GWR 7800 Class

Although successful mixed-traffic designs, neither the Hall nor the Grange 4-6-0 classes were able to cover the full range of duties previously undertaken by the 4300 Class 2-6-0 locomotives due to their ‘red’ weight classification. By the late 1930s a lighter version of the Grange class was urgently required for those cross-country and branch line duties forbidden to heavier locomotives. A new lighter (Swindon No.14) boiler was therefore designed, and as with the Grange Class, the driving wheels and motion components were recovered from withdrawn members of the 4300 Class. The Manor class, with an axle loading of just over 17 tons, could be utilised on many lines from which the heavier Granges were barred.

The first of the Manors No.7800 Torquay Manor was built at Swindon Works and entered traffic in January 1938. By February 1939 twenty were in service but the outbreak of World War II forced the cancellation of construction of a further batch of twenty locomotives. However, after nationalization, the newly created Western Region of British Railways was authorized to build ten more of the class. Nos. 7820-29 at Swindon in November and December 1950. A batch of ten more locomotives was planned to be released, but the batch was cancelled for unknown reasons. The cancelled locomotives were 7830 Norton Manor, 7831 Ogwell Manor, 7832 Pimley Manor, 7833 Ramsbury Manor, 7834 Rodley Manor, 7835 Standen Manor, 7836 Sutton Manor, 7837 Thorton Manor, 7838 Widford Manor, and 7839 Wilcote Manor.

Unlike the Granges of 1936 where the use of a standard design and the re-use of existing components had produced a masterpiece, the initial performance of the Manors was comparatively mediocre, exhibiting poor steaming rates and high fuel consumption. "Were it not for the constraints of war there is every reason to expect that Swindon would have recalled the engines for modifications."

It was not until after nationalisation that the Western Region of British Railways sanctioned investigation into the class' shortcomings. In 1951 comparative trials were made between 7818 Granville Manor and a new BR Standard Class 4 4-6-0, which was built at Swindon and fulfilled a similar brief to the Manor class but was designed at the Brighton works under Robert Riddles. This revealed that the front end of the Manor restricted both steam flow and draught on the fire, with the blastpipe being too large in relation to the size of the chimney. The blastpipe's area was reduced by a quarter, while a new design of firebar increased the air space in the grate, allowing more efficient combustion.

These changes doubled the practical steaming rate of the No.14 boiler. A programme of alterations was implemented across the class during 1952, and the Manors started to perform in a similar fashion to the Grange and Hall classes. They were given the same power classification as those types - 5MT.

The first examples were despatched to depots at Wolverhampton, Bristol, Gloucester, Shrewsbury, Westbury in Wiltshire and Neyland in South Wales. In October 1938 No.7805 Broome Manor underwent clearance tests between Ruabon and Barmouth. Subsequently, the class were used over the main lines of the erstwhile Cambrian Railways, with its headquarters and works in Oswestry. The Manors were also successfully employed in the West Country where they were used for banking and piloting trains over the Devon banks between Newton Abbot and Plymouth. Their light axleloading also allowed them across the Tamar Bridge and on to the branch lines of Cornwall.

By 1959 twenty-one Manors were congregated in Mid- and South Wales. Their most prestigious working was the Cambrian Coast Express, where a Manor took over from a King or Castle at Shrewsbury and worked through to Aberystwyth. Others of the class operated in the Birmingham, Gloucester and Hereford areas while the handful stationed at Reading frequently ventured on to the Southern Region line to Guildford and Redhill.

The first Manor to be withdrawn was No.7809 Childrey Manor, of Shrewsbury depot in April 1963 and which was cut up at Swindon. By May 1965 the numbers had been halved and the final two in service, No.7808 Cookham Manor of Gloucester, and No.7829 Ramsbury Manor of Didcot, were condemned in December 1965. Remarkably, for a relatively small class where thirty engines were built, nine examples have been preserved. The nine preserved examples were all withdrawn from British Railways service during 1965.

Operation in preservation

Nine Manors survived into preservation, four GWR examples and five BR. 7808 Cookham Manor was purchased directly from BR service by the Great Western Society, with the rest saved from Barry Scrapyard. 7827 Lydham Manor was the first to be rescued in June 1970, the fifth departure from Barry, and 7828 Odney Manor the last to be rescued in June 1981, the 133rd departure.

All nine Manors have operated in preservation, with the four GWR-built locos all having seen main line operation: 7802 Bradley Manor, 7808 Cookham Manor, 7812 Erlestoke Manor and 7819 Hinton Manor.

In the 1970s, 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. Today 7808 is on static display inside the GWS shed at Didcot, awaiting an overhaul.

7812 Erlestoke Manor worked a small number of railtours between April and June 1982. Also certified for main line operation in the 1980s was fellow SVR-based engine 7819. It worked a number of railtours along former Great Western routes including the Cambrian Coast Line and played a big part in the 150th anniversary of the GWR in 1985. 7812 was until New Year's Eve 2017 operational on the SVR but wasn't main line certified. 7819 Hinton Manor was until August 2018 on static display in Swindon, and is now on display inside The Engine House awaiting an overhaul.

In 2007, 7802 Bradley Manor was the last member of the class to operate on the national network, following the requirement to fit OTMR. Its last overhaul was completed in November 2015, however it was not certified to operate on the main line.

None of the BR-built Manors have operated on the main line in preservation.

Locomotives

See: List of GWR 7800 Class locomotives for all Manor locomotives built. Nine locomotives have been preserved:

Mainline Railways had OO gauge Manor Class models in their catalogue in 1983, with a model of Cookham Manor in GWR green and a retooled model of Lydham Manor in BR lined green. Mainline's tooling was later used by Bachmann Branchline, but is not currently in production. Both Dapol and Accurascale released 00 gauge renditions of the 78xx in Autumn of 2022.