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	6000 King-class
Designer	Charles Collett
Builder	GWR Swindon Works
Order number	Lots 243, 267, 309
Build date	1927–1928 (20), 1930 (10), 1936 (1)
Total production	31
Configuration	4-6-0
Gauge	4 ft 81⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Leading wheel size	3 ft 0 in (0.914 m)
Driver size	6 ft 6 in (1.981 m)
Minimum curve	8 chains (530 ft; 160 m) normal,; 7 chains (460 ft; 140 m) slow
Length	68 ft 2 in (20.78 m) over buffers
Width	8 ft 11½ in (2.73 m)
Height	13 ft 4¾ in (4.08 m)
Axle load	22 tons 10 cwt (50,400 lb/22.9 t) full
Weight on drivers	67 tons 10 cwt (151,200 lb/68.6 t) full
Weight	89 tons 0 cwt (199,400 lb/90.4 t) full
Tender weight	46 tons 14 cwt (104,600 lb/47.4 t) full
Locomotive and tender combined weight	135 long tons 14 cwt (304,000 lb/137.9 t)
Fuel type	Coal
Fuel capacity	6 tons 0 cwt (13,400 lb/6.1 t)
Water capacity	4,000 imp gal (18,000 l; 4,800 US gal)
Boiler	GWR Number 12
Boiler pressure	250 lbf/in² (1.72 MPa)
Heating surface: Tubes	2,008 sq ft (186.5 m2)
Heating surface: Firebox	194 sq ft (18.0 m2)
Superheater area	313 sq ft (29.1 m2)
Cylinders	Four, two inside, two outside
Cylinder size	16.25 in × 28 in (413 mm × 711 mm)
Tractive effort	40,300 lbf (179.3 kN)
Career	Great Western Railway/Western Region
Class	6000 King-class
Power class	GWR: Special; BR: 8P
Number in class	30
Number	6000–6029
Official name	King-class
Axle load class	GWR: Double Red
Withdrawn	1936 (1), 1962 (30)
Preserved	6000, 6023, 6024
Disposition	Three preserved, remainder scrapped.

6022 King Edward III outside Swindon shed, 1954.

The Great Western Railway 6000 Class or King is a class of 4-6-0 steam locomotive designed for express passenger work. With the exception of one Pacific (The Great Bear), they were the largest locomotives the GWR built. They were named after kings of England, beginning with the reigning monarch, King George V, and going back through history (but with the final pair of engines later renamed after George V's eldest sons, who succeeded him).

[edit] Overview

This class was designed under the direction of C. B. Collett, partly as a response to the Great Western Railway's publicity department, in order to regain the 'most powerful express passenger steam locomotive in Britain' title, which had been taken from Collett's Castle Class in 1926 by the Southern Railway Lord Nelson Class. The engines, as originally designed, delivered 39,700 lbf (177,000 N) tractive effort, with 16-inch bore by 28-inch stroke cylinders and 250 pounds per square inch (1.72 MPa) boiler. At a request from Sir Felix Pole, the Great Western's General Manager, to get the tractive effort up to above 40,000 lbf (a major goalpost), the cylinders were enlarged to 16+¹⁄₄-inch bore, bringing the figure up to 40,300 lbf (179,000 N). This increase was removed on all members of the class at their first major overhaul. The distinctive design of the leading bogie (with outside bearings on the fore wheel and inside bearings on the rear wheel) was to allow these larger cylinders.

The first, 6000 King George V, appeared in 1927 and was sent on a tour of North America, for the Centenary celebrations of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O), where its sleek appearance and smooth performance impressed all who witnessed it, the application of pressurised oil lubrication showed its advantages over the largely grease lubricated American Locomotives, and was even incorporated into a later design for the B&O in 1928. 6000 King George V was presented with a brass bell to mark the occasion. An original naming scheme planned for the Kings was to name them after cathedrals, but when the trip was planned, an unmistakably British icon was needed. During planning and construction, the engine was dubbed the 'Super-Castle'.

They were engines to be reckoned with, powering the Western Region's crack expresses like the Cornish Riviera Limited up until the end of regular steam hauled express services on the WR.

An interesting fact is that although the railway claimed that the class was built in response to longer and heavier trains, it was several years after the introduction of the class before the platforms at the company's major stations were lengthened to accommodate these trains. The class was restricted to the London-Taunton-Plymouth and London-Birmingham-Wolverhampton main lines, and even then, only after bridge strengthening had taken place, due to the engines' large boilers giving them an axle weight of a massive 22.5 long tons (22.9 t). William Stanier based his LMS Princess Royal Class design on the King Class, but with an enlarged boiler and firebox necessitating a 4-6-2 wheel arrangement.

In 1947, experiments had been made with a four-row high-degree superheater in 6022 King Edward III, owing to a decline in the availability of high-calorific South Wales steam coal on which the GWR had always relied for its locomotive performance. During the 1948 locomotive exchanges, King Henry VI had performed disappointingly using Yorkshire coal, despite demonstrating the 4-6-0 type's unique sure-footedness when climbing out of King's Cross, where Pacific types were apt to slip alarmingly. After this, four-row superheaters were fitted to the class, and modifications were also made to the draughting arrangement, using 6001 King Edward VII as a test-bed. From September 1955 double blast-pipes and chimneys were fitted, initially to 6015 King Richard III. The whole of the class was then modified to encompass the improvements that had been trialled on these various locomotives. As a result, their final years in British Railways ownership saw the very best of their performances, particularly on the fearsome South Devon banks at Dainton, Rattery and Hemerdon.

They were all withdrawn in 1962, replaced by less powerful but more widely available diesel-hydraulics.

[edit] Loco specification

**Specification - GWR 6000 King Class**
Boiler type	Number 12	Boiler maximum dia.	6 feet 0 inches (1.829 m)
Boiler minimum dia.	5 feet 6¼ inches (1.683 m)	Fire tubes, no. and dia.	171 x 2+¹⁄₄ inches (57 mm)
Flue tubes, no. and dia.	16 x 5+⁷⁄₈ inches (149 mm)	Superheater tubes, no. and dia.	96 × 1 inch (25 mm)
Boiler pressure	250 psi (1.72 MPa)	Boiler length	16 feet 0 inches (4.88 m)
Area of firegrate	34.3 square feet (3.19 m²)	Heating surfaces, tubes	2,008 square feet (186.5 m²)
Heating surfaces, firebox	194 square feet (18.0 m²)	Heating surfaces, superheater	313 square feet (29.1 m²)

[edit] List of King Class locomotives

No.	Name	Date built	Date Double Chimney	Date withdrawn	First shed	Last shed	Notes
6000	King George V	01927-06 June 1927	01956-12 December 1956	01962-12 December 1962	Old Oak Common	Old Oak Common	Shipped to America August 1927 to join in Baltimore & Ohio Centenary celebrations. Presented with bell and cabside medallions. 'Alfloc' water treatment fitted 1954. 1,910,424 miles (3,074,529 km) recorded on withdrawal. Restored by Bulmer's Railway Centre, Hereford. Preserved, 'Steam' Railway Museum, Swindon
6001	King Edward VII	01927-07 July 1927	01956-02 February 1956	01962-09 September 1962	Old Oak Common	Wolverhampton, Stafford Road	Scrapped at Cox & Danks, Oldbury
6002	King William IV	01927-07 July 1927	01956-03 March 1956	01962-09 September 1962	Plymouth Laira	Wolverhampton, Stafford Road	'Alfloc' water treatment fitted 1954. Scrapped at Cox & Danks, Oldbury
6003	King George IV	01927-07 July 1927	01958-07 July 1958	01962-06 June 1962	Old Oak Common	Cardiff Canton	Involved with incident at Midgham August 1927 when bogie derailed producing redesign of bogie springing on the whole of 'King' class. Scrapped by Swindon Works
6004	King George III	01927-07 July 1927	01958-07 July 1958	01962-06 June 1962	Plymouth Laira	Old Oak Common	Scrapped by Swindon Works.
6005	King George II	01927-07 July 1927	01956-07 July 1956	01962-11 November 1962	Old Oak Common	Old Oak Common	'Alfloc' water treatment fitted 1954. Scrapped at Cashmore's, Great Bridge.
6006	King George I	01928-02 February 1928	01956-06 June 1956	01962-02 February 1962	Plymouth Laira	Wolverhampton, Stafford Road	'Alfloc' water treatment fitted 1954. Scrapped by Swindon Works.
6007	King William III	01928-03 March 1928	01956-09 September 1956	01962-09 September 1962	Old Oak Common	Wolverhampton, Stafford Road	Severely damaged in Shrivenham collision 15 January 1936 and condemned 5 March 1936. Replacement 6007 King William III built March 1936 using some parts of the original engine. 'Alfloc' water treatment fitted 1954. Scrapped at Cox & Danks, Oldbury
6008	King James II	01928-03 March 1928	01958-12 December 1958	01962-06 June 1962	Plymouth Laira	Wolverhampton, Stafford Road	'Alfloc' water treatment fitted 1954. Scrapped by Swindon Works.
6009	King Charles II	01928-03 March 1928	01956-05 May 1956	01962-09 September 1962	Old Oak Common	Old Oak Common	'Alfloc' water treatment fitted 1954. Scrapped at Cashmore's, Newport.
6010	King Charles I	01928-04 April 1928	01956-03 March 1956	01962-06 June 1962	Plymouth Laira	Cardiff Canton	Scrapped by Swindon Works.
6011	King James I	01928-04 April 1928	01956-03 March 1956	01962-12 December 1962	Old Oak Common	Old Oak Common	'Alfloc' water treatment fitted 1954. 1,718,295 miles (2,765,328 km) recorded on withdrawal. Scrapped by Swindon Works.
6012	King Edward VI	01928-04 April 1928	01958-02 February 1958	01962-09 September 1962	Newton Abbot	Wolverhampton, Stafford Road	'Alfloc' water treatment fitted 1954. Scrapped at Cox & Danks, Oldbury
6013	King Henry VIII	01928-05 May 1928	01956-06 June 1956	01962-06 June 1962	Old Oak Common	Wolverhampton, Stafford Road	'Alfloc' water treatment fitted 1954. Scrapped by Swindon Works
6014	King Henry VII	01928-05 May 1928	01957-09 September 1957	01962-09 September 1962	Newton Abbot	Wolverhampton, Stafford Road	Fitted with streamlining from March 1935, but all removed by January 1943 except for 'v'-shaped cab. 'Alfloc' water treatment fitted 1954. 1,830,386 miles (2,945,721 km) on withdrawal. Scrapped at Cox & Danks, Oldbury
6015	King Richard III	01928-06 June 1928	01955-09 September 1955	01962-09 September 1962	Old Oak Common	Wolverhampton, Stafford Road	'Alfloc' water treatment fitted 1954. Scrapped at Cox & Danks, Oldbury.
6016	King Edward V	01928-06 June 1928	01958-01 January 1958	01962-09 September 1962	Plymouth Laira	Wolverhampton, Stafford Road	'Alfloc' water treatment fitted 1954. Scrapped at Cox & Danks, Oldbury
6017	King Edward IV	01928-06 June 1928	01955-12 December 1955	01962-07 July 1962	Old Oak Common	Wolverhampton, Stafford Road	'Alfloc' water treatment fitted 1954. Scrapped at Cox & Danks, Oldbury
6018	King Henry VI	01928-06 June 1928	01958-03 March 1958	01962-12 December 1962	Plymouth Laira	Cardiff Canton	Re-instated to work last King journey under BR from Birmingham via Southall to Swindon. Scrapped by Swindon Works
6019	King Henry V	01928-07 July 1928	01957-04 April 1957	01962-09 September 1962	Wolverhampton, Stafford Road	Wolverhampton, Stafford Road	Scrapped at Cashmore's, Newport.
6020	King Henry IV	01930-05 May 1930	01956-02 February 1956	01962-07 July 1962	Plymouth Laira	Wolverhampton, Stafford Road	'Alfloc' water treatment fitted 1954. Scrapped at Cox & Danks, Oldbury.
6021	King Richard II	01930-06 June 1930	01957-03 March 1957	01962-09 September 1962	Old Oak Common	Old Oak Common	Scrapped at Cashmore's, Newport.
6022	King Edward III	01930-06 June 1930	01956-05 May 1956	01962-09 September 1962	Plymouth Laira	Wolverhampton, Stafford Road	'Alfloc' water treatment fitted 1954. Scrapped at Cox & Danks, Oldbury.
6023	King Edward II	01930-06 June 1930	01957-06 June 1957	01962-06 June 1962	Newton Abbot	Old Oak Common	Acquired by Woodham's, Barry in December 1962. One pair of driving wheels severely damaged in a shunting incident. Sold to Brunel Trust, Bristol Temple Meads and left as the 159th departure from Barry December 1984. Preserved (with new driving wheels having been cast; the only steam locomotive in preservation to have received such treatment), Didcot Railway Centre
6024	King Edward I	01930-06 June 1930	01957-03 March 1957	01962-06 June 1962	Plymouth Laira	Cardiff Canton	Acquired by Woodham's, Barry in December 1962. Sold to Quainton Road, Bucks and left as the 36th departure from Barry March 1973. Preserved, owned and operated by the 6024 Preservation Society. Until the unfortunate discovery of serious defects in the firebox tubeplate during March 2009 the locomotive operated from various sites in the UK depending on operational needs.
6025	King Henry III	01930-07 July 1930	01957-03 March 1957	01962-12 December 1962	Old Oak Common	Old Oak Common	Scrapped by Swindon Works.
6026	King John	01930-07 July 1930	01958-03 March 1958	01962-09 September 1962	Old Oak Common	Old Oak Common	Scrapped by Swindon Works.
6027	King Richard I	01930-07 July 1930	01956-08 August 1956	01962-09 September 1962	Old Oak Common	Wolverhampton, Stafford Road	Scrapped at Cox & Danks, Oldbury.
6028	King George VI	01930-07 July 1930	01957-01 January 1957	01962-11 November 1962	Old Oak Common	Cardiff Canton	Originally built as King Henry II, renamed January 1937. 1,663,271 miles (2,676,775 km) at withdrawal. Scrapped at Bird's, Newport. Involved in Norton Fitzwarren rail crash (1940); severely damaged but repaired.
6029	King Edward VIII	01930-08 August 1930	01957-12 December 1957	01962-07 July 1962	Old Oak Common	Old Oak Common	Originally built as King Stephen, renamed May 1936. Scrapped at Cashmore's, Newport

[edit] Preservation

Three, 6000 King George V, 6023 King Edward II and 6024 King Edward I have been preserved.

[edit] Gallery

AutoCAD drawing of a Great Western King Locomotive	6026 King John outside Swindon shed 1954.	6029 King Edward VIII at Bristol Bath Road, 1959.	King George V at Swindon.
King George V at National Railway Museum, York.

[edit] Audio files

6024King Edward I

Climbing Goodrington Bank with a mainline special; note the 4-beats-per-revolution of its four cylinders

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6024 King Edward I

Climbing Lickey Bank with help from a Class 37.

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[edit] References

Whitehurst, Brian (1973). Great Western Engines, Names, Numbers, Types and Classes (1940 to Preservation). Oxford Publishing Company. pp. 55, 103, 145. ISBN 0-902888-21-8.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: GWR 6000 Class

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