It’s not often that I’ve seen GWR 28xx class steam engines. So during my whistle stop ride on the Severn Valley Railway, it was good to see an example, no. 2857 sitting in Bridgnorth’s loco yard. As with many of Churchward’s creations, the 28xx class was revolutionary for its time. It was the first 2-8-0 in the UK and paved the way for a new breed of powerful heavy weight freight sloggers.

As revolutionary as the 28xx were, they used Churchward’s standardised components. For instance they shared the same boiler with the Saint, Star and later the Grange locomotives. Churchward not only had a flair for pushing the boundaries of steam locomotive design, but also looked to the future for ease of maintenance. The 28xx is a classic steam locomotive class and served the GWR and later the BR (WR) for many years. It deservedly is a highly regarded steam locomotive type and is was great to see one, even though it was not in steam at the time.

Hopefully next time I see one of these powerful machines, it will be in action! To read more about this visit to the Severn Valley Railway, please click here.

Thanks for reading folks!