Great Western: Saint Class Locomotives

By Laurence Waters

Churchwards 2 cylinder Saint Class 4-6-0s were arguably one of the most important locomotive developments of the twentieth century. The seventy-seven members of the class were so successful that most of the other railway companies in this country used the same 2 cylinder 4-6-0 formula in the design of their own mixed traffic locomotives. Over the years the Saints saw a number of modifications, with many of the class passing into BR ownership. The last member of the class, no. 2920 Saint Martin, was withdrawn from service in 1953 and was sadly not preserved. However, the Great Western Society are now constructing a replica Saint at Didcot Railway Centre. Numbered 2999 it will be named Lady of Legend.In this book author Laurence Waters charts the remarkable history of the class from the construction of the prototype Saint at Swindon in 1902, right through to the final withdrawals in 1953. Using many previously unpublished black and white photographs, accompanied by informative captions, each member of the class is illustrated. This book should appeal to those interested in the history of Great Western Locomotive development as well as modellers of the Great Western and Western Region.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Jan 30, 2017
• ISBN: 9781473850354

Laurence Waters

A retired professional photographer and photography teacher, Laurence Waters has written or contributed as co-author to numerous books on local history subjects. He has an Oxford University Diploma in English Local History. His main interest, however, is the Great Western Railway and over the years he has written a number of books on the subject. Laurence is currently the Honorary Photo Archivist of the Great Western Trust at the Didcot Railway Centre.

Book preview

THE GREAT WESTERN SAINT CLASS 4-6-0

The 2 cylinder Saint Class 4-6-0s

Churchward’s 2 cylinder Saint Class 4-6-0s were arguably one of the most important locomotive developments of the twentieth century, and as such were used as a blueprint for many of the 2 cylinder 4-6-0 mixed traffic locomotives that were built by the other British railway companies during the first half of the twentieth century. There is no doubt that Stanier’s LMS black 5s, Thompson’s LNER B1s and even Riddles’ BR Standard class 5s all owe something of their design to the Great Western Saint Class.

Their designer, George Jackson Churchward, was born in Great Western territory at Stoke Gabriel in Devon, on 31 January 1857. After leaving school he worked as an apprentice for the South Devon Railway under the supervision of Locomotive Superintendent John Wright at Newton Abbot works. On 1 February 1876 the South Devon Railway was amalgamated with the Great Western Railway Company, and in 1877 at the age of nineteen, Churchward was transferred to Swindon. He was initially employed in the Materials department but soon progressed, and in 1881 he became Assistant Manager of the Carriage and Wagon department working under James Holden. In 1885, Holden left to become the Locomotive Superintendent of the Great Eastern Railway and Churchward took his place as the Carriage and Wagon Works Manager. In 1895 he became the Assistant Locomotive Carriage and Wagon works manager and the following year works manager. In 1897 he was promoted once again becoming chief assistant to the then Locomotive Carriage and Wagon Superintendent William Dean. Dean was not in good health at this time, and from 1898 onwards, although technically Dean’s assistant, Churchward was essentially running the Locomotive Department. Dean officially retired on 31 May 1902 and Churchward took over as head of the department on 1 June 1902. Dean died on 24 September 1905.

It is well known that Churchward had been a great admirer of both American and European locomotive design. The American types tended to be simple and basic as opposed to the rather more sophisticated designs of the European locomotives, particularly those running in France. He was to incorporate design details from both in his own locomotives. Much of his early experimental work was centred in gaining improvements in the design of the boiler and smokebox as well as the cylinders and valve gear, and also in the individual balancing of all coupled wheels, together with the introduction of lightweight big ends with solid bushes.

Portrait of G.J. Churchward.

A side view of no. 100 William Dean with parallel boiler in 1903. It is fitted with bogie brakes and has a solid backplate to the cab footsteps. The non-standard cylinders and the extra depth of the front end framing and bufferbeam can be seen to good effect. Notice the locomotive jack stored on the frame above the cylinder. Great Western Trust

In the year before he officially took office Churchward had outlined his idea of providing six new ‘standard’ locomotive types that would meet the needs of the traffic department at that time and for the potential growth in traffic in the future, and to take Great Western Motive power forward into the new century. Up to this point Great Western motive power comprised mainly double frame locomotives with the cylinders placed inside the frames. His concept was for a series of simple expansion engines with single frames, using Stephenson link motion inside, and with the cylinders placed on the outside of the frames. These new locomotives would have standardised cylinders measuring 18 inches in diameter with a 30in stroke, 8½ diameter piston valves together with a standardised valve motion, and just two main types of boiler that would cover the six classes. His initial proposals were:

1. Heavy main line express passenger, with a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement and 6ft 8½in driving wheels

2. Express passenger suitable for heavy graded routes, again a 4-6-0 wheel arrangement but with 5ft 8in driving wheels

3. Heavy Goods and Mineral traffic, with a 2-8-0 wheel arrangement, and 4ft 7½in driving wheels.

4. Heavy shorter distance goods and mineral traffic, with a 2-6-2T wheel arrangement and 5ft 8in driving wheels.

5. Light express passenger with 4-4-0 wheel arrangement and 6ft 8½in driving wheels

6. Short distance express tank with a 4-4-2 wheel arrangement and 6ft 8½in driving wheels.

In February 1902, no. 100, a prototype two cylinder 4-6-0 with 6ft 8½in coupled wheels emerged from Swindon Works. With inside frames and outside cylinders, a domeless parallel Belpaire boiler and high sided platforms, no. 100 was quite different from anything else running on the Great Western at the time, and was the first Great Western express passenger 4-6-0. A year later, two further ‘experimental’ locomotives; nos. 98 and 171 Albion both 2 cylinder 4-6-0s with 6ft 8½in coupled wheels entered traffic.

Easily recognisable by its large front bufferbeam, no. 100 William Dean is seen here on the down ‘Cornishman’ service as it emerges from Kennaway Tunnel on the single track section near Dawlish in the summer of 1904. Non-stop running between Paddington and Plymouth via the Bristol avoiding lines had been introduced by the Great Western in July 1904. This section was doubled during 1905, the work being completed and the line open for traffic on 1 October 1905. Dr T.F. Budden/Great Western Trust

No. 100 cost £2,516 to construct with a further £416 for its new 4,000 gallon tender (no. 1539). Interestingly, records show that no. 100 ran with this tender for the first twenty-two years of its working life. Over the ensuing years the locomotive underwent a number of boiler changes. When built, no. 100 was fitted with a boiler with a parallel barrel, raised Belpaire casing and a steel firebox. This was essentially an enlarged version of the boilers that were fitted to the Atbara class. It was fitted with 6½in diameter double-ported piston valves. These, together with the cylinders, were constructed of two identical castings each with a half saddle that were then bolted together on the centre line. This arrangement made the whole front end more steam tight. The piston valves which were actuated by Stephenson‘s link motion, via