The GWR No. 7802 or Bradley Manor is a 4-6-0 preserved GWR 7800 Class steam locomotive that was operated by the Great Western Railway and later British Railways.
History[]
Bradley Manor was built on January 1938 at the Great Western Railway's own Swindon Works.
The locomotive was sent to Old Oak Common TMD being transferred to Bristol Bath Road TMD in 1939. It eventually ended up on the Cambrian section, arriving at Machynlleth in 1946, where it stayed until its final transfer to Shrewsbury in 1964. After withdrawal from service in November 1965, it was sent to Woodham Brothers scrapyard in July 1966.
Luckily it was rescued from Barry in 1979 by the 'Erlestoke Manor Fund'. Bradley Manor was based at the Severn Valley Railway where it is operational today.
Trivia[]
- Agreement was reached in May 2019 to send 7802 to the West Somerset Railway until early October 2019, with 6960 Raveningham Hall coming to the SVR for at least a similar period.
- The locomotive was featured in the 2005 film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in the scenes passing through the countryside.
- This is one of nine of the class to make it into preservation and is currently based on the Severn Valley Railway.
- The work on Bradley Manor continued with it first moving under its own steam on 12 March 2002 and entering service for the Severn Valley Railway later in the year.
- In November 2015, 7802 re-entered traffic after an overhaul shared between Bridgnorth works and Tyseley locomotive works.