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3840 County of Montgomery engine.

Welcome to the website of the Churchward County Trust, the official home of the project to construct the 41st Great Western Railway ‘County’ class 4-4-0 – No. 3840 County of Montgomery.

Working closely with the Great Western Society at Didcot, No. 3840 is to be built to the pattern of the 10 original ‘Counties’ erected at Swindon in 1911/12, featuring Holcroft curved frames and screw reverse. The locomotive will incorporate both original GWR and new components, such as the ‘Standard No. 4’ boiler currently carried by unrestored 2-8-0T No. 5227 and the 6ft 8½in driving wheel pattern used for Didcot’s re-created ‘Saint’ 4-6-0 No. 2999 Lady of Legend.

With other parts including the bogie wheels, axleboxes and a suitable Churchward 3,500 gallon tender chassis set aside for the project, the Churchward County Trust already has a considerable head start in component terms. Thanks to the manufacturing advancements made in the course of other new-build schemes, we hope that No. 3840 could steam in as little as 10 years’ time.

Please join us on our adventure!

Recent news

08Dec 23

Rocker Shaft Brackets

Rocker Shaft brackets donated by the Paignton and Dartmouth Railway 30th October A couple of rocker shaft brackets kindly donated by the P&D. These are common only to the Churchward…

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08Dec 23

Cylinder Update 20th October

We have had something of a set back in that the contractor who was to machine the cylinders and extension frames has decided to close his business and retire. The…

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08Dec 23

Front End Appeal

We are currently finalising details of our next big fundraising drive, to be launched in a couple of months' time, and which will look at raising around £50,000 to complete…

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