| Great Western Railway 2900 Saint class |
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| Specifications |
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Configuration:
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| • Whyte | 4-6-0 (thirteen examples were built as 4-4-2 but rebuilt to 4-6-0 1912/13). |
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| • UIC | 2'Ch2 |
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| Gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
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| Leading dia. | 3 ft 2 in (0.965 m) |
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| Driver dia. | 6 ft 8+1⁄2 in (2.045 m) |
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| Trailing dia. | 4 ft 1+1⁄2 in (1.257 m) (4-4-2 only) |
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| Wheelbase | loco: 27 ft 1 in (8.26 m) –
27 ft 7 in (8.41 m)
loco & tender:
53 ft 4+3⁄4 in (16.28 m) –
53 ft 10+3⁄4 in (16.43 m) |
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| Length | 63 ft 0+1⁄4 in (19.21 m) |
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| Width | 8 ft 11 in (2.718 m) |
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| Height | 13 ft 3+1⁄2 in (4.051 m) |
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| Axle load | 18 long tons (18 t; 20 short tons) |
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| Loco weight | 68.30 long tons (69.40 t; 76.50 short tons) |
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| Tender weight | 43.15 long tons (43.84 t; 48.33 short tons) |
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| Fuel capacity | 5 long tons (5.1 t; 5.6 short tons) |
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| Water cap. | 3,500 imp gal (16,000 L; 4,200 US gal) – 4,000 imp gal (18,000 L; 4,800 US gal) |
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| Firebox: | |
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| • Grate area | 27.22 sq ft (2.529 m2) |
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| Boiler | GWR Standard No. 1 (with variations) |
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| Boiler pressure | 225 psi (1.55 MPa) (production series) |
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| Heating surface: | |
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| • Firebox | 154.94 sq ft (14.394 m2) |
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| • Tubes and flues | 1,485.96 sq ft (138.050 m2) |
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Superheater:
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| • Type | "Swindon No. 3" |
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| • Heating area | 307.52 sq ft (28.570 m2) |
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| Cylinders | Two, outside |
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| Cylinder size | 18 in × 30 in (457 mm × 762 mm) or
18+1⁄2 in × 30 in (470 mm × 762 mm) |
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| Valve gear | Stephenson |
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| Valve type | 10 inches (254 mm) piston valves
(2935 rebuilt with poppet valves) |
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| Performance figures |
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| Tractive effort | 20,530 lbf (91.32 kN) – 24,395 lbf (108.51 kN) |
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| Career |
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| Operators | Great Western Railway
British Railways |
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| Class | 2900 or Saint |
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| Power class | GWR: C
BR: 4P |
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| Number in class | 76 |
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| Numbers | 2900–2955, 2971-2990, 2998 |
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| Axle load class | GWR: Red |
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| Retired | 1924, 1931–1953 |
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| Disposition | One rebuilt as Hall class (2925/4900 Saint Martin), remainder scrapped; One 4900 example has been backdated to 29XX specification |
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The Great Western Railway 2900 Class or Saint Class was built by the Great Western Railway's Swindon Works. The class incorporated several series of 2-cylinder steam locomotives designed by George Jackson Churchward and built between 1902 and 1913 with differences in dimensions for comparative purposes. The majority of these were built as 4-6-0 locomotives; but thirteen examples were built as 4-4-2 locomotives and later converted to 4-6-0 during 1912/13. They proved to be a highly successful class which established the design principles for GWR 2-cylinder classes over the next fifty years, and influenced similar classes on other British railways.
