GWR 5600 Class

By 1923 the Great Western Railway had absorbed numerous South Wales railway companies under the post-Grouping settlement, including the Rhymney Railway, the Taff Vale Railway, the Barry Railway, the Cambrian Railways, and others. Each absorbed company had its own tank-engine fleet for the heavy short-haul valley coal traffic, with designs ranging from competent to seriously inadequate.

Charles Collett reviewed the absorbed fleets and concluded that a new GWR-standard 0-6-2T was needed to replace the older absorbed engines. The 5600 Class was the result. The design used GWR standard parts where possible, the Standard No. 2 taper boiler, GWR proportions, and Stephenson valve gear (a GWR speciality). The 0-6-2T wheel arrangement with leading bogie pair, three coupled axles, and trailing pony truck gave good adhesion combined with appropriate weight distribution for the tight curves of the Welsh valley lines.

The first engine, No. 5600, was completed at Swindon Works in October 1924. Production at Swindon continued through 1925 with the original 100 engines (5600–5699). Demand for further engines exceeded Swindon's capacity, and from 1927 onwards a contract for a further 100 engines was placed with Armstrong Whitworth at Newcastle (NBL's rival contractor), the 6600–6699 engines were completed in 1927–1929.

The 5600s were the GWR's standard South Wales coal-traffic tank engine from 1924 onwards. The class's defining work was hauling heavy coal trains from the colliery exchange sidings at the head of each Welsh valley (Rhondda, Aberdare, Rhymney, Sirhowy, Taff, etc.) down to the coal staiths and docks at Cardiff, Newport, Penarth, and Barry. The class's combination of high tractive effort and tank-engine flexibility, water and coal capacity for a working day without external resupply, suited the work perfectly.

British Railways inherited all 200 engines in 1948. The class continued as the standard South Wales tank engine through the 1950s. As coal traffic declined through the 1950s and 1960s, many South Wales pits closing as steam coal demand fell with dieselisation, the class was progressively cascaded onto lighter duties or withdrawn.

The class was progressively withdrawn from 1962 onwards as BR diesel shunters and Type 1/2 diesels arrived. The last 5600 in BR service was 6697, withdrawn from Newport in November 1966.

A clean Collett 0-6-2T outline. The 1'C1' wheel arrangement (leading bogie pair, three coupled axles, trailing pony truck) gave good adhesion combined with appropriate weight distribution for the tight curves of the Welsh valley lines. Side tanks alongside the boiler with a tall vertical chimney and Belpaire firebox. The whole engine has a chunky, business-like appearance characteristic of GWR practice. The class was unnamed.

5600, the class prototype, completed at Swindon Works in October 1924. Withdrawn from BR April 1965 and broken up.

5619, completed at Swindon in February 1925. Privately preserved at the Telford Steam Railway, working order.

5637, completed at Swindon in March 1925. Privately preserved at the East Somerset Railway.

5643, completed at Swindon in May 1925. Privately preserved at the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway.

5668, completed at Swindon in October 1925. Privately preserved at the Birmingham Railway Museum, Tyseley.

6619, completed by Armstrong Whitworth in November 1928. Privately preserved at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

6634, completed by Armstrong Whitworth in January 1929. Privately preserved.

6695, completed by Armstrong Whitworth in February 1929. Privately preserved at the South Devon Railway.

6697, the very last 5600 in BR service, withdrawn from Newport in November 1966. Privately preserved at the Severn Valley Railway.

GWR era (1924–1947): the class was concentrated almost exclusively in South Wales. Major allocations included Cardiff Cathays, Newport Ebbw Junction, Newport Pill, Pontypool Road, Aberdare, Caerphilly, Tondu, Barry, and the principal South Wales coal-traffic sheds. The class's 200 engines were the standard GWR South Wales heavy tank engine, alongside the 5700 Class panniers (which handled lighter duties) and the 2800 Class 2-8-0s (which handled the heaviest main-line workings).

British Railways Western Region (1948–1966): continued at the South Wales sheds. As coal traffic declined through the 1950s and 1960s, the class was progressively cascaded onto lighter duties. Some examples were transferred to other BR Western Region sheds for branch and trip working.

Final years (1962–1966): displacement by BR diesel shunters and Type 1/2 diesels progressively withdrew the class. The last 5600 in BR service was 6697, withdrawn from Newport in November 1966.

GWR Brunswick green (1924–1947): the class was outshopped in plain GWR Brunswick green with shaded "Great Western" lettering, the GWR's standard tank-engine livery. Brass safety-valve cover, copper-capped chimney.

British Railways unlined black (1948–1966): from 1948 the class wore BR-standard unlined black freight livery with the early lion-and-wheel emblem (later the late BR crest from 1956).

Preservation: preserved 5600s have appeared in GWR Brunswick green and BR unlined black variants.