B&FRHT (Registered no: 11668316) Garth Celyn, Penrhyndeudraeth, Wales, LL48 6RF

B&FRHT

57XX

The 57XX is a class of 0-6-0 pannier tank locomotives by the Great Western Railway.

they were the most prolific class of the GWR, and one of the most numerous classes of British steam locomotive.

Although officially designated by GWR as “light goods and shunting engines”, they were also used for passenger working on branch, suburban, and shorter mainline journeys.

They were distributed across most of the GWR network and, after nationalisation of the railways in 1948, across the Western Region of British Railways, and also other regions.

The 5700s were not as large as the GWR Castles and Kings, but became just as much of an icon of the GWR due to their iconic design and quantity.

As a result of the 1955 Modernisation Plan, the 5700 Class was withdrawn from BR service between 1956 and 1966. Nineteen withdrawn locomotives were sold to London Transport and industry, of which ten were later preserved, along with six that were retrieved from scrapyards.

4645 at Bala Town with 5774 behind.57749793 at Glyndyfrdwy heading west to Bala Junction possibly returning from Creos Newydd after servicing.
9669 prepares to depart Trawsfynydd with an empty Presflo wagon in its train. Some more can be seen stabled in the goods yard in the distance.9752 pauses at Trawsfynydd as it hauls the very last goods train to traverse the line from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Bala Town. Friday 27th January 19618727 with Collett Compartment Brake W 7090 W at Capel Celyn. The train is heading for Blaenau Ffestiniog

Locomotive NumberBuild Date (Batch)Location BuiltNotes
3689Dec 1940 – Sep 1941Swindon Works, GWR
3749Aug 1937 – Sep 1938Swindon Works GWRA larger whistle shield was introduced and first fitted to No. 3774.
3789Sep – Dec 1938Swindon Works GWR
4617Sep 1941 – Nov 1942Swindon Works GWR
4641
4645Dec 1942 – Jun 1943Swindon Works GWR
4683Oct 1943 – Feb 1945Swindon Works GWR
5740Jan – Apr 1929North British Locomotive Co.Built with vacuum brakes, but without steam heating apparatus or ATC (Automatic Train Control), which were both added later.
Delivered with brass number plates (as were all later locomotives built by outside contractors).
5742Jan -Apr 1929North British Locomotive Co.Built with vacuum brakes, but without steam heating apparatus or ATC (Automatic Train Control), which were both added later.
Delivered with brass number plates (as were all later locomotives built by outside contractors).
5774Apr – Sep 1929Swindon Works, GWRBuilt with vacuum brakes and steam heating. Fitted with ATC in the following few years.
Fitted with cast iron number plates (as were all later locomotives built at Swindon).
8727Dec 1930 – Sep 1931W. G. Bagnall 2422 – 46Fitted with riveted tanks and polished brass safety valve covers.
9610Feb – Oct 1945Swindon Works, GWR
9621
9652Nov – Dec 1946Swindon Works, GWR
9669Apr – Jun 1948Swindon Works, GWR
9752Jun 1934 – Jun 1935Swindon Works, GWR
9793May 1936 – Sep 1936Swindon Works, GWRPocket steps and extra handrails were added to the left of the bunker. First fitted to No. 9795.
9752 hauls the very last goods train on the line. Here, it pauses at Trawsfynydd on its return journey to take water for the trip over Cwm Prysor summit as one of the crew chat with some locals on the platform whilst some local railway employees look on, these men having been given passes to ride one of the brake vans used on this train from Bala to Blaenau & return
The driver & fireman chat on the platform at Frongoch as they wait for the photographer to take his photo of 9793 and its one coach train on a sunny afternoon before resuming their journey to Bala. The guard can be seen partly obscured by the left hand tank of the engine
Journeys end for 8791 as it arrives at Bala with a well filled train. Fireman John Gwilym Thomas of Bala shed peers round the side of the cab. The driver & conductor of the Crosville bus company that ran a service from here to Dolgellau stand on the up platform and look to be chatting with the driver of the engine.
The inside motion of a Pannier tank interests two young lads in August 1959 as 3749 simmers impatiently at Bala ready to begin its journey. The corresponding up service is standing behind the train at the platform having cleared the section ahead so allowing 3749 to prepare for the off. The only person holding the train appears to be the guard as his door is still wide open
With hardly any standing room left on the platform the people of Bala turn out to witness the last regular passenger train to leave the station for Blaenau. The tones of a GWR whistle ring out not quite for the final time on the evening of the 2nd January 1960 as 3698 heads the final train
4617 has just crossed of the steel girder span bridge over carrying the line over the Trewery just before reaching Tyddyn Bridge Halt with its two coach suburban stock train bound for Blaenau Festiniog, one of which appears to be of Midland origin
7443 leaves Arenig past a very diminutive McKenzie & Holland starter signal fitted with a centre pivot shunt signal that is even dwarfed by the parachute water tank
The locomotive crew of 5742 fill up the tanks at Trawsfynydd after the climb over Cwm Prysor as the guard unloads some parcels onto a sack truck for local delivery. The engine must have been quite empty by the relaxed pose of the crew as the water flows
A Blaenau Ffestiniog bound goods train stops at Arenig for water. Fireman John Thomas steadies the pipe as Driver Ted Davies operates the controls
Bala shed on Wednesday 16th April 1958. 4683 is fully prepared for duty and rests in the very restricted doorway of the shed. This photograph clearly shows the distance that crews were required to move coal by hand from the wagon parked on the slightly raised coalroad siding to locomotive bunkers to prepare their engines for duty
5740 shunting the goods yard at Bala after bringing in its goods train from the Junction