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GWR 7800 "Manor" Class Gallery
The elegant and highly versatile GWR 7800 Class, celebrated universally as the "Manor" Class, was designed by Charles Collett and first introduced to the rails in 1938. Engineered at Swindon Works as a lightweight mixed-traffic design, twenty units were built by the Great Western Railway before the outbreak of war, with British Railways adding a further ten to the fleet in 1950. Specifically constructed to bring 4-6-0 power to weight-restricted secondary routes, they became deeply synonymous with the challenging Cambrian line to the Welsh coast. Out of the 30 engines produced, an exceptional preservation effort ensured that nine of these quintessential engines survived the scrapheap to steam again in the heritage era.
This gallery highlights a triumphant chapter in Western steam design, focusing on a class of nimble thoroughbreds that continue to be firm favourites on preservation lines across the country.
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