GWR 3800 Class

GWR 3800 'County' Class

3818 County of Radnor

Type and origin
Power type	Steam
Designer	George Jackson Churchward
Builder	Swindon Works, Great Western Railway
Order number	149, 165, 184
Serial number	2056–65, 2209–28, 2415–25
Build date	1904, 1906, 1911–12
Total produced	40

Specifications
Configuration:
• Whyte	4-4-0
Gauge	4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Leading dia.	3 ft 2 in (965 mm)
Driver dia.	6 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (2,045 mm)
Wheelbase	24 ft 0 in (7,315 mm)
Axle load	18.15 long tons (18.44 t; 20.33 short tons)
Adhesive weight	34.3 long tons (34.85 t; 38.42 short tons)
Loco weight	55.3 long tons (56.19 t; 61.94 short tons)
Tender weight	36.75 long tons (37.34 t; 41.16 short tons)
Total weight	92.05 long tons (93.53 t; 103.10 short tons)
Fuel type	Coal
Water cap	3,000 imp gal (13,638 l; 3,603 US gal)
Firebox: • Firegrate area	20.56 sq ft (1.91 m²)
Boiler	Standard No. 4
Boiler pressure	200 psi (1,379 kPa)
Heating surface	1,818.12 sq ft (168.91 m²)
• Tubes	1,689.82 sq ft (156.99 m²)
• Firebox	128.30 sq ft (11.92 m²)
Cylinders	2, outside
Cylinder size	18 in × 30 in (457 mm × 762 mm) diameter x stroke
Valve gear	Stephenson

Performance figures
Tractive effort	20,530 lbf (91 kN)

Career
Operators	Great Western Railway
Class	3800
Power class	GWR: C
Number in class	40
Numbers	3473–82, 3801–30 until Dec 1912 3800–39 from December 1912
Official name	County
Nicknames	Churchward's Rough Riders
Axle load class	GWR: Red
Withdrawn	1930–33
Disposition	All scrapped

Dimensions as built

Type and origin
Power type	Steam
Designer	George Jackson Churchward
Builder	Swindon Works, Great Western Railway
Order number	149, 165, 184
Serial number	2056–65, 2209–28, 2415–25
Build date	1904, 1906, 1911–12
Total produced	40

Specifications
Configuration:
• Whyte	4-4-0
Gauge	4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Leading dia.	3 ft 2 in (965 mm)
Driver dia.	6 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (2,045 mm)
Wheelbase	24 ft 0 in (7,315 mm)
Axle load	18.15 long tons (18.44 t; 20.33 short tons)
Adhesive weight	34.3 long tons (34.85 t; 38.42 short tons)
Loco weight	55.3 long tons (56.19 t; 61.94 short tons)
Tender weight	36.75 long tons (37.34 t; 41.16 short tons)
Total weight	92.05 long tons (93.53 t; 103.10 short tons)
Fuel type	Coal
Water cap	3,000 imp gal (13,638 l; 3,603 US gal)
Firebox: • Firegrate area	20.56 sq ft (1.91 m²)
Boiler	Standard No. 4
Boiler pressure	200 psi (1,379 kPa)
Heating surface	1,818.12 sq ft (168.91 m²)
• Tubes	1,689.82 sq ft (156.99 m²)
• Firebox	128.30 sq ft (11.92 m²)
Cylinders	2, outside
Cylinder size	18 in × 30 in (457 mm × 762 mm) diameter x stroke
Valve gear	Stephenson

Performance figures
Tractive effort	20,530 lbf (91 kN)

Career
Operators	Great Western Railway
Class	3800
Power class	GWR: C
Number in class	40
Numbers	3473–82, 3801–30 until Dec 1912 3800–39 from December 1912
Official name	County
Nicknames	Churchward's Rough Riders
Axle load class	GWR: Red
Withdrawn	1930–33
Disposition	All scrapped

The Great Western Railway County Class were a class of 4-4-0 steam locomotives for express passenger train work introduced in 1904 in a batch of ten. Two more batches followed in 1906 and 1912 with minor differences. They were designed by George Jackson Churchward, who used standard components to produce a four-coupled version of his Saint Class 4-6-0s.

The first locomotive, no. 3473 County of Middlesex, was built at Swindon Works in May 1904, with the following nine completed by October 1904. They were initially fitted with parallel-sided copper-capped chimneys, which were soon replaced by tapered cast iron chimneys. The second batch, of twenty, were built between October and December 1906. This batch had tapered cast iron chimneys from the start. A third and last batch of ten were built between December 1911 and February 1912. On these the footplates had curved drop ends at the cab and front bufferbeam. They were also fitted from new with a superheater and top feed. Chimneys were a larger version of the copper-capped type of the first batch. Coupled wheels had independent springing, without the compensating beams fitted between the axleboxes on Churchward's 4-6-0s. The cylinder block, including the piston valves and smokebox saddle, was constructed from two castings from the same pattern, bolted back to back, each casting containing one half of the saddle. The cab, boiler and coupled wheels were attached to plate frames. The cylinder block was carried on two bar frames, bolted to the front end of the plate frames. The piston valves were driven by Stephenson valve gear. The class were fitted with the Standard No. 4 boiler. One locomotive, no. 3805 County Kerry was fitted with a smaller Standard No. 2 boiler between November 1907 and May 1909.

They were the last new GWR 4-4-0 design and by far the most modern, with inside frames and outside cylinders. They were designed as a part of Churchward's standardisation plan, but were found to have a front end too powerful for the wheel arrangement and all were withdrawn by the early 1930s. They were designed, in part, for the Hereford to Shrewsbury LNWR line over which the GWR had running powers, but on which they were expressly forbidden to use 4-6-0 locomotives. The 4-4-0 Counties were in effect a shortened GWR 2900 Class, providing engines powerful enough for the trains but with the requisite four coupled wheels.

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