GWR railmotors - grate area?

[jamespetts]

Does anyone happen to know the firegrate area (and other technical details such as weight, tractive effort, boiler pressure, bore and stroke) of the Churchward GWR railmotors?

[EddieB]

The values are given in “British Steam Railcars” (Rush, pub. Oakwood), and varied across the range. Grate area was 11.48 sq ft for nos 0801/2, 7.25 for 0864/5 and 11.54 for the rest. Cylinders were 12” bore x 16” stroke for all but the horizontal boilered 0864/5, which were 9” x 15”. All had maximum boiler pressure of 160 lbs which, given different wheel diameters, means that tractive effort also differed between batches.

[jamespetts]

Excellent, that is very helpful, thank you very much.

[jamespetts]

Incidentally, one other question if I may: do you (or does anyone else) happen to know the weight of the (circa) 57ft versions of these railmotors? Harris has the weight of the 70ft versions, but not the 57ft versions.

[EddieB]

From the same source.

 

Cars nos 1 and 2 were 57’0” in length, and were fitted with engines nos 0801 and 0802 (respectively). Total weight was 36 tons 0 cwt.

 

The other shorter cars were nos 15 and 16, the Kerr Stuart units (engines 0864/5).  These were 56’3” long and 32 tons in weight.

[jamespetts]

Excellent - again very helpful, thank you.

[melmerby]

Bit more variation in weights according to RCTS. from 34t 0c (just no. 32) to 38t 16c for many of the 57' cars but other weights in between as well for different diagrams

 

RCTS gives grate are for engines 0803-0805 as 8.4, later altered to 11.54

 

 

[jamespetts]

Excellent - thank you again.

[melmerby]

5 hours ago, EddieB said:

From the same source.

 

Cars nos 1 and 2 were 57’0” in length, and were fitted with engines nos 0801 and 0802 (respectively). Total weight was 36 tons 0 cwt.

 

The other shorter cars were nos 15 and 16, the Kerr Stuart units (engines 0864/5).  These were 56’3” long and 32 tons in weight.

No.s 1 & 2 of course were not bow ended as with the more familiar panelled railmotors/trailers but were of a slab fronted matchboard design.

Size over corners was the same as the other diagrams but the bow fronts added 2' 6" to the overall length.

[jamespetts]

Splendid, thank you.

[melmerby]

Some of the South Wales companies also had steam railmotors of a visually similar look to the Swindon product (Bow ends, Panelled bodies & Outside cylinder, vertical boiler engines)

One (I need to look in RCTS to check) had a similar looking coach but it was articulated with  the engine part which was also panelled and IIRC was an 0-6-0.

 

EDIT

The Cardiff & Barry Railways ones were similar in appearance/configuration to the GWR version.

The Port Talbot Railways No 1 had a six coupled loco unit and was articulated but was bow ended like a Swindon unit

The TV had the most amongst the South Wales companies (16) but theirs were dissimilar with transverse boiler engine units and were 0-2-2.

The Rhymney had two articulated units with conventional looking small 0-4-0T engines.

The Alexander Docks had two which were rigid bodies but bore no resemblance to A GWR railmotor and had an 0-2-2 engine unit.

 

Edited January 7, 2020 by melmerby