The Great Western Railway 3200 Class or 'Earl' Class', was a design of 4-4-0 steam locomotives for passenger train work. While they are known as the 'Earl Class', they are actually better known for their nickname, the 'Dukedogs', since the locomotives were an amalgamation of former GWR 3252 'Duke' Class boilers placed on top of GWR 3300 'Bulldog' Class chassis and frames.
Of the 30 'Dukedogs' that were built/rebuilt, only one locomotive, No. 9017 'Earl of Berkeley', survives in preservation at the Bluebell Railway.
Operational History[]
The locomotive was built at Swindon Works in 1938, using frames from 'Bulldog' No. 3425 (built 1906), and the boiler and cab from 'Duke' class No. 3282 (originally named 'Chepstow Castle', built in 1895). It was originally numbered 3217 while serving on the Great Western Railway (GWR), but it was renumbered post-WW2 as 9017 while serving under British Rail (BR).
It spent time on the Cambrian line at Machynlleth and Aberystwyth before being withdrawn from service at Oswestry in October 1960.
Preservation[]
No. 9017, was the subject of the first-ever appeal for funds to privately purchase a standard gauge locomotive for preservation directly from British Railways, with the intention of it being preserved on the Bluebell Railway the then only preserved standard-gauge line in the whole of the UK. It arrived on the Bluebell Railway on February 15, 1962.
From 1963, No. 9017 carried the name plates of 'Earl of Berkeley', from GWR 4073 'Castle' Class No. 5060, which was allocated as 3217. It carried its post-WW2 9017 plates until the BR withdrawal of GWR 2251 'Collet Goods' Class No. 3217 from service in 1965. Since then it has carried the 3217 number.
The engine was withdrawn again for an overhaul in 1973 which was not started until 1980, returning to traffic in 1982.
After its last overhaul was completed in November 2003, its private owner donated it to the Bluebell Railway, on condition that it remained mainly in service on the line.
After a series of boiler and mechanical failures in June 2011, it is currently awaiting overhaul and is in storage at Horsted Keynes Carriage and Wagon Workshop.
In 2017 it was announced that work on overhauling the locomotive was expected to start in 2019 but the overhaul had not begun until April 2022 due to work on other locomotives being regarded as higher priorities.
