Crossing the road at Grosmont is Great Western Railway 5205 class 2-6-2T engine 5224, 5th September 2007. The 5205 class, introduced in 1923 were a development of the 42xx class of locomotives introduced by the Great Western Railway in 1910. They were strong, powerful engines capable of moving very heavy loads. 5224 was built at Swindon works and entered traffic in May 1924. It would spend its career in South Wales being allocated to Barry, Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction and finally Cardiff East Dock MPD from where it was withdrawn in April 1963. Following withdrawal it was sold to Woodham Brothers, Barry and would languish in the yard at Barry until it became the ninty sixth engine to depart for preservation when it left for the Great Central Railway in October 1978.

Under the coal hopper at Grosmont MPD is Great Western Railway 5205 class 2-6-2T engine 5224, 5th September 2007. The 5205 class 2-8-0T was a development of the 42xx class of locomotives introduced by the Great Western Railway in 1910. They were designed for short-haul coal trips from the collieries to the ports of South Wales and were strong, powerful engines capable of moving very heavy loads. 5224 was built at Swindon works and entered traffic in May 1924. It would spend its career in South Wales being allocated to Barry, Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction and finally Cardiff East Dock MPD from where it was withdrawn in April 1963. Following withdrawal it was sold to Woodham Brothers, Barry and would languish in the yard at Barry for over fifteen years until it became the ninty sixth engine to depart for preservation when it left for the Great Central Railway in October 1978.

5542 is a Great Western Railway 45XX class 2-6-2T engine. From 4575 the design was modified to incorporate larger, sloping-top tanks for increased range. A total of 175 class 45XX locomotives were built. Built at Swindon in 1928 for the cost of £3608, it was first allocated to Gloucester entering traffic on 2nd August 1928, then over next 33 years was based at Bristol, Taunton, and Newton Abbott, It’s final transfer was on the 21st August 1957, when it was transferred to Westbury, where it spent its remaining years before being finally withdrawn from Westbury on 8th December 1961 after having run 987429 miles. It was sold to Woodhams Brothers at Barry in February 1962. After 14 years at Barry, it was sold to the West Somerset Railway Association in 1976. In 1979 it was sold to a Taunton based group of active W.S.R. supporters who formed the 5542 Fund to save and restore it for use on the West Somerset Railway. Returned to service on the West Somerset Railway on 4th October 2002 following a 23 year restoration it is currently (June 2008) operational at the Gloucester and Warwickshire Railway. It is seen here at Toddington taking water and having the coal damped down prior to working bunker first the 14.15 departure to Cheltenham, 8th June 2008.

5542 approaches Winchcombe station with the 12.15 departure from Cheltenham, 8th June 2008.

5572 is a Great Western Railway 45XX class 2-6-2T engine. From 4575 the design was modified to incorporate larger, sloping-top tanks for increased range. A total of 175 class 45XX locomotives were built. As a member of the 4575 sub-class, 5572 was almost the last produced. Based for most of its life in the South West, in its later years it moved to South Wales where, unusually for this class, it was equipped with auto-gear for working push-and-pull trains on the valley branch lines. Of the thirteen engines of this very useful class to have survived into preservation, 5572 is the only one so fitted. Built at Swindon in February 1929, it was withdrawn in April 1962, being sent to Woodham Brothers of Barry for breaking up. It was bought by the Great Western Society in August 1971, and sent to its Taunton depot, being partially restored there before coming going to Didcot in 1977. Having reached the end of its ten-year boiler certificate, it is awaiting heavy repairs. It is seen here inside the shed at Didcot, May 2007.

5643 powers through Rothley station with a mixed freight train for Loughborough, 14th October 2007. 5643 was built at Swindon in 1925 and gave thirty eight years service before withdrawal in July 1963. Following withdrawal it was sold to Woodhams scrapyard at Barry and would languish there until sold for preservation in 1971 and was the sixteenth locomotive to leave for preservation. It was to take another thirty five years to restore the engine and it steamed again for the first time since 1963 in September 2006.

5643 approaches Rothley station with a mixed freight train from Loughborough, 14th October 2007. At the Railway Grouping in 1923 the Great Western Railway inherited a large number of 0-6-2T tank engines from the South Wales Railway Companies. A number of these were in need of replacement and the Great Western Railway decided to build its own version of 0-6-2T, the 5600 class. Designed by C B Collet the 5600 class used many standard Great Western standard parts such as a Standard number 2 boiler, 4 feet 7½ inch driving wheels and the 3 feet 8 inch trailing wheel The class was built in three batches, 5600 – 5699 built by Swindon works between 1924 and 1927, 6600 – 6649 built by Swindon works between 1927 and 1928 and 6650 - 6699 built by Armstrong Whitworth between August and October 1928. 5643 was built at Swindon works in 1925 and spent its entire Great Western and British Railways career in South Wales until withdrawn from Barry in July 1963. Following withdrawal it was sold to Woodhams Brothers at Barry, arriving at in Woodhams yard in November 1963. It would languish there until sold for preservation in 1971 and was the sixteenth locomotive to leave for preservation. It was to take another thirty five years to restore the engine and it steamed again for the first time since 1963 in September 2006.

Great Western Pannier tank 5764 arrives at Highley with a train from Kidderminster, 30th May 2009. 5764 was built in 1929 at Swindon works and owes its survival into preservation on being sold by British Railways on withdrawal in May 1960 to London Transport. It became L94 in the London Transport fleet and survived another eleven years until withdrawn in 1971. 5764 is a member of the 863 strong 57xx 0-6-0PT class, making them the second most produced British class of steam locomotive. The Great Western Railway had favoured Pannier Tank locomotives since 1911 when they had started rebuilding locomotives built between 1870 and 1905 into this style. By 1929 these older locomotives were in need of replacement. 5764 is one of the earlier engines of the class fitted with the original cab design and as far as I can tell, spent all its working life before preservation in London either allocated to Old Oak Common or Neasden when a London Transport engine.