Паровозы GWR класса 3200 ("Эрл" и "Дюкдог")

The Great Western Railway 3200 Class (or 'Earl' Class) was a design of 4 4 0 steam locomotive for passenger train work. The nickname for this class, almost universally used at the time these engines were in service was Dukedog since the locomotives were composed of former Duke Class boilers on Bulldog Class frames. As such they were one of the last standard gauge steam locomotive classes to retain outside frames.

The GWR absorbed the Cambrian Railways in 1923, but, with the Cambrian main line being lightly built, permanent way restrictions debarred the use of heavier locomotives. This meant that only a few classes of GWR locomotive were allowed to run over it, including the Duke Class. However, by the 1930s the Duke class engines were past their estimated life, and in particular the frames were in poor condition. At the same time the heavier Bulldog Class was becoming redundant and being withdrawn, and later members of this class had an improved straight topped frame design.

In December 1929, Duke No.3265 Tre Pol and Pen was withdrawn, and the cab and other above frame fittings together with a spare Duke boiler and smokebox, were fitted to the straight topped frames of Bulldog no. 3365 Charles Grey Mott. The rebuilt locomotive was given the name and number of the Duke. + Table of orders and numbers Year Quantity Lot No. Locomotive numbers Notes 1929 1 — 3265 renumbered 9065 in 1946 1936–38 20 315 3200–3219 renumbered 9000–9019 in 1946 1938–39 9 331 3220–3228 3229–3239 cancelled; renumbered 9020–9028 in 1946

The prototype conversion retained its Duke number and name (3265 Tre Pol and Pen). The first nominally new locomotive was numbered 3201, and originally kept the name of the parent Duke. So, although the first batch of twenty were allocated Earl names, following the construction and naming of no. 3212 Earl of Eldon in May 1937, the nameplates were removed and the names given to nos. 5043–5062 of the express Castle class instead.

In the 1946 renumbering all the surviving locomotives in the 32xx series, both Dukes and Dukedogs, were renumbered in the 90xx series, retaining the same last two digits. This was to free the 32xx numbers for new 2251 Class engines.

One locomotive, 9017 Earl of Berkeley survives in preservation at the Bluebell Railway. The locomotive was built at Swindon Works in 1938, using frames from "Bulldog" No. 3425 (built 1906), and boiler and cab from "Duke" class No. 3282 (originally named "Chepstow Castle", built in 1895). Originally numbered 3217, it was renumbered post WW2 as 9017. Mainly deployed on the Cambrian Line, the locomotive was withdrawn from service at Oswestry in October 1960. Preserved privately directly from British Railways, with the Bluebell Line as the then only preserved standard gauge line in the whole of the UK, it arrived there 15 February 1962. From September 1963 it carried the name plates from GWR 4073 Class No. 5060. It carried its post WW2 9017 plates until the BR withdrawal of GWR 0 6 0 No.3217, when it was reunited with its original number plates in early 1965. After a period out of traffic from December 1973, its overhaul began in 1980, returning to traffic in 1982. After its last overhaul 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 was withdrawn from service. In early 2024 it was moved to the Vale of Rheidol Railway for a two year loan period, to be displayed in their new museum.

NB: In the table below, names in parentheses were allocated but never actually carried in GWR/BR service. Numbers Rebuilt from Name3265 / 90653265 & 3365Tre Pol and Pen3200 / 90003288 & 3422Earl of Mount Edgcumbe3201 / 90013263 & 3412Earl of Dunraven3202 / 90023286 & 3416Earl of Dudley3203 / 90033275 & 3424Earl Cawdor3204 / 90043271 & 3439Earl of Dartmouth3205 / 90053255 & 3413Earl of Devon3206 / 90063267 & 3428Earl of Plymouth3207 / 90073274 & 3410Earl of St. Germans3208 / 90083285 & 3403Earl Bathurst3209 / 90093277 & 3392Earl of Radnor3210 / 90103269 & 3402Earl Cairns3211 / 90113281 & 3415Earl of Ducie3212 / 90123261 & 3405Earl of Eldon3213 / 90133257 & 3374(Earl of Powis)3214 / 90143252 & 3434(Earl Waldegrave)3215 / 90153262 & 3420(Earl of Clancarty)3216 / 90163282 & 3404(Earl St Aldwyn)3217 / 90173258 & 3425(Earl of Berkeley)3218 / 90183266 & 3380(Earl of Birkenhead)3219 / 90193260 & 3427(Earl of Shaftesbury)3220 / 9020 3279 & 3414 3221 / 9021 3259 & 3411 3222 / 9022 3278 & 3436 3223 / 9023 3253 & 3423 3224 / 9024 3290 & 3409 3225 / 9025 3268 & 3437 3226 / 9026 3270 & 3390 3227 / 9027 3280 & 3433 3228 / 9028 3256 & 3429