Train Simulator: GWR 1000 Class 'County Class'

GWR’s 1000 “County” Class now available courtesy of Partner Programme Developer Victory Works; this unique example in Great Western two-cylinder design worked hard for years, and is yours to take to Devonian rails!

The standard GWR 4-6-0 locomotive design dated back to the turn of the 20th Century, when George Jackson Churchward revolutionised the way Great Western traction was to be built with his Saint Class, from which Charles Collett developed the Castles, Halls, Granges, and Kings to name a few.

When Frederick Hawksworth came to be Chief Mechanical Engineer of the GWR, he designed the likes of the Modified Halls, but aspired to build a 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive for post-war passenger use. Unfortunately, the struggle of the Second World War did not permit this, and by the end there was no demand for new passenger traction.

Instead, Hawksworth was granted the production of more mixed-traffic 4-6-0s, and so many of the ideals for the Pacific were worked into this new batch which became a testbed of sorts. The boiler was of differing design – Swindon Works had been used during the War to build LMS 8F locomotives, and Hawksworth studied the 8F’s boiler tooling for inspiration with the new fleet.

In all, a total of 30 new locomotives were built in two batches between 1945 and 1947, and were named as the “County” Class, a call-back to a previous class of the same name. Each were adorned with a nameplate stating a County of England or Wales that was served by the GWR network. The locomotives were numbered from 1000 to 1029 and were given a power rating of ‘D’, GWR’s equivalent of ‘6MT’ (mixed-traffic).

Something of an oddball among typical GWR traction, the County Class was quite distinctive from its predecessors despite being based off a near-identical, standardised platform. Wheel splashers, and nameplates, were continuous along the body side as opposed to tapered with the wheels on previous locos. Multiple County locomotives were fitted with double chimneys, and when built had a staggering boiler pressure of 280psi, this made them more powerful than the four-cylindered Castles!

However, their incredible power put infrastructure at great risk, and to preserve the track, the boiler pressure was lowered, leaving the County Class in a state of bewilderment as it had little place - brand new but unable to compete. Despite this and their subsequent chequered reputation of being unnecessary, they were received well by others willing to see the successes of the class.

Throughout their lives, the power struggle did hinder the Counties but not entirely, they could work express passenger services from London Paddington to Penzance, in tandem with the Castles; and being mixed-traffic could also work freight across the main line GWR network, where their heavy weight was permitted.

The Counties worked continuously until September 1962, from then the class was gradually withdrawn with the final leaving service in November 1964. What would be the final development of GWR’s 4-6-0 family served for only 17 years at most, and sadly none survived into preservation. However, the Didcot Railway Centre are striving to build a replica of 1014 County of Glamorgan using other donor locomotives.

And it could be said that all the class will see the light of day once again, as through the fine efforts of Victory Works, the GWR County Class is now yours to own in Train Simulator!

Includes:

• GWR 1000 County Class Locomotive
• No. 1000 – 280psi, double chimney
• GWR Green (2 logos)
• BR Mixed Traffic Black (2 logos)
• BR Lined Green (1 logo)
• No. 1000 – 250psi, double chimney
• BR Lined Green (1 logo)
• No’s 1001-1029 – 280psi, single chimney
• GWR Green (2 logos)
• BR Mixed Traffic Black (2 logos)
• BR Lined Green (2 logos)
• No’s 1001-1029 – 250psi, double chimney
• BR Lined Green (1 logo)
• No. 1009 – 250psi, sheet steel test chimney
• BR Mixed Traffic Black (1 logo)
• With test cabin
• 4 named service headboards and customisable Reporting Numbers for all engines
• Optional parts and fittings including painted or polished safety valve covers, 3 styles of chimney, lining, power discs and speedometer
• Custom sound sets inside and out
• Realistic cab with multiple views, including dual "head out" and fully modelled firebox and coal
• Realistic wheel slip physics and effects ADVANCED MODE ONLY
• Simulated steam chest ADVANCED MODE ONLY
• Realistic train pipe and reservoir vacuum braking ADVANCED MODE ONLY
• Cylinder cock management ADVANCED MODE ONLY
• Boiler management with priming possible ADVANCED MODE ONLY
• Realistic injector control ADVANCED MODE ONLY
• Realistic "by the shovel" stoking with synchronised sound ADVANCED MODE ONLY
• Dynamic steam and smoke colour and quantity
• Realistic boiler water gauges effected by gradient, acceleration and speed and with blow down test
• Opening windows (with rain effects), doors, weather panels and roof hatch
• Dynamic lamp setting
• Cab light effects including firebox glow and water gauge lamp
• Second valve regulator effects ADVANCED MODE ONLY
• Atmospheric AI effects ADVANCED MODE ONLY
• Fully compatible with the TPO coaches included with the GWR Saint add-on.
• Rolling stock
• GWR P.18 "Monster" Van
• GWR Brown
• BR Bauxite
• BR Blue
• Dynamic lamps, animated brakes and unloading doors
• GWR P.14 "Python" Van
• GWR Brown
• BR Bauxite
• Dynamic lamps, animated brakes and unloading doors
• 5 scenarios for the Riviera Line in the Fifties: Exeter - Kingswear route, also available on Steam.
• 29 Quick Drive consists
• Simple, standard and advanced driving modes
• Xbox controller support SIMPLE AND STANDARD MODES ONLY
• Quick Drive Compatible