GWR 7802 Bradley Manor
7802 Bradley Manor (2018)
Built By	GWR Swindon Works
Configuration	4-6-0
Power class	GWR: D, BR: 5MT
Axle load class	GWR: Blue
Status	In Service
Loco Number	7802
History
Built	1938
Designed By	Charles Benjamin Collett
Type	GWR 7800
1979	Purchased by The Erlestoke Manor Fund
1994	First steamed in preservation
2000	Withdrawn for overhaul
2002	Re-entered service
2010	Withdrawn for overhaul
2015	Re-entered service
Technical
Length	61ft 9¼"
Weight	68t 18cwt
Tractive effort	27,340 lb
Pressure	225 lb/sq in
Steam Locomotives

7802 Bradley Manor is a GWR Collett 7800 Manor class 4-6-0 mixed traffic locomotive, one of three of the class based at the SVR, the others being 7812 Erlestoke Manor and 7819 Hinton Manor. A description of the class is shown on the 7819 page.

7802 Bradley Manor in service[edit | edit source]

7802 was built at Swindon in January 1938 to Lot 316 at a recorded cost of £5,002. It was named after the manor house at Bradley near Newton Abbot, Devon. Initially delivered to London’s Old Oak Common Depot, 7802 soon moved to Bristol working cross country services around Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset and South Wales.

Post-War, 7802 was mainly based at ex-Cambrian sheds and was a well-known performer on 'The Cambrian Coast Express'. In late 1960, 7802 was joined there by sister engine 7812 Erlestoke Manor. Both locomotives were withdrawn at Shrewsbury on 6 November 1965.

• 
  Bradley Manor at Crewe in 1962, bound for Wellington (Wikimedia Commons)

7802 Bradley Manor in preservation[edit | edit source]

For several months after withdrawal, 7802 was set aside pending the outcome of an ultimately unsuccessful private preservation attempt,^[1] after which both locomotives moved to Woodham’s scrapyard at Barry in June 1966.

When The Erlestoke Manor Fund sponsored a professional inspection of six Manors at Barry in early 1973, they opted to acquire 7812 although 7802 was considered a close second in terms of boiler and general condition. After a second professional inspection in mid-1979, 7802 was also acquired with the intention of providing an interchangeable boiler and a source of other strategic spares for 7812.^{[1][note 1]}

Fund raising efforts by the EMF together with the offers of certain missing parts and restoration expertise led to second thoughts, and the decision to begin restoration was taken in March 1983.^[2]. The restoration was helped by the proceeds of the 1987 "Project 7802" SVRA raffle^[3] and was completed in late 1993, with 7802 being used to test the reaction to winter Sunday operations from Kidderminster to Bewdley on 4 Sundays during the course of running-in turns.^[4] The locomotive was officially commissioned into working order and passenger service in a re-dedication ceremony at Bewdley on 14 May 1994.^[5]

During the first boiler 'ticket' 7802 made a number of appearances on the main line and apart from 1998, when the locomotive's bogie and driving wheels were retyred and the boiler retubed,^[6] recorded consistently high mileages until being withdrawn in August 2000 with a failed boiler.

A quick overhaul was achieved by exchanging Erlestoke Manor's boiler (withdrawn in 1985) with Bradley Manor's, allowing a return to service (and main line working) for 7802 in May 2002. 7802 was filmed for the major motion picture The Chronicles Of Narnia, released in 2005, and in 2006 was fitted with Portable Radio Electronic Token Block (RETB) equipment for use on the Cambrian Line.

• 
  RETB equipment test on 7802 16 September 2006 (Wikipedia Commons)

7802 Bradley Manor is recorded as having passed 100,000 miles of running in preservation in 2009.^[7] It was withdrawn from service again at the end of the 2010 season, having accumulated over 110,000 miles in preservation, including working on the main line.

• 
  Bradley Manor with 4,000-gallon tender (2010)

Another overhaul was undertaken, with the chassis being overhauled at Tyseley Loco Works and the boiler overhauled in the SVR's Bridgnorth boiler shop. This overhaul was completed in November 2015, the return to service coinciding with the 'Manor 50' weekend celebrating the end of steam on the Cambrian network.

In 2019 an agreement was reached to send 7802 to the West Somerset Railway between May and October with GWR 6960 Raveningham Hall coming to the SVR for a similar period.^[8] Whilst working on the WSR on 7 July the right-hand piston rod broke due to fatigue caused by a long-standing defect in the metal: the piston and rod were forced forward out of the cylinder block, damaging the front cylinder cover, securing studs and the cylinder casting beyond repair. The locomotive and tender were moved to Tyseley Locomotive Works, with new replacement cylinders delivered in 2021 and the boiler lifted in 2022 for work (e.g. re-tubing and some pipework) to reset the 10 year boiler certificate.^[9]

The locomotive successfully passed a 'hot' insurance exam at Tyseley in early January 2025 and returned to Bridgnorth on 28 January 2025 for running in and testing.^[10].

At the end of 2019, 7802 had recorded a total of 142,196 miles in preservation on the SVR. The reported total may include mileage on the main line and on hire to other railways^[11].

Main line appearances[edit | edit source]

A full listing of Bradley Manor's main line appearances while resident at the SVR is as follows:

Tenders[edit | edit source]

Class 7800 locomotives are usually paired with Churchward 3500 gallon tenders.^{[note 2]} Bradley Manor will have used several different tenders in preservation.

• Since restoration 7802 has been paired with a 4000-gallon Collett tender, No T2792, as seen in the 2010 picture above. There is evidence of (at least) 7808 Cookham Manor running with such a tender near the end of its BR service.^[12]

Between 2021 and 2024 this tender moved to the West Somerset Railway on hire to be paired with 7828 Odney Manor, while WSR volunteers rebuilt a 3500 gallon Churchward tender for their locomotive.^[13][14]

• Sister locomotive 7812 Erlestoke Manor already has a more appropriate Churchward 3500-gallon tender, No T2334. In January 2018, this tender was detached prior to 7812's move to Tyseley for overhaul, with the 3500-gallon tender remaining at Bridgnorth to be repainted and paired with 7802. The temporary swap was completed in March 2018.^[15]

• Owning group The Erlestoke Manor Fund are constructing a 3500-gallon tender for Bradley Manor using serviceable parts from the remains of a GWR 3500-gallon tender (No T2329) which they acquired in ex-Barry condition from The Llangollen Railway Great Western Locomotive Group.^{[note 3]} In July 2011 it was duly delivered to Bewdley. The Fund recovered the re-useable parts including horns, axle boxes, some springs and spring brackets, rear steps, draw bars, some brake gear and brake cylinder parts together with various other parts such as tank filler and beading to be incorporated into the tender tank. They opted not to re-use the deteriorated tender frames or wheels, which they intended for resale elsewhere.^[16][17] As of 2024^[update] work is continuing at Tyseley.

• In August 2024 the EMF and The 2857 Society announced an agreement under which 7802 will re-enter service paired with the tender (GWR 3500-gallon tender No T2355) from out-of-ticket 2857 for a period of 12-15 months while the EMF completes the building of the new 3500 gallon tender for 7802.^[18]

7802 artwork[edit | edit source]

7802 Bradley Manor features on the pub sign of The Railwayman's Arms at Bridgnorth, from a painting by John Austin GRA. The locomotive also featured on the 42 pence Royal Mail postage stamp from the Classic Locomotives series issued on 13 January 2004 and on the poster advertising the issue.^[19]

• 
  The Railwayman's Arms pub sign featuring 7802 Bradley Manor
• 
  42 pence stamp featuring Bradley Manor
• 
  Poster for 2004 Classic Locomotives stamps

See also[edit | edit source]

• Steam Locomotives
• The Severn Valley Railway on the main line
• SVR-based locomotives visiting other events
• Rolling stock currently under restoration
• Classes of locomotives used on the Severn Valley Branch in commercial service

Notes[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

Links[edit | edit source]

• Erlestoke Manor Fund

GWR 7800 Class on Wikipedia