Shed Allocations
Southall
SHL
11th May 1918
Old Oak Common
PDN
3rd September 1921
Newport Ebbw Junction
NPT
12th November 1923
Severn Tunnel Junction
STJ
5th May 1927
St. Philip's Marsh
SPM
9th March 1929
Old Oak Common
PDN
14th November 1931
Reading
RDG
November 1933
Southall
SHL
December 1934
St. Philip's Marsh
SPM
21st October 1936
St. Philip's Marsh
82B
1950
Severn Tunnel Junction
86E
April 1951
Cardiff (Canton)
86C
September 1957
Pontypool Road
86G
16th December 1959
Withdrawn
December 1964
Barry
1965
Llangollen
2nd November 1987
Principal Dimensions
Wheel arrangement
2-
Power classification
E / 8F
Nominal tractive effort
35,380 lbs
Weight (including tender)
119 tons
Wheel diameters
4'7½", 3'2"
Cylinders
Two 18½" x 30"
Boiler pressure
225psi
Valve gear
Stephenson
Route Availability
Blue
The Llangollen Railway GWR Loco Group
2859 and 5532 were bought from Barry in 1987 by the GWR loco group, who are undertaking their restorations. At present 5532 is the focus of attention, and resides in Llangollen shed; for the future the group has bought many thousand pounds' worth of parts for 2859 including complete sets of rods, back head cab fittings and so on.
You can help the group by becoming a shareholder in the locomotives -
If you would like to know more about the group, or would like to help with restoration, either financially or physically, please get in touch:
Charles Cooksley
21 Allanson Road
Rhos On Sea
Colwyn Bay
Conwy
LL28 4HN
The GWR Locomotive Group also has its own website.
Last updated 3rd May 2007 by John Rutter -
Above: 2859 in her heyday hauls a mixed freight on 14th May 1964. The location is the 'up' main line at Kennington Junction, Oxford. (RHG Simpson)
2859, like the rest of her class, hauled heavy freight trains, mainly from coalfields and steel works right across the old GWR system. 2859 worked on occasions from the old Brymbo Steel works (near to Wrexham), particularly in the 1940s. Occasionally the 28xx hauled passenger trains in emergencies and examples were seen sometimes with express headcodes, for example from Shrewsbury.
Above: 2859 seen at Didcot on 26th February 1939. (Mark Hoofe)
Our locomotive was the last locomotive repaired at the Stafford Road Works, Wolverhampton,
on 14th February 1964. At the time she was given new coupling and connecting rods
(long disappeared at Barry!). The smokebox and boiler were painted up for the semi-
Above: A press cutting from the Wolverhampton Express & Star. 2859 is featured about
to leave Stafford Road Works on 11th February 1964, alongside 64-
2859 was officially withdrawn December 1964. From the period between April 1964 and December 1964, 2859 worked from Cardiff East Dock and finally Southall. There are reports that it was brought back into service for a few days in January 1965 at Southall. 2859 was one of the last 3 Churchward 28xx class engines to be withdrawn. Our engine travelled 1,345,561 miles before official withdrawal. She may have also hauled trains a few hundred miles in January 1965 before she travelled 130 miles to Woodham's scrapyard at Barry.
Above: 2859 awaits rescue from Woodhams scrapyard at Barry. Appropriately enough it is surrounded with mineral wagons of the type she hauled from 1918 to 1964. (Charles Cooksley)
In 1987, the Llangollen Railway Great Western Locomotive Group bought 2859 from Woodham's Scrap yard at Barry. Since then, 2859 has been cosmetically restored, and is at present in Llangollen yard. The GWR group is presently restoring its other locomotive 5532.
Above: After an amount of cosmetic restoration and preservation, 2859 sits beside the main line, just outside Llangollen. (Charles Cooksley)
This locomotive is now for sale -
2859
Above: 2859 heads a Southbound freight past Sutton Bridge signalbox, Shrewsbury, on 6th April 1964. (D.K.Jones collection)
2859 is a GWR heavy freight engine of the 28xx class built at Swindon in May 1918, to a design of George Jackson Churchward's dating from 1903. The engine cost £4,992 when new and £956 for the tender; in the year 2000 £6000 will just about buy two large connecting rods! Engines of the type were produced in batches from 1905 onwards, and on 25th February 1906, an engine of the class hauled 2,010 tons on a test train. This steam haulage record in Britain lasted from 1906 to the 1980s, when 9F 92203 Black Prince (by then preserved) pulled a train of over 2200 tons. In all, 84 engines were built to Churchward`s design. From 1937 to 1942 a further batch of 83 was built with enlarged cabs and outside steam pipes to modified designs by Charles Collett.
New Picture of 2859 in operation before withdrawal.. The picture is thought to have
been taken near Reading. Has anyone any further information -
