GWR 7800 Class

The Great Western Railway (GWR) 7800 Class or Manor Class is a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive. They were designed as a lighter version of the Grange Class, giving them a wider Route Availability. Like the 'Granges', the 'Manors' used parts from the GWR 4300 Class Moguls but just on the first batch of twenty. Twenty were built between 1938 and 1939, with British Railways adding a further 10 in 1950. They were named after Manors in the area covered by the Great Western Railway. Nine are preserved.

GWR 7800 "Manor" Class
7815 Fritwell Manor at Gloucester, October 1959.
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Charles Collett Builder GWR/BR Swindon Works Order number Lot 316, Lot 377 Build date 1938–1939 (7800-7819), 1950 (7820-7829) Total produced 30
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 4-6-0  • UIC 2'Ch2 Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge Leading dia. 3 ft 0 in (914 mm) Driver dia. 5 ft 8 in (1,727 mm) Minimum curve 6 chains (396 ft; 121 m) normal, 5 chains (330 ft; 101 m) slow Wheelbase Loco: 27 ft 1 in (8.26 m) Loco & tender: 52 ft 1+3⁄4 in (15.89 m) Length 61 ft 9+1⁄4 in (18.83 m) Width 8 ft 11 in (2.718 m) Height 13 ft 0 in (3.962 m) Axle load 17 long tons 5 cwt (38,600 lb or 17.5 t) (19.3 short tons) Loco weight 68 long tons 18 cwt (154,300 lb or 70 t) (77.2 short tons) full Tender weight 40 long tons 0 cwt (89,600 lb or 40.6 t) (44.8 short tons) full Fuel type Coal Fuel capacity 7 long tons 0 cwt (15,700 lb or 7.1 t) (7.8 short tons) Water cap. 3,500 imp gal (16,000 L; 4,200 US gal) Firebox: ​  • Grate area 22.1 sq ft (2.05 m2) Boiler GWR Standard No. 14 Boiler pressure 225 psi (1.55 MPa) Heating surface: ​  • Firebox 140.0 sq ft (13.01 m2)  • Tubes and flues 1,285.5 sq ft (119.43 m2) Superheater: ​  • Heating area 160.0 sq ft (14.86 m2) Cylinders Two, outside Cylinder size 18 in × 30 in (457 mm × 762 mm)
Performance figures Tractive effort 27,340 lbf (121.61 kN)
Career Operators Great Western Railway British Railways Class GWR: 7800 "Manor" Power class GWR: D BR: 5MT Number in class 30 Axle load class GWR: Blue Retired April 1963 – December 1965 Disposition 21 scrapped, 9 preserved

Background

Although successful mixed-traffic designs, neither the Hall nor the Grange 4-6-0 classes were able to cover the full range of duties previously undertaken by the 4300 Class 2-6-0 locomotives due to their ‘red’ weight classification. By the late 1930s a lighter version of the Grange class was urgently required for those cross-country and branch line duties forbidden to heavier locomotives. A new lighter (Swindon No.14) boiler was therefore designed, and as with the Grange Class, the driving wheels and motion components were recovered from withdrawn members of the 4300 Class. The Manor class, with an axle loading of just over 17 tons, could be utilised on many lines from which the heavier Granges were barred.

Building

The first of the Manors No.7800 Torquay Manor was built at Swindon Works and entered traffic in January 1938. By February 1939 twenty were in service but the outbreak of World War II forced the cancellation of construction of a further batch of twenty locomotives. However, after nationalization, the newly created Western Region of British Railways was authorized to build ten more of the class. Nos. 7820–29 at Swindon in November and December 1950. A batch of ten other locomotives was planned to be released, but the batch was cancelled due to unknown reasons. The cancelled list of Manor locomotives includes the following: 7830 Norton Manor, 7831 Ogwell Manor, 7832 Pimley Manor, 7833 Ramsbury Manor, 7834 Rodley Manor, 7835 Standen Manor, 7836 Sutton Manor, 7837 Thorton Manor, 7838 Widford Manor, and 7839 Wilcote Manor.

Performance

Unlike the Granges of 1936 where the use of a standard design and the re-use of existing components had produced a masterpiece, the initial performance of the Manors was comparatively mediocre, exhibiting poor steaming rates and high fuel consumption. ‘Were it not for the constraints of war there is every reason to expect that Swindon would have recalled the engines for modifications’

It was not until after nationalisation that the Western Region of British Railways sanctioned investigation into the class' shortcomings. In 1951 comparative trials were made between 7818 Granville Manor and a new BR Standard Class 4 4-6-0, which was built at Swindon and fulfilled a similar brief to the Manor class but was designed at the Brighton works under Robert Riddles. This revealed that the front end of the Manor restricted both steam flow and draught on the fire, with the blastpipe being too large in relation to the size of the chimney. The blastpipe's area was reduced by a quarter, while a new design of firebar increased the air space in the grate, allowing more efficient combustion.

These changes doubled the practical steaming rate of the No.14 boiler. A programme of alterations was implemented across the class during 1952, and the Manors started to perform in a similar fashion to the Grange and Hall classes. They were given the same power classification as those types - 5MT.

Operations

GWR 7823 pulling the Cambrian Coast Express at Glandyfi.

The first examples were despatched to depots at Wolverhampton, Bristol, Gloucester, Shrewsbury, Westbury in Wiltshire and Neyland in South Wales. In October 1938 No.7805 Broome Manor underwent clearance tests between Ruabon and Barmouth. Subsequently, the class were used over the main lines of the erstwhile Cambrian Railways, with its headquarters and works in Oswestry. The Manors were also successfully employed in the West Country where they were used for banking and piloting trains over the Devon banks between Newton Abbot and Plymouth. Their light axleloading also allowed them across the Tamar Bridge and on to the branch lines of Cornwall.

By 1959 twenty-one Manors were congregated in Mid- and South Wales. Their most prestigious working was the Cambrian Coast Express, where a Manor took over from a King or Castle at Shrewsbury and worked through to Aberystwyth. Others of the class operated in the Birmingham, Gloucester and Hereford areas while the handful stationed at Reading frequently ventured on to the Southern Region line to Guildford and Redhill.

Withdrawal

The first Manor to be withdrawn was No.7809 Childrey Manor, of Shrewsbury depot in April 1963 and which was cut up at Swindon. By May 1965 the numbers had been halved and the final two in service, No.7808 Cookham Manor of Gloucester, and No.7829 Ramsbury Manor of Didcot, were condemned in December 1965. Remarkably, for a relatively small class where thirty engines were built, nine examples have been preserved. All of which were withdrawn from British Railways service in 1965.

Table of withdrawals

Year	Quantity in service at start of year	Number withdrawn	Quantity withdrawn	Locomotive numbers	Notes
1963	30	1	1	7809.
1964	29	12	13	7800/05–07/10/15–17/23–25.
1965	17	17	30	7801–04/08/11–14/18–22/26–29.	7802, 7808, 7812, 7819, 7820, 7821, 7822, 7827 & 7828 Preserved

Preservation

Operation in preservation

Nine members of the Manor class have survived into preservation with four being GWR built engines and five being BR built examples. One member of the class 7808 Cookham Manor was purchased directly from BR service for preservation by the Great Western Society. The remaining eight engines were all rescued from Barry Scrapyard with the first member of the class 7827 Lydham Manor being rescued in June 1970 and left as the 5th departure from Barry Scrapyard. The last member of the class to be rescued from Barry Scrapyard being 7828 Odney Manor being rescued in June 1981 leaving as the 133rd departure.

All nine members of the Manor class have operated at some point in their preserved career and of the nine Manors to survive in preservation, all four of the GWR built Manors have seen main line operation: Nos. 7802 Bradley Manor, 7808 Cookham Manor, 7812 Erlestoke Manor and 7819 Hinton Manor.

In the 1970s, no. 7808 Cookham Manor was used by the Great Western Society (GWS) to haul nine vintage ex-GWR carriages on an annual outing on the main line from Didcot to Birmingham. Today 7808 is on static display inside the GWS shed at Didcot awaiting an overhaul.

7812 Erlestoke Manor only worked a small number of railtours between April and June 1982. Also certified for main line operation in the 1980s was fellow SVR based engine 7819 Hinton Manor. It worked a number of railtours along former Great Western routes including the Cambrian Coast Line & played a big part in 1985 during the 150th anniversary of the Great Western Railway. 7812 was until New Year's Eve 2017 operational on the SVR but wasn't main line certified and 7819 was until Aug 2018 on static display in Swindon, the engine is now on static display inside The Engine House awaiting an overhaul.

7802 Bradley Manor was the last and most recent member of the class to have operated on the national network, being withdrawn from the mainline in 2007 following the requirement that mainline certified steam engines had to have OTMR fitted by the end of the year. Its last overhaul was completed in November 2015, however it was not certified to operate on the main line.

None of the BR built Manors have operated on the main line in preservation.

Locomotives

See: List of GWR 7800 Class locomotives for all Manor locomotives built. Nine locomotives have been preserved:

Number	Name	Built	Withdrawn	Base	Current Location	Owner	Status	Livery	Photo	Notes
7802	Bradley Manor	January 1938	November 1965	Severn Valley Railway	Tyseley Locomotive Works	Erlestoke Manor Fund	Under Overhaul, boiler ticket expires: 2032	BR Lined Green, Late Crest		Moved to Tyseley in July 2019 following broken piston rod suffered while on loan to the WSR
7808	Cookham Manor	March 1938	December 1965	Didcot Railway Centre	Didcot Railway Centre	Great Western Society	Static Display	GWR Unlined Green, Shirtbutton Logo		Final member of class to be withdrawn from service by BR
7812	Erlestoke Manor	January 1939	November 1965	Severn Valley Railway	Severn Valley Railway	Erlestoke Manor Fund	Operational, boiler ticket expires: 2032	BR Lined Green, Late Crest		Operational on hire to West Somerset Railway in 2023
7819	Hinton Manor	February 1939	November 1965	Severn Valley Railway	Severn Valley Railway	Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust	Static Display	GWR Unlined Green, Shirtbutton Logo		On display in The Engine House awaiting its turn for overhaul
7820	Dinmore Manor	November 1950	November 1965	Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway	Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway	Dinmore Manor Locomotive Ltd.	Operational, boiler ticket expires: 2024	BR Lined Black, Early Emblem (Red Nameplates)		The engine received an extension to its boiler ticket in September 2023 which will now expire in January 2024.
7821	Ditcheat Manor	November 1950	November 1965	West Somerset Railway	Swindon Designer Outlet	West Somerset Railway Association	Static Display	BR Lined Black, Early Emblem (Red Nameplates)
7822	Foxcote Manor	December 1950	November 1965	West Somerset Railway	Tyseley Locomotive Works	Foxcote Manor Society	Under overhaul	BR Unlined Black, Early emblem (Red Nameplates)		Withdrawn from traffic following failure of copper welds inside firebox.
7827	Lydham Manor	December 1950	October 1965	Dartmouth Steam Railway	Dartmouth Steam Railway	Dart Valley Railway plc	Operational, boiler ticket expires: 2033	BR Lined Green, Late Crest		Returned to traffic in October 2023 following completion of overhaul outshopped in BR lined green for the first time in preservation.
7828	Odney Manor	December 1950	October 1965	West Somerset Railway	West Somerset Railway	West Somerset Railway	Operational, boiler ticket expires: 2028	BR Lined Green, Late Emblem		Returned to service in December 2018 following repairs

Model railways

Mainline Railways had OO gauge Manor Class models in their catalogue in 1983, with a model of Cookham Manor in GWR green and a retooled model of Lydham Manor in BR lined green. Mainline's tooling was later used by Bachmann Branchline, but is not currently in production. Both Dapol and Accurascale released 00 gauge renditions of the 78xx in Autumn of 2022.

Prior to 2011, Ixion Models created a model of the 78xx in N scale. Dapol purchased the rights to produce the Ixion 78xx in 2011.

See also

• List of GWR standard classes with two outside cylinders

References

• Bradley, Rodger (1988). GWR Two Cylinder 4–6–0s and 2–6–0s. Newton Abbot, Devon: David and Charles Publishers plc.
• Herring, Peter (2004). Classic British Steam Locomotives. Wigston: Abbeydale Press. ISBN 1-86147-138-6.
• Holcroft, Harold (1971) [1957]. An Outline of Great Western Locomotive Practice 1837-1947 (2nd ed.). Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN 0-7110-0228-2.
• le Fleming, H.M. (November 1960). White, D.E. (ed.). The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway, part eight: Modern Passenger Classes (2nd ed.). RCTS.
• Whitehurst, Brian (1973). Great Western Engines, Names, Numbers, Types and Classes (1940 to Preservation). Oxford, UK: Oxford Publishing Company. pp. 68–69, 103, 128. ISBN 978-0-9028-8821-0. OCLC 815661.

External links

• GreatWestern.org page
• Dinmore Manor website
• Erlestoke Manor Fund website