GWR 6400 Class No. 6435

6435 was built at Swindon in 1937.

It was first allocated to Cardiff Canton in January 1948, Barry in October 1948 and then Cardiff Cathays in November 1948. In September 1953, it moved to Merthyr Tydfil, then Cardiff Cathays in April 1956 and then to Ferndale in March 1958. In January 1961, it went to Abercynon, Tondu in July 1962 and Yeovil Town in November 1963, before being withdrawn from service in October 1964.  

It was purchased by the Dart Valley Railway (now the South Devon Railway) and arrived at Buckfastleigh in October 1965, straight from British Railways service. The locomotive had completed 570,000 miles by the time it was withdrawn.

6435 was used regularly in the line’s early days of preservation and in the 1970s was transferred to the Dart Valley Company’s Paignton to Kingswear line.

In 2008, 6435 was declared too small for this heavily graded line and was purchased for use on the Bodmin & Wenford Railway in Cornwall, where was operational following an overhaul in 2012.

It is sometimes paired with auto trailer 232.

In January 2024 it was reported that the Bodmin & Wenford Railway was considering selling the locomotive which had been out of service since 2022. This was because of a cash crisis at the railway.

The locomotive was purchased by Jonathon Jones-Pratt and arrived on the West Somerset Railway in April 2024.

Locomotive Status: Non-Operational

Awaiting overhaul at Williton