Great Western Railway class 4500 “Small Prairie”

Analogous to the “Large Prairies”, Churchward had a smaller locomotive built in 1905, which was given the number 115 and founded the “Small Prairies” family. With a driving wheel diameter of four feet and 1.5 inches, smaller cylinders and a smaller boiler, it was designed for use with passenger and goods trains on branch lines. The ten production locomotives which followed were initially given the numbers 3101 to 3110 and became the class 4400 with the new number scheme of 1912. Since their small wheel diameter made them only suited for shorter distances, further locomotives with a driving wheel diameter of four feet and 7.5 inches were built from 1906.

30 had been completed by 1912 which were numbered 2161 to 2190. In 1912 they were renumbered into class 4500, under which they are better known. Another 25 were made by 1915 and the class was completed by 1924 with the final 20. Although they could be used more widely than the class 4400 thanks due to their larger wheels, they were primarily used on the hilly branch lines of the GWR in South Wales and Devon. Three were loaned to the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway, which was taken over by the GWR in 1922. The last class members were withdrawn in 1963 and three were preserved, with No. 4555 “Warrior” in working condition, No. 4561 under restoration and No. 4566 on display at the Severn Valley Railway.