Lionheart are pleased to announce the manufacture of the Great Western 45xx (flat top tank) 2-6-2 prairie locomotive in die cast metal.
As many changes occurred over their lifetime these models will represent the class from early 1930 to withdrawal in mid 1960’s. The range covers the curved front valance from 4540 to 4554 as fitted with enlarged bunkers and the packing piece behind the rear headstock to extend the frames and 4555 to 4574 built new with the larger bunkers and longer rear frames, totalling 35 engines.
The models will be highly detailed to the specific period with the following features:
- Die cast metal chassis and cylinders with working vacuum pump, Die cast wheels with steel tyres
- Brake shoes in ABS plastic
- Two styles of sand boxes in ABS
- 5 pole skew wound precision motor
- Helical gearbox
- Sprung driving wheel and pony trucks
- Front and rear pony wheel trucks to operate on a cam system to allow the model to traverse R2 (40.5”radius) curves
- Die cast pivoted coupling and connecting rods, plated then blackened
- The footplate valance to include the packing piece for the extended version.
- Two versions of smokebox door (one with fixings for B.R. number plate)
- The cab roof to be easily removed (for adding a crew) by means of small magnets
- Working cab doors in ABS
- Chimney, short and tall safety valve casings and whistles to be turned metal parts
- Wire handrails with stanchions in metal
- Sprung metal buffers and screw link couplings
- Full backhead detail with reversing lever in ABS
- Coal load in bunker and flickering firebox glow
Compact but powerful and highly capable the small version of the Churchward 2-6-2 prairie tank engine designs were intended for passenger and good services on the sharply graded branch lines of the west country. The 45xx was developed from the initial smaller-wheeled 44xx class, an extra 6 inches wheel diameter giving the standard design a better speed performance for mainline running without compromising on hill-climbing abilities. A 45xx is quite capable of rapidly reaching and running at 60 mph with 4 coaches, making them able to keep out of the way of expresses on provincial city suburban and mainline stopping passenger services.
A total of 75 of the flat-topped tank Chuchward engines were built, 4500-4574 with Collett adding a further 100 examples fitted with taller slope-fronted tanks numbered from 4575. Built in five batches between 1906 and 1925 the first batches were initially fitted with square fronted footplates and short bunkers. The small bunkers limited the range of the engines and enlarged bunkers were desirable. First the GWR top extension was added (original bunkers were straight-backed), but an extended bunker was soon being fitted at major overhauls along with a spacer block fitted behind the rear headstock to extend the locomotive frame. Locomotives from 4540 received the revised curved front footplate shaping and from 4555 larger bunkers were fitted from new with full-length frames.
Classified as 3MT under British Railways the class survived until the end of steam services, being replaced by the diesel railcars and diesel locomotives being introduced in the late 1950s.
Three of the flat top 45xx class have been preserved, along with 11 of the Collett 4575s.Sure-footed, economical on coal and possessed of a potent reserve of power the Churchward and Collett '45s' remain ideal locomotives for heritage railways running 5-6 coach trains.