Power Classification	3MT
Introduced	1930 – 1948
Designer	Collett
Company	GWR
Weight – Loco	43t 8cwt
Tender	36t 5cwt
Driving Wheels	5ft 2ins
Boiler Pressure	200psi
Cylinders	Inside – 17.5in x 24in
Tractive Effort	20,155lbf
Valve Gear	Stephenson (slide valve)

The 2251 class were the last design of 0-6-0 tender engines to be built in Britain and had fairly large driving wheels at 5’2″, sharing a boiler with the 9400 heavy pannier tank locomotives being built in the 1940s.

	2251 class
	9400 class

These locomotives were designed for mixed traffic work to replace the Armstrong and Dean Goods engines which had carried the brunt of the work on the light absorbed lines in Central Wales. The 2251 class were used particularly on the steeply graded branch lines in Central and North Wales where their relatively high tractive effort, for a smaller engine, made them capable of good acceleration.

The 120 built were very similar to the Dean Goods 2301 class in frames, wheels and motion but they were fitted with a short tapered boiler with no dome. They had large side window cabs and could work over almost all the system. They were frequently used on passenger duties and were lively engines with a good turn of speed. 3218 was the first locomotive to be built at Swindon under the new BR ownership in 1948.

	2251 class
	2301 class Dean Goods

Some of the class were fitted with large tenders from withdrawn ROD locomotives whilst the majority had the smaller Churchward or Collett tenders.

2211 – 2240 were built during the war in 1940 – 1944 and were fitted without side cab windows to assist with the black-out regulations. They were later rebuilt with normal side cab windows.

	Built		Withdrawn	No in Service
1930	2251 – 70	20		20
1934	2271 -80	10		30
1936	2281 – 90	10		40
1938	2291 – 99	9		49
1938	2200	1		50
1939	2201 – 10	10		60
1940	2211 – 30	20		80
1944	2231 – 40	10		90
1945	2241 – 50	10		100
1946	3200 – 9	10		110
1947	3210 – 17	8		118
1948	3218 – 19	2		120
1949 – 57				120
1958			1	119
1959			27	92
1960			10	82
1961			9	73
1962			20	53
1963			19	34
1964			19	15
1965			15

Withdrawals began in December 1958 when 2258 was taken out of service at Swindon having been in store there for a few months previously. The last 15 to be withdrawn were taken out of service in 1965 with the last being 2210 in June of that year. At the time the locomotive was based at Banbury which was a London Midland Region depot.

Banbury	1
Exemouth Junction	1
Gloucester	2
Machynlleth	3
Severn Tunnel	1
Templecombe	4
Worcester	3
	15

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Preservation

• 3205

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