3840 County of Montgomery steam locomotive could be based on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR), following the signing of a new agreement between the Churchward County Trust which is building the new engine, and the railway. The agreement, which supersedes an earlier \u2018agreement in principle\u2019 between the GWSR [\u2026]<\/p>\n

The post Steam locomotive County of Montgomery at the GWSR<\/a> appeared first on RailwayBlogger<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":3515,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4916,4917,3000],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-heritage-railway","category-railway-blog","category-steam-locomotives"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t