1014 - County of Glamorgan

The ‘County’ class of locomotives were the final development, by the GWR, of the 2 cylinder 4-6-0 locomotive, previous examples of which include the ‘Saints’, ‘Halls’, ‘Manors’, ‘Granges’ and ‘Modified Halls’.

The first ‘County’, 1000 ‘County of Middlesex’ was outshopped from Swindon Works in 1945 and was effectively an enlarged Modified Hall, utilising the almost identical frames, cylinders and bogie, with larger driving wheels and a larger boiler based on the Stanier 8F design but with a much higher pressure.

A total of 30 County Class locomotives were built between 1945 and 1947. and re-used most of the names originally used for Churchward’s earlier 4-4-0 County class, the last of which was withdrawn from service in 1933.The last of the class, No 1011 County of Chester was withdrawn in 1964 and all were scrapped. 

GWR 2-cylinder 4-6-0 development is well represented in preservation with several examples of Halls (such as 5900 ‘Hinderton Hall’), Manors (such as 7808 ‘Cookham Manor’) and Modified Halls (such as 6998 ‘Burton Agnes Hall’). However, missing from the list were the Churchward Saint class, Collett’s Grange class and Hawksworth’s County, none of which survived into preservation. The Great Western Society has constructed a new Churchaward Saint - 2999 ‘Lady of Legend’ and thethe Grange Society have repeated the process by completing their locomotive No 6880 Betton Grange leaving a ‘County’ as the missing link ...

1014 ‘County of Glamorgan’ - David Bradshaw, a GWS member, instigated a proposal to remedy the missing County. He calculated that amongst the last group of unrestored locomotives, once stored in Woodham's scrapyard at Barry, were sufficient standard parts to form a basis for a County - with minor modifications and some new-build components. After a long gestation period the G.W. County Project was launched in 2005 to recreate a Hawksworth ‘County’ 10XX 4-6-0 at Didcot, utilising the frames of Modified Hall 7927 Willington Hall and a Stanier 8F boiler from 48518, from which the original County boiler was derived.

Marking the contribution of Vale of Glamorgan Council and Barry scrapyard, it was agreed the completed locomotive should bear the identity 1014 ‘County of Glamorgan’. The original locomotive of this name was withdrawn in 1964 and scrapped at Cashmore's in Newport (Mon.).

Shortly before Christmas 2004 agreement was reached with the Vale of Glamorgan Council and the Heritage Lottery Fund for the Great Western Society to acquire the frames of ‘Modified Hall’ 4-6-0 7927 ‘Willington Hall’ and the boiler from Stanier 8F 2-8-0 48518.

After the initial frame conversion work had been carried out at Llangollen, the chassis was moved to Didcot where all subsequent construction has been carried out.

Since the launch, the frames of 7927 have been altered to the County pattern, a new set of 6’3” driving wheels cast and fitted and a new cab and splashers have been manufactured and fitted. New motion has been produced and outside coupling and connecting rods, slidebars and crossheads have been forged and fitted. A new tender has been made to the original Hawksworth design and is close to finishing.

The boiler has had the firebox overhauled and a new barrel and smokebox fitted and it will be returned to Liverpool for HBSS to complete it in November 2025. Whilst it is away the inside motion, lubrication system, superheater header and a multitude of other components will be made ready for fitting when the boiler returns.

A number of items have been saved from dismantled Counties, including the double chimney from 1006 County of Cornwall, the regulator handle from 1014 County of Glamorgan and the reverser wheel from 1013 County of Dorset.

We estimate that we now only need to raise a further £100,000 to complete the locomotive. You are very welcome to make a one-off contribution on line - or to make a regular contribution, using the appeal form.

For more information about this locomotive, and the latest news on the construction work, see the 1014 ‘County of Glamorgan’ website.

Download the County appeal form (Word format).

Status

Under Construction

Wheel arrangement

4-6-0

Route availability

Red

Boiler pressure

Originally 280 lbs/sq in, later 250

Boiler type

Fully coned, classified 15OA

Cylinders

(2) 18. 5 inches x 30 inches

Firegrate

28.8 sq ft

Superheater area

None

Tractive effort

32,600 lbs, later 29,020 lbs

Weight

76 tons 17 cwt

Wheel diameter

6 feet 3 inches

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