The South Wales main line and Swansea District line provide a core route for a photographic appreciation of Churchward and Collett 2-8-0T and 2-8-2T activities west of Cardiff. Nominally, there were just three types, led by the Churchward ‘4200’ 2-8-0T, evolved by Charles Collett as the ‘5205’, and then donors from those fleets became ‘7200’ 2-8-2Ts for longer distance work, but as we will see, even within the remaining fleet of 2-8-0Ts, some 151 locos, there were many detail differences.
In Colour
Llanelly allocated Collett ‘7200’ 2-8-2T No 7225 pauses at Cardiff (General) around 4pm with a westbound freight in April 1961. The working is unrecorded but assuming it was running on time it may be 7M43, the 10.15am Llandilo Junction to Woodford, which called in at Felin Fran, Briton Ferry and Margam yards en route. The locomotive is in the batch numbered 7220-39, which retained the original straight footplate above the cylinders, although Nos 7221 and 7228 were subsequently altered to have raised footplating over replacement cylinders like the other 34 members of the class. The crew of Collett ‘Castle’ 4-6-0 No 5081 Lockheed Hudson arriving from the east is still boldly displaying reporting number 1C37, which was the 11am Swansea to Penzance, so presumably this is the return working after a locomotive change at Bristol, so 1F38, the 7.55am Penzance to Swansea. A Jarvis/Colour-Rail.com/322601Rapid expansion in the numb
Collett ‘7200’ class No 7248 passes Llanharan with a class ‘6’ express freight on Thursday, 23 May 1963. This 2-8-2T was allocated to Swansea East Dock shed at the time, so the working may well be 6T86, the 11.40am Swansea Burrows to Ebbw Vale, calling at Margam Moors, Llantrisant and Canton Sidings, where a crew change was undertaken. The locomotive entered service in April 1916 as 2-8-0T No 4249 and was one of the last four of the 54 to be rebuilt from 1934 as 2-8-2Ts, re-entering service on 12 October 1938. It was proved to be one of the last four in service, which included Nos 7205, 7249 and 7252; all were withdrawn on 16 June 1965. M J Reade/Colour-Rail.com/306518
The late summer sunshine casts long shadows at the seaside terminus at Porthcawl as Churchward ‘4200’ class No 4286 waits to depart with an excursion in September 1962. This 2-8-0T is still largely in original condition and was from the last batch of 20 to be ordered of this 105-strong class, entering service in August 1921. No sooner had these been completed and Collett started experimenting,
