GWR DUKEDOG LOCO EARL OF DEVON

R Byram

Super Dukedog model of Earl of Devon by R Byrom pictured at the final National Model Engineering and Modelling Exhibition. Impressive in 7.25” gauge.

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, was Dukedog since the locomotives comprised former Duke Class boilers on Bulldog Class frames. They were one of the last standard gauge steam locomotive classes to retain outside frames.

One locomotive, 9017 Earl of Berkeley survives in preservation. 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). Withdrawn from service at Oswestry in October 1960 it was preserved privately from British Railways on the Bluebell Line, the only preserved standard gauge line in the UK at the time.