Factfile: GWR ‘43XX’ 2‑6‑0

Harold Holcroft, Churchward’s right-hand man, persuaded his boss that the GWR needed a mixedtraffic 2-6-0, based on what he’d seen on a visit to North America in 1909. It is claimed that the ‘43XX’ was designed with only 11 all-new drawings – all the others were taken from other GWR locomotives.

The following locomotives were built: ◆ Nos. 4301-20, 1911. These had ‘Saint’ cabs. ◆ Nos. 4321-99, 4300, 5300-5319, 1913-1917.

All locomotives from No. 4321 onwards were 9in longer, with ‘County’ 4-4-0 cabs.

◆ Nos. 5320-5383, 1917-1920. All locomotives from No. 5320 onwards were built with the pony truck fulcrum further forward. Previous locomotives were later altered.

◆ Nos. 5384-5389, 1920. All locomotives from No. 5384 onwards were built with a revised, more heavy duty motion bar cross frame.

◆ Nos. 5390-6341, 1920/21. All locomotives from No. 5390 onwards were built with a revised splasher to clear the reversing lever.

◆ Nos. 6370-99, 7300-7304, 1921/22. Batch built by

Robert Stephenson & Co.

◆ No. 7305-7319, 1921/22. Built at Swindon using parts supplied by Robert Stephenson & Co. ◆ Nos. 6342-61, 1923.

◆ Nos. 7320/21, 6362-6369, 1925. Built new with outside steampipes. No. 4327 was fitted with new cylinders with outside steampipes in 1928, and many others followed.

◆ Nos. 9300-9319, 1932. Built with 6½in-longer frames, Collett cab, different damper arrangement and the boiler pitch raised.

The ‘43XXS’ were true maids of all work, and there would be very few parts of the GWR system that didn’t play host to them at some point. Nos. 5319-26 and 5328-32 even went new to France during the First World War. Withdrawals started in 1936, when 85 were taken out of service, up to 1939, and their motion and wheels incorporated into the new ‘Manors’ and ‘Granges’. However, large-scale scrapping didn’t start until 1958, although the last were not condemned until 1964. No. 5322 is preserved at Didcot and No. 7325 is displayed at the Severn Valley Railway.