Great Western County Classes- The Churchward 4-4-0s, 4-4-2 T

The Great Western Railway, had two classes of tender locomotives named after counties, the first class of two cylinder 4-4-0 tender locomotives, designed by George Jackson Churchward, were introduced in the 1900s to provide efficient motive power, owned jointly by the Great Western and L.N.W.R. The 4-4-0 Counties were in service until the early 1930s, when they were withdrawn and replaced by more modern motive power. The 4-4-0 Counties, were paralleled in design by the County 4-4-2 tanks, which operated suburban services in the London area and were also withdrawn in the early 1930s. In 1945, the Great Western Introduced the County 4-6-0 tender locomotives, designed by Hawksworth, these two cylinder machines had a high pressure boiler, that was meant to give the same tractive effort as a Castle class, 4-6-0, four cylinder locomotive the County class 4-6-0s, operated in express and semi fast train service, until the last members of the class were withdrawn in 1964.