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Hornby R3534

GWR, 6000 'King' Class, 4-6-0, 6023 'King Edward II' - Era 3

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI images rather than photographs

Prototype Era
Era 3 (1923 to 1947) The Big Four (LNER, LMS, GWR and SR)

Manufacturer description

In the mid-1920s, with train load sizes increasing to and from the South West, the Great Western Railway were faced with the need for even more powerful locomotives, capable of hauling the heavy expresses at an average speed of 60 mph. The main routes were limited to a 20 ton axle weight though, so a number of the Great Western's routes had to be upgraded, including the strengthening of some bridges, before the Great Western's General Manager, Sir Felix Pole, would give his Chief Mechanical Engineer, Charles Collett, permission to proceed with the design and construction of a 'Super-Castle'.

The result was the King class 4-6-0, which emerged from Swindon works in June 1927, a design that increased the length and wheelbase over the Castle class, necessary to accommodate the new WA designated boiler. The driving and bogie wheels were reduced in size from that of the Castles and the boiler working pressure increased to 250lb, with a larger diameter cylinder and a longer stroke. The Great Western promoted the new Kings as the most powerful passenger locomotives in the country and at 29ft 5in and weighing 89 tons, the class probably represented the limit of the 4-6-0 design. Initially, twenty locomotives were ordered, the first six being built at Swindon in June and July 1927, followed by the remaining fourteen locomotives between February and July 1928. The final ten locomotives of the class were not to be built for another two years, being constructed between May and August 1930 and they incorporated some minor changes from the earlier engines.

The decision to name the new class after the Kings of England was agreed by Collett in May 1927, being named in reverse chronological order starting from King George V. Only two engines were renamed, 6028 King Henry II becoming King George VI on January 12, 1937 and 6029 King Stephen becoming King Edward VIII on May 14, 1936.Only being able to operate over the Great Western's Double Red Route, the Kings were confined to the West of England main line as far as Plymouth, via Newbury and Bristol, as well as the cut-off route from Paddington to Wolverhampton via Bicester. It was over these routes that the Kings came to be associated with the iconic Cornish Riviera Express and Cambrian Coast Express services, regularly reaching speeds of 100mph.Gradually replaced on the west of England services by diesel-hydraulic power from 1959 and on the Paddington-Wolverhampton run from 1962, by December 31, 1962 all had been withdrawn from service to face the cutter's torch.

Eventually three of the class survived into preservation; 6000 King George V, 6023 King Edward II and 6024 King Edward I. Locomotive 6023 King Edward II was built at Swindon and entered traffic in June 1930, the locomotive being first allocated to Newton Abbot Shed on July 19, 1930. A short move across Devon to Plymouth Laira followed, on November 23, 1936, but a month later, King Edward II was back at Newton Abbot, where the engine stayed until February 2, 1949. Moved to Laira once more, until August 30, 1956, allocations at Old Oak Common and Canton followed, until withdrawal on June 19, 1962.

Maximum curve Hornby 2nd radius + / 438mm+.

Catalogue listing

Model details

Prototype information

^* Class names often change over the lifespan of a locomotive, so this is not necessarily the class name used by the operator in the period modelled.

Hornby GWR 6000 ‘King’ Class model, reference R3534, represents locomotive 6023 ‘King Edward II’. The 4‑6‑0 steam engine is supplied ready for digital command control with an 8‑pin socket, painted in the original green GWR livery and fitted with NEM couplings. It runs on a 2nd‑radius curve of 438 mm and measures 276 mm in length, suitable for OO gauge layouts. The model incorporates a 5‑pole skew‑wound motor and draws power from both the driving wheels and the tender wheels.

The prototype was built by the Great Western Railway at Swindon and entered service in June 1930. Designed by Chief Mechanical Engineer Charles Collett, the King‑class was the most powerful passenger locomotive of its time, with a 4‑6‑0 wheel arrangement, a boiler pressure of 250 lb and a total weight of 89 tons. A total of 31 examples were produced between 1927 and 1930 and they operated on the GWR ‘Double Red’ routes, notably the Cornish Riviera Express and Cambrian Coast Express, achieving speeds of up to 100 mph.

6023 ‘King Edward II’ served for 32 years, being allocated to sheds at Newton Abbot, Plymouth Laira, Old Oak Common and Canton before withdrawal on 19 June 1962. The locomotive was one of three members of the class to survive into preservation and is now owned by the National Railway Museum.

This Hornby model depicts the locomotive as it appeared during the era of the British ‘Big Four’ railway companies (LNER, LMS, GWR and SR), making it a suitable addition for collectors interested in historic GWR steam locomotives.