STEAM - The Great Western Railway (GWR) UK Archive

The steam locomotives of Britain's 'Great Western Railway' have always been held in the very highest regard by railway enthusiasts - their copper-capped chimneys and brass safety valves were a unique ‘trade mark’.
Here we see them in action with rare archival footage from the 1950’s and 1960’s as well as contemporary action on British Rail main lines and preserved lines.
Locomotives range from small tank engines to glamorously ‘named’ express locomotives such as ‘Hinton Manor’, ‘Defiant’ and ‘King George V’, in locations spread throughout the territories of the Great Western Railway.
Other locomotives featured include …
- 7 ‘Owen Glyndwr’ 2-6-2T
- 3440 ‘City of Truro’ 4-4-0
- 6998 ‘Burton Agnes Hall’ 4-6-0
- 5029 ‘Nunney Castle’ 4-6-0
- 6024 ‘King Edward I’ 4-6-0
- 1638 0-6-0PT
… as well as many others.
Running time: Approx. 55 minutes.
Original VHS release 1991

[@Lakesider52]

That brings back some memories. I recall traveling on what was billed as "the last steam train on the Western railway" to Birkenhead and the train was pulled by Clun Castle.

[@johnspeller3666]

One slight correction: the 57xx Pannier tanks were not the most numerous locomotive class. The most numerous class was the LNWR Ramsbottom DX Goods Class, of which 943 were built.

[@nickbritt1145]

Still, they are the most popular ones. I’ve affectionately called them "ducks."

[@patrickd.3681]

I think he meant the most numerous GWR locomotive class.

[@BJWT1047]

I do enjoy this documentary very much. Though it’s curious they missed out the 15xx class, despite showing video of it at Paddington right at the beginning.

[@johnjephcote7636]

I was most impressed by my first Paddington visit in the early 1950s. There was much rather dark cream paint and two pannier tanks at the departure side having brought in empty stock were, side by side, simply roaring excess steam away from their safety valves...a din never to be forgotten.

[@dukeofaaghisle7324]

Love the sound of those 4-cylinder locos!

[@helenphillips4204]

My father worked as a goods clerk at our local station, until it closed,then he went to Gloucester. I now live on what was once the platform of the aforementioned station, apparently, right where the buffet would have been. I can just remember seeing some trains running before everything was closed,the main thing being, standing on a bridge and getting smothered in smoke and sooty smuts. ..I was about 4 at the time,but I loved every minute. Where I used to live,we would be up in the bedroom and see them start off, then go to the other side of the house to watch them chuff through the woods on their way to Parkend,Lydney etc. I think they were panniers and some are preserved at Parkend. Great memories xx

[@DaiElsan]

If its GWR, for me it's heaven. I wish I'd been old enough to see Truro running over Crumlin Viaduct. We had a reasonable sized Shed and sidings at Aberbeeg. I can clearly remember seeing the last of the steam locos and the first Diesel. However no recollection of the mighty 9Fs. I did not see the 2-8-0 and 2-8-2 tanks in this video😞

[@Jason-sx6su]

I remember the train graveyard at Woodhams scrapyard in Barry

[@joeymcgovern4720]

There are two ways of doing things the great western way or the wrong way

[@lukegreen5341]

13:43 This Locomotive City Of Truro Is Now Part Of The National Railway Museum In York In Yorkshire And Is Also Appears In The Season 3 Episode Of Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends The Original Series Gordon And The Famous Visitor. Thanks Mate. X

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

As of today city of Truro 9017 the duke dog loco and 6000 king George v are currently on display

[@martinbradshaw7877]

They missed out a great class. The 4700s. Superb engines that should have been included. One being built from existing parts

[@FeatherWings78]

That was epic.

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

9466 is still going on the mainline

[@yellowleafy]

Quack quack

[@shiningstaer]

Moooooo

[@baedenwilliams8291]

3:22 I think that Pannier tank is sleeping…

[@TheAntisocialTrain]

20:17 what on earth is that rear coach???

[@railwayarchives]

It's an older style GWR coach known as a Clerestory carriage. They were built between 1883 and 1939. Bogie coaches like the one shown were up to 70 feet (21 m) long and lasted in service up to 1947.

[@TheAntisocialTrain]

@@railwayarchives Brill thank you. Just the windows at that one end didn't look like anything I'd seen before, like some weird autocoach

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

Clun castle is flying the flag high based at tyseley and now back on the mainline

[@johnjephcote7636]

In '65 she took me on the last scheduled steam out of Paddington-to Banbury. Gerald Fiennes was General Manager of WR at the time.

[@thebrummierailenthusiasts5329]

@@johnjephcote7636how old was you back then in 1965 mate

[@thescreennerdshow5592]

it has duck and Oliver from thomas and friends all over it duck: the great western way or the wrong way

[@marioficcio7008]

Hermosas máquinas, 🙌

[@aislingbrennan6135]

There’s two ways of doing things the great western way or the wrong way

[@mikelucas3746]

6998 Burton Agnes Hall. Tut tut.

[@marvwatkins7029]

City of Truro vs. The NYC&HR 999 Empire Express loco. Which really did to 100 mph 1st?

[@johnjephcote7636]

Charles Rous-Marten was timing quarter mile posts on board with his stopwatch behind City of Truro. The guard was also taking his unofficial timings and the signalboxes also recorded passing times.

[@loddon82]

And it's still disputed to this day lol!@@johnjephcote7636

[@laurenceskinnerton73]

A very good railway.

[@daveday5507]

Who are we kidding here? The GWR ceased to exist in 1948. This is all British Rail.

[@SMichaelDeHart]

Ahhhhh British Rail...THE Bane of England's existence!! 🤔🤔😳😳😜😜

[@c2757]

Not British Fail but British RAILWAYS. The British Rail (trading name) only came into use in 1965 by which time steam had already finished on the bulk of the former GWR.

[@no1reallycaresabout2]

Only two ways of doing things

[@Erwin_Von_Heidenheim]

The Great Western way, and the wrong way

[@DaniG.German883]

@@Erwin_Von_HeidenheimIm great western and- Don’t we know it!

[@kevinthomas2662]

Your forgetting Landore depot Swansea

[@robrice7246]

0:28 - 0:34 Don't we know it. That tinpot railway.

[@wam2610]

👍

[@ivanolsen8596]

These locos must have vacuum brakes, but it is difficult to see any venturi that makes the vacuum, I can see no compressor or worse, hear the snuffling noise it makes, so they cant have compressed air brakes. It is good to see steam still being run, but how long for, with the all the problems with greenhouse gasses, someone is sure to point the finger at the few remaining locos. It would be a shame. Electric trains still run on fossil fuel, only that fuel is burnt out of sight at the powerhouse.

[@formulafish1536]

This is what pisses me off with the hype on electric cars. Where I live, we run off of solely hydroelectric dam produced electricity, so emissions aren’t an issue once an electric car has been built, but for most of the world greenhouse emissions with electric cars aren’t that much lower

[@likklej8]

No GWR had prettier locomotives than other companies?

[@SMichaelDeHart]

"The king of Locomotives"...mmmmm, maybe in the UK, but in the rest of the world, it's called the Wasatch, better know as the 'Big Boy'!!! 😉 You might have invented it, but we perfected it!!

[@Erwin_Von_Heidenheim]

No you did not, Yankee steam Engines are hideous

[@SMichaelDeHart]

@Erwin_Von_Heidenheim okay Lil Hitler...keep dreaming skippy!!

[@lizlawrence4553]

Yank engines are plain ugly. Pity we can't deport all s160 survivors, horrible American crxp.

[@c2757]

The Big Boy is hardly perfect - just Big.

[@alanG3806]

​@@c2757And, contrary to common belief, not the biggest.