2818

2818 was built at Swindon in December 1905 and allocated to Pontypool Road depot.  It cost £2,458 to build and completed 1,584,890 miles whilst in service.

It was fitted with a superheated boiler in April 1910.

2818 is one of very few which retains inside steam pipes.

BR motive power depot allocations since 1948.

Date ArrivedDepot
January 1948Westbury
April 1948Salisbury
September 1948Westbury
December 1948Salisbury
December 1949Westbury
February 1950St Phillips Marsh
August 1952Swindon
August 1959Cardiff Canton
September 1959Ebbw Junction
April 1963Neath

Whilst at Ebbw Junction the engine was stored for six months before being put back into service in December 1962 until withdrawn nearly a year later.

It was the longest lived standard two-cylinder GWR engine and had achieved the highest mileage of the class when withdrawn. It was also the oldest to retain its original inside steam pipes. These factors determined that it was selected for preservation.

2818 was stored in the open at Swindon from December 1963 until December 1965.

Oddly 2818 was restored in 1966 at Eastleigh Works rather than at Swindon.

After being restored at Eastleigh the locomotive was stored in the Harveys (wine imports) bonded warehouse in Bristol before being put on display.

The National Railway Museum have agreed to give the locomotive to the Swindon Museum under the ownership of the Swindon Borough Council.

Home BaseCurrent StatusOwner
Steam, Museum of the Great Western, SwindonOn static displayNational Railway Museum

NRM Object Number{1976-7001}

2818 on Severn Tunnel Junction shed – April 1958
2818 at Swindon – June 1964
2818 at Swindon works – July 1964
2818 at Swindon works – June 1965
2818 at Easleigh Works – January 1966
2818 at Eastleigh – January 1966
2818 at Eastleigh after being restored for display – 1966
2818 in the National Railway Museum at York – January 2005
2818 in Locomotion at Shildon – December 2017
2818 at the Museum of the Great Western Railway – November 2018
2818 in the Museum of the Great Western at Swindon – October 2021

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