GWR 7802 Bradley Manor

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GWRGreat Western Railway 7802 Bradley Manor
7802 20100925.jpg
7802 Bradley Manor at Bewdley
Built By GWRGreat Western Railway Swindon Works
Configuration 4-6-0
Power class GWRGreat Western Railway: D, BRBritish Rail or British Railways: 5MTThe British Railways system of classifying steam locomotives by power using a number from 0, least powerful, to 9, most powerful, followed by either F for freight, P for Passenger or MT for Mixed Traffic.
Axle load class GWRGreat Western Railway: Blue
Status In Service
Loco Number 7802
History
Built 1938
Designed By Charles Benjamin CollettCharles Benjamin Collett, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the Great Western Railway 1922-1941
Type GWRGreat Western Railway 7800
1979 Purchased by The Erlestoke Manor Fund
1993 First steamed in preservation
2000 Withdrawn for overhaul
2002 Reentered service
2010 Withdrawn for overhaul
2015 Reentered service
Technical
Length 61ft 9¼"
Weight 68t 18cwt
Tractive effort 27,340 lb
Pressure 225 lb/sq in

Steam Locomotives

7802 Bradley Manor is a GWRGreat Western Railway CollettCharles Benjamin Collett, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the Great Western Railway 1922-1941 7800 Manor class 4-6-0 mixed traffic locomotive, one of three of the class locomotives based at the SVRSevern Valley Railway, the others being 7812 Erlestoke Manor and 7819 Hinton Manor. A description of the class is shown on the 7819 page.

7802 Bradley Manor in service

7802 was built at Swindon in January 1938 to Lot 316 at a recorded cost of £5,002. It was named after the manor house at Bradley near Newton Abbot, Devon. Initially delivered to London’s Old Oak Common Depot, 7802 soon moved to Bristol working cross country services around Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset and South Wales.

Post-War, 7802 was mainly based at ex-Cambrian sheds and was a well-known performer on 'The Cambrian Coast Express'. In late 1960, 7802 was joined there by sister engine 7812 Erlestoke Manor. Both locomotives were withdrawn at Shrewsbury on 6 November 1965, and both moved to Woodham’s scrapyard at BarryWoodham Brothers Scrapyard, Barry, South Wales. The source of many locomotives now in preservation. in June 1966.

7802 Bradley Manor in preservation

Both 7812 and 7802 were acquired from BarryWoodham Brothers Scrapyard, Barry, South Wales. The source of many locomotives now in preservation. by The Erlestoke Manor Fund. 7802 was purchased from BarryWoodham Brothers Scrapyard, Barry, South Wales. The source of many locomotives now in preservation. in 1979, arriving 28 November, intended as a source of spares for 7812. Second thoughts brought about a start to restoration in 1983, which was completed in April 1993, helped by the proceeds of the 1987 "Project 7802" SVRA raffle.[1] 7802 ran until August 2000, including a number of appearances on the main line (see below).

A quick overhaul was achieved by exchanging Erlestoke Manor’s boiler (withdrawn in 1985) with Bradley Manor’s, allowing a return to service (and main line working) for 7802 in May 2002. The engine is recorded as having surpassed 100,000 miles of running in preservation in 2009.[2]

It was filmed for the major motion picture The Chronicles Of Narnia, released in 2005.

7802 Bradley Manor was withdrawn from service again at the end of the 2010 season, having accumulated over 110,000 miles in preservation, including working on the main line. Another overhaul was undertaken, with the chassis being overhauled at Tyseley Loco Works and the boiler overhauled in the SVR Bridgnorth Boilershop. This overhaul was completed in November 2015, the return to service coinciding with the 'Manor 50' weekend celebrating the end of steam on the Cambrian network.

In 2019 an agreement was reached to send 7802 to the West Somerset Railway between May and October with GWR 6960 Raveningham Hall coming to the SVRSevern Valley Railway for a similar period.[3] Whilst working on the WSR on 7 July the right-hand piston rod broke due to fatigue caused by a long-standing defect in the metal: the piston and rod were forced forward out of the cylinder block, damaging the front cylinder cover, securing studs and the cylinder casting beyond repair. The locomotive and tender were moved to Tyseley Locomotive Works, with new replacement cylinders delivered in 2021 and the boiler lifted in 2022 for work (e.g. re-tubing and some pipework) to reset the 10 year boiler certificate.[4] As of 2023, work is continuing with an intended return in 2024.

At the end of 2019, 7802 had recorded a total of 142,196 miles in preservation on the SVRSevern Valley Railway. The reported total may include mileage on the main line and on hire to other railways[5].

Main line appearances

A full listing of Bradley Manor’s main line appearances while resident at the SVRSevern Valley Railway is as follows:

Date Tour name Route Notes Web SVRSevern Valley Railway News
29 Mar 1995 Bristol-Paignton + return Test trip prior to summer season (Pete Waterman) 114-59
19 May 1995 Gloucester-Worcester-Kidderminster D/H with 7325 to Worcester. 7325 test run, the last leg of which was d/h with 7802. 7325 developed a warm tender bearing by Worcester so came off and 7802 took the train back to Stourbridge before returning LE to the SVRSevern Valley Railway 115-44
14 Oct 1995 Duchy Explorer Bristol-Penzance D/H with 70000 Britannia 117-2
20 Jan 1996 Teign Valley Wanderer Stourbridge - Newton Abbot 117-7
17 Feb 1996 Newton Abbot-Plymouth D/H with 5029 Nunney Castle PSOV
24 Feb 1996 Plymouth-Newton Abbot D/H with 5029 Nunney Castle PSOV 119-39
16 Mar 1996 Totnes-Worcester (single headed) PSOV 119-39
22 Jan 2000 Flying Dutchman Bristol Temple Meads - Plymouth - Bristol Temple Meads SBJ
10 Aug 2003 Torbay Express Bristol Temple Meads - Paignton - Kingswear failed with hot box at Kingswear SBJ 145-31
31 Aug 2003 Torbay Express Bristol-Kingswear + return UKS 145-31
07 Sep 2003 Torbay Express Bristol-Kingswear + return UKS 145-31
23 Oct 2004 Cambrian Coast Express Shrewsbury - Aberystwyth - Shrewsbury SBJ
28 Feb 2005 Staite Pullman Taunton - Paignton - Tanton D/H with 6024 SBJ
12 Mar 2005 Cambrian Coast Express Shrewsbury - Aberystwyth - Shrewsbury Replaced 42968 SBJ
16 Sep 2006 Cambrian Coast Express Shrewsbury - Aberystwyth - Shrewsbury EMF
10 Mar 2007 Cider Express Hereford - Bishops Lydeard - Minehead - Bishops Lydeard SBJ
28 Mar 2007 Severn Valley Wanderer Bristol Temple Meads - Kidderminster Last run before OTMROn-Train Monitoring Recorder, a device similar in principle to the flight data recorder found on aircraft became mandatory SBJ
For further information on sources and references, see The Severn Valley Railway on the main line

Tender

Bradley Manor has used in preservation a 4000 gallon CollettCharles Benjamin Collett, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the Great Western Railway 1922-1941 tender (No T2792, main picture above). There is evidence of (at least) 7808 Cookham Manor running with such a tender near the end of its BRBritish Rail or British Railways service.[6] In September 2021 this tender moved by road from Bridgnorth to the West Somerset Railway on temporary hire, to be paired with 7828 Odney Manor.[7]

Sister locomotive 7812 Erlestoke Manor already has a more appropriate ChurchwardGeorge Jackson Churchward, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the Great Western Railway 1902-1922 3500 gallon tender, No T2334; the contrast in tender size may be seen in the picture below. In January 2018, this tender was detached prior to 7812's move to Tyseley for overhaul, with the 3500 gallon tender remaining at Bridgnorth to be repainted and paired 'temporarily' with 7802. The swap was completed in March 2018.[8]

Owning group The Erlestoke Manor Fund are constructing a 3500 gallon tender for Bradley Manor using serviceable parts from the remains of a GWRGreat Western Railway 3500 gallon tender (No T2329) which they acquired in ex-Barry condition from the Llangollen Railway and owning group of ex-GWRGreat Western Railway PrairieLocomotive with a 2-6-2 wheel configuration tank 5532. In July 2011 it was duly delivered to Bewdley. The Fund recovered the re-useable parts including horns, axle boxes, some springs and spring brackets, rear steps, draw bars, some brake gear and brake cylinder parts together with various other parts such as tank filler and beading to be incorporated into the tender tank. They opted not to re-use the deteriorated tender frames or wheels, which they intended for resale elsewhere.[9][10] As of 2023 work is continuing at Tyseley.

Bradley Manor features on the pub sign of The Railwayman's Arms at Bridgnorth, from a painting by John AustinJohn Austin GRA, renowned Bridgnorth-based railway artist and Fellow of The Guild of Railway Artists GRA. She also featured on the 42 pence Royal Mail postage stamp from the Classic Locomotives series issued on 13 January 2004 and on the poster advertising the issue.[11]

See also

Steam Locomotives
The Severn Valley Railway on the main line
SVR-based locomotives visiting other events
Rolling stock currently under restoration
Classes of locomotives used on the Severn Valley Branch in commercial service

References

  1. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 87
  2. SVR Official Facebook Page, "Erlestoke Manor strikes gold", retrieved 30/08/2016
  3. NBINotice Board Issue. The SVR's on-line method of circulating information to working members. 21 May 2019
  4. EMF Newsletter 75, August 2020
  5. SVRSevern Valley Railway News 210, SVRSevern Valley Railway-based Steam Locomotive Mileage 2017-2019, Duncan Ballard
  6. Parkhouse, Neil, ‘Gloucester to Swindon and Branches, Part 1: Gloucester to Stroud’, Lightmoor Press, 2021, ISBN13 : 9781911038917
  7. Erlestoke Manor Fund Facebook, 14 September 2021
  8. EMF Newsletter February/March 2018 (Retrieved 15 March 2018)
  9. EMF Newsletter 27 September 2011 (Retrieved 16 March 2019)
  10. EMF March 2022 update (Retrieved 29 March 2022)
  11. Collect GB Stamps (Retrieved 13 October 2018)

SVRSevern Valley Railway Stock Book, ninth edition

Links

Erlestoke Manor Fund
GWR 7800 Class on Wikipedia