Great Western Railway 2-8-0T No. 4277 'Hercules'
Paignton, Devon, UK 		Location: Dartmouth Steam Railway
Status: Operational
Posted: Jan 2, 2025 @ 12:01:00 by Russell Newman
The ex GWR 4200 Class 2-8-0T No. 4277 "Hercules", will be staying on for another season at the North Norfolk Railway during 2025, as the locomotive will help out during their 50th anniversary celebrations this year.
Posted: Feb 3, 2024 @ 10:02:14 by Russell Newman
Here is a bit of history of No. 4277. It was built for the Great Western Railway at the Swindon Works in 1920, designed for use on heavy coal trains in the Welsh valleys. It spent most of its working life being based at Aberbeeg shed in South Wales, until being withdrawn from service by British Railways in 1964 and was sent to Barry scrapyard. Twenty-two years later, No. 4277 was finally rescued from scrap in June 1986, and restored to full working order and ran on verious preserved railways like the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway and the West Somerset Railway, until being sold to the Dartmouth Steam Railway in Devon who are the current owners of the locomotive.
Posted: Feb 3, 2024 @ 09:02:30 by Russell Newman
The ex GWR 4200 Class 2-8-0T No. 4277 "Hercules", is visiting the North Norfolk Railway for the very first time, to help cover a locomotive shortage there for the 2024 season.
Posted: Nov 25, 2022 @ 14:11:43 by Russell Newman
Ex GWR 42XX Class 2-8-0T No. 4277 "Hercules" will be able to do some Gala visits in 2023 as it is one of several steam locomotives at the Dartmouth Steam Railway that will be made available for hire to other preserved railways around the UK from 2023.
Posted: Jun 30, 2022 @ 10:06:50 by Russell Newman
The overhaul on former GWR 42XX Class 2-8-0T No. 4277 "Hercules" has just been completed and the locomotive has been turned out in British Railways Black livery. No. 4277 will soon undergo testing and running in trials before entering service at the Dartmouth Steam Railway during the summer season.
Posted: Feb 5, 2018 @ 05:02:20 by Russell Newman
Having hauled its final trains at the Churnet Valley Railway over the weekend at there Winter Steam Gala. No. 4277 has now been withdrawn from service having come to the end of its boiler ticket. The locomotive will be brought back home to the Dartmouth Steam Railway to undergo its 10 year overhaul.
Posted: Aug 9, 2017 @ 10:08:38 by Russell Newman
The Great Western Railway 42XX Class 2-8-0T No. 4277 also known as "Hercules" is to make its first visit away from the Dartmouth Steam Railway as its to visit the Churnet Valley Railway this winter. The loco is in the last few months of its 10 year boiler ticket and will be staying at the Churnet Valley from October till February 2018 to see out its last months of service before its next overhaul. The loco is also to be repainted in unlined BR Black livery as well.
Posted: Oct 12, 2009 @ 09:10:25 by Steve Frost
Now moved to Paignton & Kingswear and named Hercules
Posted: Jan 3, 2008 @ 16:01:35 by Steve Frost
The overhaul of the loco continues, at present it is being reassmbled at a private location in Oxfordshire, although the boiler is at Crewe. Completion should be made by the spring of 2008, and then it will move to its new home, which was undecided as I wrote this.