GWR Firefly Class
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about a locomotive class. For the insect, see Firefly.
- For other uses, see Firefly (disambiguation).
| Power type | Steam |
|---|---|
| Designer | Daniel Gooch |
| Builder | various |
| Configuration | 2-2-2 |
| Gauge | 7 ft 0¼ in |
| Leading wheel size | 4 ft 0 in |
| Driver size | 7 ft 0 in |
| Trailing wheel size | 4 ft 0 in |
| Wheelbase | 13 ft 2 in |
| Cylinder size | 15 in dia × 18 in stroke later 16 inch x 20 inch |
| Career | Great Western Railway |
| Class | Fire Fly |
The Firefly was a class of broad gauge 2-2-2 steam locomotives used for passenger services on the Great Western Railway. The class was introduced into service between March 1840 and December 1842, and withdrawn between December 1863 and July 1879.
Following the success of the Star class locomotives introduced to the Great Western Railway by Daniel Gooch, Gooch set to work to develop a new class based on North Star, but with larger boilers. The result was the Fire Fly, later followed by 61 similar locomotives designated the same class.
The original Fire Fly is said to have covered the 30.75 miles from Twyford to London Paddington in 37 minutes, an average speed of 50 miles per hour, which was unprecedented in 1840.
Contents |
[edit] List of locomotives
- Acheron (1842 - 1866)
- Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson. The name Acheron comes from a Greek river and was later carried by a GWR Hawthorn Class locomotive.
- Achilles (1841 -1867)
- Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company. The name is that of a Greek mythological warrior. See Achilles.
- Actaeon (1841 - 1868)
- Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company, the name is that of a hero from Greek mythology. See Actaeon.
- Arab (1841 - 1870)
- Built by G and J Rennie
- Argus (1842 - 1873)
- Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson
- Arrow (1841 - 1864)
- Built by Stothert and Slaughter
- Bellona (1841 - 1870)
- Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company
- Castor (1841 - 1874)
- Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company
- Centaur (1841 - 1867)
- Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company
- Cerebus (1841 - 1866)
- Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson. The name was later carried by a GWR Hawthorn Class locomotive.
- Charon (1840 - 1878)
- Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson
- Cyclops (1840 - 1865)
- Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson
- Damon (1842 - 11870)
- Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company
- Dart (1841 - 1870)
- Built by Stothert and Slaughter
- Electra (1842 - 1867)
- Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company
- Erebus (1842 - 1873)
- Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson
- Falcon (1840 - 1867)
- Built by Sharp, Roberts and Company
- Fire Ball (1840 - 1866)
- Built by Jones, Turner and Evans with a 13 feet 4 inch wheelbase. Rebuilt c.1849 as a saddle tank locomotive.
- Fire Brand (1840 - 1866)
- Built by Jones, Turner and Evans with a 13 feet 4 inch wheelbase.
- Fire Fly (1840 - 1870)
- Built by Jones, Turner and Evans with a 13 feet 4 inch wheelbase.
- Fire King (1840 - 1875)
- Built by Jones, Turner and Evans with a 13 feet 4 inch wheelbase.Rebuilt c.1849 as a saddle tank locomotive.
- Ganymede (1842 - 1878)
- Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson
- Gorgon (1841 - 1878)
- Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson
- Greyhound (1841 - 1866)
- Built by Sharp, Roberts and Company
- Hawk (1840 - 1865)
- Built by Sharp, Roberts and Company. The name was later carried by a GWR Hawthorn Class locomotive.
- Harpy (1841- 1873)
- Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson
- Hecate (1841 - 1867)
- Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson
- Hector (1841 - 1866)
- Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company
- Hydra (1842 - 1865)
- Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson
- Ixion (1841 - 1879)
- Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson, this was the locomotive that represented the broad gauge at the Gauge Commission trials of 1845, achieving a maximum of 61 miles per hour.
- Jupiter (1841 - 1867)
- Built by R B Longridge and Company
- Leopard (1840 - 1878)
- Built by Sharp, Roberts and Company
- Lethe (1842 - 1878)
- Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson
- Lucifer (1841 - 1870)
- Built by R B Longridge and Company
- Lynx (1840 -1870)
- Built by Sharp, Roberts and Company
- Mars (1841 - 1868)
- Built by R B Longridge and Company
- Mazeppa (1841 - 1868)
- Built by G and J Rennie
- Medea (1842 - 1873)
- Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson
- Medusa (1842 - 1864)
- Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson
- Mentor (1841 - 1867)
- Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company
- Mercury (1841 - 1865)
- Built by R B Longridge and Company
- Milo
- Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company
- Minos (1841 - 1870)
- Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson
- Orion (1842 - 1867)
- Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company. Rebuilt as a 4-2-2ST saddle tank locomotive.
- Ostrich (1840 - 1865)
- Built by Sharp, Roberts and Company. The name was later carried by a Hawthorn class locomtoive.
- Panther (1840 - 1869)
- Built by Sharp, Roberts and Company
- Pegasus (1842 - 1868)
- Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company
- Phlegethon (1842 - 1866)
- Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson, this locomotive had the privilege of powering Queen Victoria's first railway journey on 13 June 1842. The name was later carried by a GWR Hawthorn Class locomotive.
- Phoenix (1842 - 1870)
- Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company
- Pluto (1841 - 1870)
- Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson
- Pollux (1842 - 1866)
- Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company. The name was later carried by a GWR Hawthorn Class locomotive.
- Priam (1842 - 1864)
- Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company
- Proserpine (1842 - 1873)
- Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson
- Saturn (1841 - 1878)
- Built by R B Longridge and Company
- Spit Fire (1840 - 1878)
- Built by Jones, Turner and Evans with a 13 feet 4 inch wheelbase.
- Stag (1840 - 1870)
- Built by Sharp, Roberts and Company
- Stentor (1842 - 1867)
- Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company
- Tiger (1840 - 1873)
- Built by Sharp, Roberts and Company
- Venus (1841 - 1870)
- Built by R B Longridge and Company
- Vesta (1841 - 1864)
- Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson
- Vulture (1840 - 1870)
- Built by Sharp, Roberts and Company
- Wild Fire (1840 - 1867)
- Built by Jones, Turner and Evans with a 13 feet 4 inch wheelbase.
[edit] Replica
- Firefly (2005)
A 63rd member of the Fire Fly class was unveiled to the public in 2005. It is a replica of the original Fire Fly and is kept at Didcot Railway Centre. It can be seen in steam on regular occasions throughout the year; see link below.
[edit] References
- The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway, Part 2: Broad Gauge. The Railway Correspondence and Travel Society. ISBN 0-906867-90-8.
- L. T. C. Rolt (1970). Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Pelican.
- Waters, Laurence (1999). The Great Western Broad Gauge. Hersham: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 0-906867-90-8.
[edit] External links
- The Didcot Railway Centre, where the Fire Fly replica is kept and maintained
| Locomotives of the Great Western Railway | |
| Broad gauge locomotives | |
| Gooch: | Ariadne - Banking - Bogie - Caesar - Caliph - Firefly - Iron Duke - Leo - Metropolitan - Premier - Prince - Pyracmon - Star - Sun - Victoria - Waverley |
| J. Armstrong: | Hawthorn - Iron Duke - Sir Watkin - Swindon |
| Standard gauge locomotives | |
| Dean: | Dean Goods - Aberdare - Dean Single - Duke - Bulldog - 3600 - Badminton |
| Churchward: | The Great Bear - 1361 - County Tank - 2800 - Saint - 3100 - City - County - Star - 4200 - 4300 - 4400 - 4500 - 4700 |
| Collett: | 1366 - 1400 - 2251 - 2884 - ex-ROD 2-8-0 - Earl - Castle - 4575 - Hall - 5101 - 5205 - 5400 - 5600 - 5700 - 5800 - King - 6100 - 6400 - Grange - 7200 - 7400 - Manor |
| Hawksworth: | County - 1500 - 1600 - Modified Hall - 9400 |
