Large GWR Praries at Bristol.

Hello all - here is the first of another series of photos from my albums. This time the ex-GWR large prarie tanks, as you no doubt know the GWR relied on many 2 - 6 - 2 tanks for all their suburban and local freight work. They had few, if any tanks with a four wheeled bogie under the cab. [None to my knowledge!] All their more modern large wheeled tanks were of the 2 - 6 - 2 wheel arrangement. So here we have #4135 all nice and ex-works on Bath Road shed [82A]. It looks like it was a Sunday when a rare shed visit was taking place. Note the large gaggle of young boys, note books in hand going behind #4135. I reckon when I took the photo I would have been standing right outside the shed foremans office. So I must have had permission to be on shed. Also note the pretty clean Castle under the coaling tower - A re-built Star class engine - 5089 'Westminster Abbey'. Look at the size of the water tank above the coaling stage, this supplied water for the whole of the westerly end of Bristol Temple Meads. A nice clean bit of history from the 1950's, enjoy. My regards, Phil H. Leura. Oz.