Taff Vale Railway O2 class

4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gaugeDriver dia.4 ft 6+1⁄2 in (1.384 m)Loco weight61 long tons 10 cwt (137,800 lb or 62.5 t)
(69.4 short tons)Boiler pressure160 psi (1.10 MPa)CylindersTwo, insideCylinder size17.5 in × 26 in (444 mm × 660 mm)Valve gearStephenson

Performance figures
Tractive effort	19,870 lbf (88,386.16 N)

Career
Operators	TVR » GWR
Withdrawn	1926–1928
Preserved	One: TVR 85
Disposition	One preserved, remainder scrapped

The Taff Vale Railway O2 class was a class of 0-6-2T steam tank locomotives designed by Tom Hurry Riches and introduced to the Taff Vale Railway in 1899.

Numbering

Year	Quantity	Builder	Serial Numbers	TVR Numbers	GWR numbers	Notes
1899	9	Neilson, Reid & Co.	5409, 5408, 5410–5416	82, 85, 84, 32, 83, 81, 31, 66, 44	423, 426, 425, 413, 424, 421, 412, 419, 415

Withdrawal and disposal

All were withdrawn from traffic between 1926 and 1928. One locomotive, GWR 426 (TVR 85) was sold to the National Coal Board and used at their Philadelphia Colliery, numbered 52. It was subsequently saved for preservation, and is based at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway. It was restored to original Taff Vale condition in 2000, although the paintwork didn't receive any lining out, and ran on a regular basis until 2009 when its boiler ticket expired. Due to its popularity and good condition, it received a further overhaul which was completed in February 2016, just in time for the line's Winter Steam Gala that year. This time though, the loco's paintwork received full lining out, effectively completing its original Taff Vale appearance. Since re-entering service, the loco remains part of the railway's operational fleet.

References

• Casserley, H. C. & Johnston, Stuart W. (1966). Locomotives at the Grouping 4: Great Western Railway. Shepperton, Middlesex: Ian Allan Limited. p. 78.
• Butcher, Alan C., ed. (1988). Railways Restored (1988/89 ed.). Weybridge, Surrey: Ian Allan Limited. pp. 85–86. ISBN 0-7110-1762-X.