No. 4866/1466 - Didcot Railway Centre, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK
Posted by: 
Dragontree
N 51° 36.799 W 001° 14.648
30U E 621572 N 5719492
A Side Tank locomotive in the Engine Shed & Display at the Didcot Railway Centre.
Waymark Code: WM7F4Y
Location: Southern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 10/17/2009
Views: 4
No. 4866 was renumbered No. 1466 in 1946 and was built by Great Western Railway Swindon in 1936. It has a wheel arrangement of 0-4-2T (Side Tank) and was withdrawn from service in 1963. It entered the Great Western Society collection in 1964 when it was first used in preservation. It was the first to be preserved by the Society.
This design is usually used in conjunction with a single auto carriage and can be driven in two ways; from the engine or from a cab. The cab contained a rodding system with controls and enabled operations to run smoothly on a busy line.
Designed by Collett in 1936 the class is the 4800 and No. 4866 is a 48XX 0-4-2 Auto-fitted Tank engine used for branch line passengers. It has 2 cylinders which are 16" in diameter x 24" stroke, Stephensons valve gear and a driving wheel diameter of 5'2". The boiler pressure is 165 lbs per square inch, the weight in working order is 41.25 tons and the tractive effort is 13,900 lbs. It has a coal capacity of 2.75 tons and holds 800 gallons of water.
No. 4866 is a very strong locomotive which was based at Newton Abbot and then at the end of its working life went to Taunton. It was brought to the Society's Totnes Depot for a cost of £750 in April 1964. This was the first engine for the Society and it ran on its own steam from Plymouth to Didcot when it came here in November 1967.
A notable event in No. 4866's life happened just before World War II. Whilst working in Newton Abbot its crew saw a train bearing down on them. They set the engine in motion with the fireman jumping to safety and the driver being flung off when the other engine hit. No. 4866 continued driverless for 7 miles until it had to be derailed between Torquay and Paignton to stop it.
No. 4866 was given its original number back after being repainted in its original livery and re-entering service in Easter 1999 following light repairs in 1998.
Locomotive Type: (required): Steam
Do you need to pay an entrance fee to view this locomotive? (required): Yes
If a fee is required what is the approximate cost for admittance? (optional):
Adult £5.00, Child £4.00, Over-60 £4.50, Family £16.00
How accessible is this locomotive display? (Required): Cab access is allowed.
If "other" what is the engine type? (optional): Not listed
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