GWR 5205 Class
# GWR 5205 Class

The Great Western Railway (GWR) 5205 Class is a class of 2-8-0T steam locomotives.

## History

### 5205 Class

They were designed for short-haul coal trips from coal mines to ports in South Wales. They were based on the 4200 Class which had been introduced by the Great Western Railway in 1910. The 5205 series were of the same general design and 70 of the 5205 class were built, 5205-5274. They retained the straight frames of the 4200s, but had outside steam pipes and 19" diameter cylinders so were slightly more powerful than their predecessors.

Twenty 5205s, 5255-5274 were converted to the 7200 Class in 1934/6.

### 5275 Class

Twenty more locomotives to the same general design were built from 1930. This series had curved frames at the front with a raised section of frame over cylinders which were of the same size as the 5205 series. These were 5275 to 5294. These were all rebuilt as 7200 Class in 1934 without seeing significant use. Ten more, 5255-5264 were built in 1940, reusing numbers from 5205 class members which had also been rebuilt as 7200 Class.

Table of orders and numbers :

| Year | Quantity | Lot No. | Locomotive numbers | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1923 | 10 | 223 | 5205–5214 | |
| 1924 | 30 | 225 | 5215–5244 | |
| 1925–26 | 30 | 233 | 5245–5274 | 5255–5274 rebuilt as 7200 class 2-8-2T locomotives |
| 1930 | 20 | 266 | 5275–5294 | all rebuilt as 7200 class 2-8-2T locomotives |
| 1940 | 10 | 329 | 5255–5264 | |

## Preservation

Three examples of the 5205 class have been preserved with two of them 5224 and 5239 having run in preservation. No members of the 5275 class have been preserved in their original form, but two survive in rebuilt form in the 7200 class.

| Number | Year Built | Withdrawn | Location | Status | Notes |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 5224 | 1924 | 1963 | Peak Rail | In store | Left Woodham Brothers, Barry Island in October 1978. Now owned by Pete Waterman, stored at Peak Rail. Has a 5275 style front end, curved foot plate and a raised section over the cylinders. Returned in 2000 and withdrawn in 2011, she is now in store awaiting overhaul to working condition. |
| 5227 | 1924 | 1962 | Didcot Railway Centre. | Scrapyard condition | One of the "Barry Ten". Retains straight frames. Axleboxes being used as part of the 4709 project. The Standard No. 4 Boiler, pony truck wheel set, 2 pony truck axleboxes, 4 horn guides and 2 eccentric sheaves are being transferred to the new build Churchward County 3840 "County of Montgomery." The remainder of the locomotive has been sold to an individual who intends to restore the locomotive to working order, which includes manufacturing the parts that were removed for the new build project. It is hoped the engine will remain at Didcot. |
| 5239 Goliath | 1924 | 1963 | Dartmouth Steam Railway | Operational | Left Barry Island in June 1973. 5275 has front end, curved foot plate and a raised section over the cylinders. Overhauled at the East Somerset Railway from 2017 - 2019 for the Dartmouth Steam Railway. Returned to Dartmouth in March 2020. |

## Models

In 2012, Hornby released models of the 5205 class in both BR black and GWR green.

