GWR Pannier 1501
| GWRGreat Western Railway Pannier 1501 | |
|---|---|
 1501 approaching Highley in 2012 | |
| Built By | BRBritish Rail or British Railways SWindon Works |
| Configuration | 0-6-0PT |
| BRBritish Rail or British Railways rating | 4FThe 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. |
| Status | In use |
| Loco Number | BRBritish Rail or British Railways 1501 |
| History | |
| Built | 1949 |
| Type | GWRGreat Western Railway 1500 |
| 1961 | Withdrawn by BRBritish Rail or British Railways |
| 1970 | Acquired by SVRSevern Valley Railway |
| Technical | |
| Weight | 58t 4cwt |
1501 in service
1501’s working life was spent at Southall, hauling long rakes of empty coaching stock in and out of Paddington Station. It was withdrawn from service by BRBritish Rail or British Railways in January 1961 after a working life of just 11 years 5 months, and was one of three sold to the National Coal Board for use at Coventry Colliery.
1501 in preservation
In Autumn 1970 all three 1500 class locomotives were acquired from Coventry Colliery for use on the SVRSevern Valley Railway. 1501 was initially moved from Coventry to Tyseley for wheel turning, before a further move to Bewdley, both moves being by rail behind a diesel. During the latter move, excessive speed caused damage to one of 1501’s axle boxes. The other two NCBNational Coal Board locos (1502 and 1509) were used as a source of parts for restoring 1501; the remains were then scrapped.
In service on the SVRSevern Valley Railway, 1501 has proved a powerful locomotive for its size, acquiring the nickname “the raging bull”. The locomotive is owned by the 15xx Pannier Trust.
See also
Steam Locomotives
List of preservation groups
