News Archive for December 1957

Information on the appearance of Railway Operating Division locomotives in the Taunton area has recently come to light.

In 1911, the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Great Central Railway, J Robinson, created a powerful 2-8-0 design to handle the increased weight of goods services across various parts of the system.

The advent of what was to become World War I resulted in the same design being chosen by the Government for military use with the Railway Operating Division (ROD) of the Royal Engineers. A total of 521 locomotives were built from 1917 onwards, and with the end of the ‘Great War,’ many were loaned or sold to railway companies in Great Britain.

A total of 20 were acquired by the Great Western Railway, in the form of ROD Nos. 2008-2013, 2015-2020 and 2024-2031. All were renumbered into the 30xx series by the GWR becoming No’s. 3000-3019, initially allocated to Old Oak Common (6), Bristol (7), Banbury (6) and Leamington (1). The locos, with a tractive effort of 32,200lbs, were allocated to similar duties to the Swindon-built 2800 Class 2-8-0s, which because of their slightly higher tractive effort of 33,495lbs were still booked for the heaviest mineral duties. Remarkably, the acquired fleet of 20 was bolstered by a further 84 ROD 2-8-0s on loan, all of which had been delivered to the Great Western by September 2020, and allocated numbers from 3020-3099 with the last four given Nos. 6000 'King George V'-6003, the same series that would later be used by the GW ‘Kings’.

By 1921, nine were based in the South West, with No.3037 at Westbury, No.3049 at Newton Abbot, Nos.3033, 3035, 3036, 3038 and 3064 at Plymouth Laira and Nos.3025 and 3026 at Taunton. Little seems to be known about the work the locos did in the South West, although an article in GW Railway Journal No. 90 says that the locos were employed on heavier duties over middle and long-distances, such as the 01:55 Bristol (West Depot) to Plymouth (Laira) freight workings, which would obviously have brought the Laira examples, and probably several of the 10 examples based at Bristol, through Taunton on a regular basis at least for a short period.

The loan of 84 locos from ROD ceased later in 1921 and all were gathered together and handed back in groups over a period of 12 months from December that year, leaving just the original 20 acquired by the GWR in traffic, mainly based at Gloucester and in South Wales. The story does not end there, however. As in 1925, the Great Western purchased a further 80 of the ROD, only 19 of which had been part of the previous loan, and these were all given numbers in the 3020-3099 range once more. All passed through Swindon Works, entering traffic between January 1926 and May 1927. No less than 30 of the entire fleet were modified to “Swindon requirements” with the remainder being given minimal attention and being run until they were unfit for further service.

By 1928, there was 12 base at Bristol St. Philips Marsh, two at Exeter (Nos. 3033, 3089 - the latter having arrived by October 1927), three at Newton Abbot (Nos. 3031, 3032, 3097) and three at Laira (Nos. 3039, 3040 and 3049). Of all of these only Nos. 3031-3033 and all three at Laira had been modified by Swindon, the remainder were just run into the ground. By 1936, the last example, No. 3031 was transferred away from Exeter shed, the only appearances being those based at Bristol.

It is interesting to note however just how far locos traveled, and on 20th April 1945, former ROD 2-8-0 No. 3036 (allocated to Aberdare at the time) worked the 03:05 freight from Severn Tunnel Junction to Plymouth Tavistock Junction, where it arrived at 13:30, being piloted from Totnes to Rattery by 5100 Class 2-6-2T No.5153 at an average speed of 15mph! Another known working of the class through Taunton occurred on 2nd August 1945, when No.3035, based at Bristol St Philips Marsh shed, worked the 14:00 goods from Bordesley Junction to Plymouth Tavistock Junction, being shown banked by 4100 Class ‘Prairie’ No.4109 over Dainton and Rattery Banks with a load of 47 four-wheel wagons.

Any details on workings or photographic evidence of the class at Taunton or in the South West would be welcomed.