GWR 4575 Class
The Great Western Railway 4575 Class is a class of 2-6-2T steam locomotives.
History
They were designed as small mixed traffic branch locomotives, mainly used on branch lines. They were a development of Churchward's 4500 Class with larger side tanks and increased water capacity. 100 were built numbered 4575–4599 and 5500–5574. A number were fitted with auto apparatus in 1953 to enable them to run push-pull trains on South Wales lines with auto trailers.They often are referred to as Small Prairie Class tank locomotives.
Preservation
11 of these engines survive:| Number and name | Home | Status | Image |
| 4588 | Peak Rail | Has run in preservation, but currently out of service requiring overhaul. It was sold from the Dartmouth Steam Railway in 2015 and is now owned by Mike Thompson and based at Peak Rail. | |
| 5521/L.150 | Avon Valley Railway | Built 1927, withdrawn by BR and sent to Woodham Brothers, having run just over. Saved with sisters 4561 and 5542 by the West Somerset Railway Association, but it and 5542 were sold to repay purchase debts/fund restoration of 4561. Bought by Richard and William Parker in 1980, it was restored at the Flour Mill, Forest of Dean from 2004 to 2007. Featured in the 2007 Wolsztyn Parade, then travelled to Budapest, Hungary where it worked intermittently with MAV Nosztalgia, including piloting the Orient-Express. Returned to Poland in 2008, operating suburban services from Wroclaw to Jelcz Laskowice. After third appearance at 2009 Wolsztyn Parade, returned to England. In May 2013 painted in London Transport livery and numbered L.150, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Metropolitan line. On loan to the Bluebell Railway until summer 2014, then moved to Avon Valley Railway. | |
| 5526 | South Devon Railway | On loan to the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway until January 2019. | |
| 5532 | Llangollen Railway | Under restoration. | |
| 5538 | The Flour Mill, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire | Under restoration. Previously displayed in Barry Island. | |
| 5539 | Barry Tourist Railway | Under restoration. Previously part of the Barry Ten until 2006. | |
| 5541 | Dean Forest Railway | Currently operational. Boiler ticket expires in 2024. | |
| 5542 | South Devon Railway | Currently operational at the souh devon railway. This locomotive has visited several preserved railways throughout her preservation career. Boiler ticket expires in 2022. | |
| 5552 | Bodmin and Wenford Railway | Has run in preservation and is currently under overhaul. | |
| 5553 | Peak Rail | Owned by Pete Waterman. Last steam engine to leave Woodham Brothers scrapyard in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, South Wales, in January 1990. Moved in 2015 from Crewe Heritage Centre for overhaul. | |
| 5572 | Didcot Railway Centre | On static display awaiting overhaul. |
Two members of the class have also briefly been out on the mainline: 5521 & 5572. 5521 went across to Poland to take part in the wolsztyn parade aswell as briefly pilot the Orient Express. 5572 made an appearance at an open day in Reading as part of the GWR150 celebrations in 1985, arriving under its own power. When returning to Didcot again under its own power the engine also hauled the replica broad gauge locomotive "Iron Duke" alongside the preserved GWR Railcar W22W.
In fiction
One of these locomotives with the GWR Shirtbutton logo was featured in the train chase sequence from the 1978 Disney film Candleshoe.Models and toys
made a model of the 4575 class, number 4589, in GWR green, also a British Railways black-liveried version, running number 5574.Bachmann Branchline have for many years made various versions of the 4575 Class.