GWR 7802 BRADLEY MANOR AT SEVERN VALLEY RAILWAY

Описание: This is a video of all my Go-Pro footage of GWR 7802 at Bridgnorth Station during the Severn Valley Railway Winter Steam Gala in January 2026.
The G.W.R. ‘Manor’ Class 4-6-0s were introduced in 1938 to fulfill a need for fairly powerful locomotives on routes with ageing bridges and infrastructure, the first line to be identified being the one from Banbury to Kingham. They were a lightweight version of the existing ‘Grange’ and ‘Hall’ 4-6-0 classes, incorporating parts from existing 43XX 2-6-0s which were specially withdrawn for the purpose. They were used extensively on the Cambrian Section, over which they were fully permitted from 1943 onwards. Their performance was much improved by draughting modifications made under B.R. auspices in the fifties, the external evidence of which was a narrower chimney.
No. 7802 was built at Swindon Works , being completed in January 1938, and named “Bradley Manor”. It was allocated when new to Old Oak Common depot, London, moving shortly afterwards to Bristol St. Philips Marsh and Bath Road depots. It remained in the Bristol District until 1946, and was used on a wide variety of passenger and freight work.
In April 1946, 7802 was transferred to the Cambrian Section, and remained there, apart from a short spell at Tyseley, Birmingham, in 1962-3. (During this period, certain Cambrian trains were worked throughout by locomotives from Birmingham). The Cambrian depots to which 7802 was allocated were Aberystwyth and Machynlleth, and in August 1964, Shrewsbury became ‘home’. The engine was regularly used on the prestigious ‘Cambrian Coast Express’, and was selected to power the Stephenson Locomotive Society ‘farewell train’ over the Welshpool to Whitchurch line on 17th January 1965. After one year in thoroughly run-down condition, 7802 was withdrawn in November 1965, and towed to Woodham Brothers Barry scrapyard, arriving in July 1966.
Following the successful steaming of sister engine and fellow-Barry scrapyard resident 7812, its owning group, The Erlestoke Manor Fund purchased 7802 for intended cannibalisation, and in November 1979 it was towed from Barry to Bewdley. The fund-raising activities of the E.M.F., plus offers of certain missing parts and restoration expertise, caused the Fund to re-think the future of 7802, and in March 1983, after S.V.R. agreement, the decision was made to return the engine to working order. This was achieved on 5th April 1993, and 7802 became a popular choice for working Severn Valley services.
Its last overhaul was in 2015, and in 2019 it was agreed with the West Somerset Railway for a mutually convenient temporary swap with 6960 ‘Raveningham Hall’ to be arranged; unfortunately, while in service on the WSR, a previously-unknown fatigue defect caused the right-hand piston rod to break, causing the piston to ‘break free’ and damage the front cylinder cover and the cylinder casting.
The locomotive and tender were moved to Tyseley Locomotive Works on in July 2019 for repairs to be done, it being more convenient for the owning group to get the work done there than on the SVR.

The locomotive returned to traffic in the Spring of 2025.
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