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The Great Bear, number 111, was a locomotive of the Great Western Railway. It was the first 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive used on a railway in the United Kingdom, and the only one of that type ever built by the GWR, who subsequently persisted with the tried and true 4-6-0 locomotive type. The regular engine driver was Thomas Blackall, originally from Aston Tirrold, Oxfordshire. In 1924 the engine was rebuilt as a Castle Class locomotive and given the name Viscount Churchill though it retained its number. No 111 was withdrawn in July 1953. It was originally built to satisfy demands from the directors for the largest locomotive in Britain. In service, it was not an improvement on existing classes and had a highly restrictive route availability; it was restricted to the Paddington to Bristol main line.
Churchward was disappointed to hear of The Great Bear's destruction, and upon hearing of Nigel Gresley's plans to construct a pacific for the Great Northern Railway, is said to have replied: "What did that young man want to build it for? We could have sold him ours!"
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[edit] References
Haresnape, Brian; Alec Swain (1976). Churchward Locomotives. Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 0-7110-0679-0.
