Starting life in 1910, the GWR 4200 Class was developed after the railway had absorbed various smaller railways in South Wales, which operated coal trains out of the undulating valleys on sharp and steep tracks. It was a job only specific locomotives could do, and so the 4200 Class was designed to meet those requirements as well as being able to cope with the increasing demand.

Taking elements from the tender-equipped 2800 Class, Chief Engineer G.J. Churchward designed the 4200 Class, the UK’s very first 2-8-0 tank engine. A total of 105 of these locos would be built between 1910 and 1923, although they were not the only locos of their kind…

By 1923, improvements to the design of the 4200 Class had been put into place, making an all-around more powerful locomotive, this advancement was dubbed the 5205 Class, of which a further 100 were product right up until 1940.

One last alteration would be made to Churchward’s tank engine design. Following a diminishing demand for coal traffic, Churchward’s successor, Charles Collett, designed a revised 2-8-2 variant of the loco, adding length to the coal bunker and water tanks and supporting the weight with an additional set of wheels. This resulted in the impressive looking 7200 Class, which was much more equipped for running longer distances throughout the rest of the GWR network.

Impressively, many of the locomotives remained in working order right into the British Railways era and beyond, hauling freight across ex-Great Western rails right through to the end of the steam age. A handful of locomotives from each variant of the design have been preserved in various conditions, making them a rare but pleasant sight on heritage lines.

With 3 distinct variants, and dozens more in all the tiny details, you’ll rarely drive two locomotives that are the same when working in the coal valleys or on local freight services. Explore every nuance of Victory Works’ authentic GWR 4200, 5205 and 7200 classes for Train Simulator!