File:2908 Didcot Railway Centre - 45893676542.jpg

English: Replica GWR Churchward ‘Saint’ or ‘29XX’ Class 4-6-0 No.2999 ‘Lady of Legend’ in the guise of No.2908 ‘Lady of Quality’ with straight running plate and vertical front drop end, inside steam pipes, long cone boiler, top feed and 3,500 gll tender on the turntable at the GWS Didcot Railway Centre, 18 November, 2018. It was intended to be in 1949 BR lined black livery but unfortunately there was insufficient time to apply the lining or BR crest. The loco was rebuilt from GWR Collett ‘Hall’ or ‘49XX’ Class No.4942 ‘Maindy Hall’ and some parts from two original ‘Saints’. The ‘Saint’ Class was probably the most influential express/mixed traffic steam locomotive design in the UK in the 20th Century. Very much influenced by American practice (Churchward was friends with A W Gibbs of the Pennsylvania RR), the taper boiler, belpaire firebox, outside cylinders and piston valves with integral cast steel saddle for the drumhead smokebox, the high running plate and stark lines (compared with the conventional Victorian/Edwardian style) was completely at odds with British practice at the turn of the century. After a prototype was built in 1902, two further much redesigned prototypes followed in 1903, one temporarily being converted to a 4-4-2 for comparison purposes. Production based on the latter two prototypes followed in 1905-13 (including 13 built as ‘Scott’ Class 4-4-2’s but later converted to 4-6-0’s), a grand total of 77 being completed. The later ‘Hall’, ‘Manor, ‘Grange’, ‘Modified Hall’ and ‘County’ Class 4-6-0’s were a direct development and they in turn influenced the LMS ‘Black Five’ and Standard Class 5 and 4 4-6-0’s. The ‘Saints’ were withdrawn in 1931-53, a very long lived class.