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.[lower-alpha 1]
Quick Facts Great Western Railway 5700 class, Type and origin ...
Great Western Railway 5700 class |
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4634 at Newport High Street Station in 1954 |
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Specifications |
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Configuration:
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• Whyte | 0-6-0PT |
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• UIC | C n2t |
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Gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
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Driver dia. | 4 ft 7+1⁄2 in (1.410 m) |
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Minimum curve |
- 5 chains (330 ft; 101 m) normal
- 4+1⁄2 chains (297 ft; 91 m) slow[lower-alpha 1]
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Wheelbase | 15 ft 6 in (4.72 m) |
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Length | 31 ft 2 in (9.50 m) over buffers |
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Width | 8 ft 7 in (2.616 m) |
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Height | 12 ft 3+1⁄16 in (3.735 m) |
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Frame type |
- Type: Inside
- Length: 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m)
- Width: 8 ft 7 in (2.616 m)
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Axle load | 16 long tons 15 cwt (37,500 lb or 17 t) (18.8 short tons) full[lower-alpha 2] |
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Loco weight | 47 long tons 10 cwt (106,400 lb or 48.3 t) (53.2 short tons) full[lower-alpha 3] |
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Fuel type | Coal |
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Fuel capacity | 3 long tons 6 cwt (7,400 lb or 3.4 t) (3.7 short tons) [lower-alpha 4] |
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Water cap. | 1,200 imp gal (5,500 L; 1,400 US gal)[lower-alpha 5] |
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Firebox: | |
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• Grate area | 15.3 sq ft (1.42 m2) |
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Boiler:
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• Model | GWR 2301[1] |
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• Pitch | 6 ft 11+3⁄4 in (2.127 m) |
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• 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) |
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Boiler pressure | 200 lbf/in2 (1.38 MPa) |
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Heating surface: | |
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• Firebox | 102.3 sq ft (9.50 m2) |
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• Tubes | 1,075.7 sq ft (99.94 m2) |
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• Total surface | 1,178.0 sq ft (109.44 m2) |
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Cylinders | Two, inside |
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Cylinder size | 17.5 in × 24 in (444 mm × 610 mm) |
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Valve gear | Stephenson |
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Valve type | Slide valves |
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Train heating | steam[lower-alpha 6] |
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Loco brake | steam |
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Train brakes | vacuum[lower-alpha 6] |
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Safety systems | ATC[lower-alpha 6] |
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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). 6700-79 were built for shunting only and were not fitted with ATC, vacuum braking, and steam heating.
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Although officially designated by GWR as "light goods and shunting engines", 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.
The 5700s were not as large as the GWR Castles and Kings, but became just as much of an icon of the GWR due to their iconic design and quantity.
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.