GWR 5700 Class

Great Western Railway 5700 class
4634 at Newport High Street Station in 1954
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Charles Collett Builder GWR Swindon Works (613) Armstrong Whitworth (25) W. G. Bagnall (50) Beyer, Peacock & Co. (25) Kerr Stuart (25) North British Locomotive (100) Yorkshire Engine Co. (25) Order number See Build details below Build date 1929–1950 Total produced 863
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 0-6-0PT  • UIC C n2t Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Driver dia. 4 ft 7+1⁄2 in (1.410 m) Minimum curve 5 chains (330 ft; 101 m) normal 4+1⁄2 chains (297 ft; 91 m) slow[a] Wheelbase 15 ft 6 in (4.72 m) Length 31 ft 2 in (9.50 m) over buffers Width 8 ft 7 in (2.616 m) Height 12 ft 3+1⁄16 in (3.735 m) Frame type Type: Inside Length: 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m) Width: 8 ft 7 in (2.616 m) Axle load 16 long tons 15 cwt (37,500 lb or 17 t) (18.8 short tons) full[b] Loco weight 47 long tons 10 cwt (106,400 lb or 48.3 t) (53.2 short tons) full[c] Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 3 long tons 6 cwt (7,400 lb or 3.4 t) (3.7 short tons) [d] Water cap. 1,200 imp gal (5,500 L; 1,400 US gal)[e] Firebox: ​  • Grate area 15.3 sq ft (1.42 m2) Boiler: ​  • Model GWR 2301[1]  • Pitch 6 ft 11+3⁄4 in (2.127 m)  • Diameter Barrel: 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) Outside diameter: 4 ft 5 in (1.35 m) & 4 ft 3+7⁄8 in (1.318 m) Boiler pressure 200 lbf/in2 (1.38 MPa) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 102.3 sq ft (9.50 m2)  • Tubes 1,075.7 sq ft (99.94 m2)  • Total surface 1,178.0 sq ft (109.44 m2) Cylinders Two, inside Cylinder size 17.5 in × 24 in (444 mm × 610 mm) Valve gear Stephenson Valve type Slide valves Train heating steam[f] Loco brake steam Train brakes vacuum[f] Safety systems ATC[f]
Performance figures Tractive effort 22,515 lbf (100.15 kN)
Career Operators GWR » BR, NCB, London Transport, Stephenson Clarke Ltd. Power class GWR: C BR: 3F Numbers See Numbering below Axle load class GWR: Blue until 1950, then Yellow Withdrawn 1956–1971 Preserved see #Preservation Disposition 16 preserved, remainder scrapped
^ 6700-49 – 4 chains (264 ft; 80 m) (normal) and 3+1⁄2 chains (231 ft; 70 m) (slow). ^ 8750 class – 17 long tons 0 cwt (38,100 lb or 17.3 t) (19.0 short tons), 9700 class – 17 long tons 4 cwt (38,500 lb or 17.5 t) (19.3 short tons). ^ 8750 class – 49 long tons 0 cwt (109,800 lb or 49.8 t) (54.9 short tons), and 9700 class – 50 long tons 15 cwt (113,700 lb or 51.6 t) (56.8 short tons). ^ 9700 class – 2 long tons 16 cwt (6,300 lb or 2.8 t) (3.1 short tons). ^ 9700 class – 1,230 imp gal (5,600 L; 1,480 US gal). ^ a b c 6700-79 were built for shunting only and were not fitted with ATC, vacuum braking, and steam heating.

The GWR 5700 Class (or 57xx class) is a class of 0-6-0PT steam locomotive built by the Great Western Railway (GWR) and British Railways (BR) between 1929 and 1950. With 863 built, they were the most prolific class of the GWR, and one of the most numerous classes of British steam locomotive.^[2][a]

Although officially designated by GWR as "light goods and shunting engines",^[3] they were also used for passenger working on branch, suburban, and shorter mainline journeys. They were distributed across most of the GWR network and, after nationalisation of the railways in 1948, across the Western Region of British Railways, and also other regions. Although not as large as the GWR Castles and Kings, they became just as much of an icon of the GWR, due to their iconic design and quantity.^[4]

As a result of the 1955 Modernisation Plan, the 5700 Class was withdrawn from BR service between 1956 and 1966. Nineteen withdrawn locomotives were sold to the London Transport Executive and industry, of which ten were later preserved, along with six that were retrieved from scrapyards.

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