This Morning’s Advent Calendar Blog post revealed a decorated GWR Manor class, 7819 Hinton Manor and this evening we look at an undecorated example!  This is 7821 Ditcheat Manor, a locomotive that can be found on display at STEAM, the Museum of the GWR, Swindon.Unlike 7819, 7821 is a British Railways built example of the class that was completed in 1950.  It was built in the final batch of Manor class locomotives, something it has in common with 7827 Lydham Manor.  A blog post on this locomotive was published earlier this year that included more detail about the class  (click here to read more).

This locomotive’s career was spent mainly in Wales, although it spent time in other parts of the western region, including Devon and Dorset.  Withdrawn in 1965, it was sent to Barry scrapyard in South Wales, where it was spared from being cut up and rescued in 1980.

It has spent time on many preserved railway’s including the Gloucestershire Warwickshire, Llangollen and the West Somerset Railway’s where it first steamed and is now it’s official home. However, it has also spent time working on the Great Central and Churnett Valley Railway’s and has been in Swindon since 2010, on loan for display purposes for up to 5 years.

Don’t forget that until Christmas there will be a special Advent Calendar blog post each morning.  Why not sign up to email updates to make sure you don’t miss any of these or any other blog posts?  It’s all free, not-for profit and your details won’t be shared with anyone else.  However you follow locoyard, I look forward to seeing you at 6AM tomorrow morning!