The GWR 3252 Class, also known as the 'Stella' class, was a class of ten 4-4-0 tender locomotives designed by William Dean for the Great Western Railway (GWR) of the United Kingdom. Introduced between 1898 and 1900, these locomotives were an experimental design intended for express passenger services.
Design and Construction
The 3252 Class locomotives were an advanced design for their time, featuring an inside-cylinder 4-4-0 wheel arrangement and a distinctive tapered boiler with a domeless top, giving them a sleek appearance. They were built at the GWR's Swindon Works. The class comprised ten locomotives, originally numbered 3252 to 3261. Their names, such as Stella, Vega, and Sirius, gave the class its popular 'Stella' designation. They were notable for being among the first GWR locomotives to feature a superheater, although this was later removed from some members of the class.
Service History
Upon their introduction, the 'Stella' class locomotives were primarily allocated to express passenger duties on the GWR's main lines, including services between London Paddington and Bristol, and to the West Country. While capable of high speeds, they were somewhat complex to maintain and their performance did not entirely live up to expectations compared to later GWR designs.
In 1912, as part of a general renumbering scheme under G.J. Churchward, the locomotives of the 3252 Class were renumbered, with their original numbers in the 32xx range changing to the 33xx series (3302-3311). This renumbering did not signify any major redesign or rebuild, but rather rationalized the GWR's locomotive numbering system.
Withdrawal
As more powerful and efficient locomotive classes, such as the 'Star' and 'Castle' classes, were introduced by the GWR, the 'Stella' class locomotives became redundant for primary express duties. They were gradually relegated to secondary passenger and parcel train work. The entire class was withdrawn from service between 1928 and 1931. All ten locomotives were subsequently scrapped, and no examples of the GWR 3252 Class were preserved.