GWR 7800 Class - Operation in Preservation

Operation in Preservation

Unusually in the preservation movement, all nine of the surviving Manors have operated in preservation at one time or another. Of the nine, four have seen main line operation: Nos. 7802 Bradley Manor, 7808 Cookham Manor, 7812 Erlestoke Manor and 7819 Hinton Manor.

In the 1970s, no. 7808 Cookham Manor was used by the Great Western Society (GWS) to haul nine vintage ex-GWR carriages on an annual outing on the main line from Didcot to Birmingham.

Nos. 7812 Erlestoke Manor and 7819 Hinton Manor were mostly seen on the main line for the 150th anniversary of the Great Western Railway in 1985 and in the 1980s generally, hauling passenger specials over mainly former GWR routes. This was a part of the Severn Valley Railway's significant mainline operations at that time.

As of February 2012, No. 7802 Bradley Manor is the latest member of the class to be seen on the main line. Despite being only halfway through its period of mainline certification, Bradley Manor did not run on the mainline beyond 2007. This was because in April 2007 new Network Rail standards were introduced, requiring all preserved steam locomotives operating on the mainline to be fitted with on-train monitoring recorders (OTMR). Because it was not planned to put Bradley Manor back on the mainline beyond the end of its then current certification, and because the Erlestoke Manor Fund, its owner was dedicating its finances to the overhaul of the other manor in its care, it was decided to withdraw Bradley Manor when OTMR became compulsory. Bradley Manor did however operate for a grace period until the end of 2007.

Since then no "Manors" have been seen on the main line. However word has spread that no. 7808 Cookham Manor is planned to return to the main line after overhaul. As Didcot really is too big to keep an engine of her size just for minor use. This will require the fitting of expensive electrical safety equipment, Train Protection & Warning System (TPWS), OTMR and a reduction in height. No. 7812 Erlestoke Manor is also possibly going to be done to main line standards after her next overhaul which her current ticket is due to expire in 2018. But she also would require to be fitted with TPWS, OTMR, the old 4000 gallon Collett tender from no. 7802 and a reduction in height by 1.5 in.

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