Before the appointment of Daniel Gooch as Superintendent of Locomotive Engines in 1837, Brunel was responsible for ordering the locomotives that would haul the Great Western Railway trains. While 1836 was still in the early days of locomotive design, the "survival of the fittest" principles had established a number of design features for locomotives. These included that passenger locomotives should have driving wheels no larger than 5ft 6ins (1.7 metres) in diameter, with cylinders between 11ins and 12½ins (28 to 32cms) in diameter, and a piston stroke of 16ins to 18ins (41 to 46cms).
Brunel had visions of trains running much faster than those then operating on other railways,
and in 1836 he issued the following design specifications to the manufacturers building the GWR's locomotives.
Brunel's specifications called for:
These specifications resulted in locomotives being built to unusual designs (with driving wheels up to 10ft (3.1metres) in diameter) and with tiny boilers that were inadequate for hauling all but the lightest of trains. The early Great Western Railway locomotives are often referred to as "freaks" and all were soon either withdrawn or drastically modified.
Brunel placed orders with five firms for the manufacture of 19 locomotives for the Great Western Railway, which are listed below by manufacturer. A further 2 locomotives were subsequently purchased from R. Stephenson & Co. prior to Gooch's appointment as Locomotive Superintendent. With the exception of Thunderer, all the early locomotives were 2-2-2 tender engines.
6 locomotives delivered between 25 November 1837 and 7 September 1838.
Vulcan - Delivered on 25 November 1837. It was the first locomotive in steam on the Great Western Railway when it ran on a short stretch of completed track near Iver on 28 December 1837. Vulcan was a 2-2-2 locomotive with 8ft (2.46 metre) driving wheels and 4ft 6ins (1.38 metre) carrying wheels. The initial cost was £1,669. Its weight of 18¼ tons was well in excess of Brunel's specification and like many of the early locomotives, its boiler was too small. Vulcan was withdrawn from service in 1843, but later rebuilt as a 2-2-2 back tank (illustrated above) with 4ft (1.23 metre) carrying wheels, in which form it ran from 1846 to 1868. It then spent its final 2 years as a stationary boiler at Reading, before being withdrawn from stock in July 1870.
Aoelus - identical in design to Vulcan and was delivered on 30 November 1837. It hauled (not very successfully) the first public train on 4 June 1838. Notwithstanding its less than spectacular start, Gooch reported in 1839 that he thought Aoelus was the best of the 6 Tayleur engines. In 1843 it was altered to have 6ft (1.85 metre) driving wheels and 3ft (0.93 metre) carrying wheels. Like Vulcan it was subsequently altered to a 2-2-2 back tank, in which form it ran until April 1867. It then ended its days as a stationary boiler at Gloucester until July 1870.
Bacchus - identical in design to Vulcan and was delivered on 2 December 1837. A very unsuccessful engine which was plagued by breakdowns and abnormal wear and tear. It ceased work in June 1842 and is recorded as being sold in 1845/6.
Apollo - a smaller engine than Vulcan, although it has the same size wheels. It was delivered on 18 January 1838 and weighed 16¼ tons, having an even smaller boiler and cylinders than its predecessors. In 1839 it was refitted with 6ft (1.85 metre) driving wheels and 3ft (0.93 metre) carrying wheels. Subsequently it was modified to a 2-2-2 back tank. It ran until August 1867.
Neptune - identical to Apollo and delivered on 5 March 1838. Although Gooch's report dated January 1839 reports Neptune as being in a good state of repair and working well, it ceased work in June 1840 and was subsequently sold for scrap in 1845.
Venus - the last of the Tayleur engines and identical to Apollo and Neptune. It was delivered on 7 September 1838. It ran in it's original form until 1843, when it was withdrawn from service. Subsequently it went through the same modifications as Apollo and returned to service in 1846 as a 2-2-2 back tank. It ran until July 1870 when the boiler was transferred to Swindon as a stationary boiler, where it operated until the mid/late 1870s.
6 locomotives delivered between 25 November 1837 and 26 September 1839, only one of which was still in service after 1840.
Premier - With Vulcan, it was the first engine delivered to the Great Western Railway on 25 November 1837. It had 7ft (2.15 metre) driving wheels and 4ft 6in (1.38 metre) carrying wheels and weighed 15 tons 3 cwt. Gooch identified a number of design flaws which prevented the locomotive from achieving the speeds required by the Great Western Railway, but the cost of modifications was obviously thought to be too high, and Premier was withdrawn from service in December 1840 having travelled only 14,789 miles (23,662 kms).
Ariel - Identical to Premier and suffered from the same design flaws. Delivered on 5 March 1838 it was withdrawn from service in December 1840 having travelled 7,840 miles (12,544 kms).
Ajax - Delivered on 12 December 1838, it had 10ft (3.08 metre) driving wheels and 5ft (1.54 metre) carrying wheels. The huge driving wheels differed from normal designs in that they were constructed of solid plates and had no spokes. Ajax suffered from the same design faults as Premier and Ariel and ceased work in June 1840 after travelling 15,264 miles (24,442 kms). Ajax's boiler was subsequently used for stationary work.
Mars - Originally built in 1838 to the same design as Ajax but the Great Western Railway refused to take delivery until it was modified to have 8ft (2.46 metre) driving wheels and 4ft (1.23 metre) carrying wheels. It was finally accepted 20 April 1840 but ceased work in December 1840 after travelling 10,500 miles (16,800 kms), mainly hauling goods and ballast trains.
Planet - Originally identical to Ajax, it underwent the same modifications as Mars before being accepted on 1 August 1839. It ceased work in June 1840 by which time it had travelled 25,290 miles (40,464 kms). Subsequently it was used at a stationary engine at Reading until at least 1849.
Mercury - Its origins were the same as Mars and Planet, being accepted on the 26 September 1839. Mercury ran until December 1843, travelling 16,969 miles (27,150 kms) and was subsequently sold.
3 locomotives delivered between 6 May 1838 and 8 November 1838. Of all the locomotives ordered by Brunel in 1836, these were the most conventional in design, although modifications made to meet Brunel's specifications resulted in a number of early problems which Gooch had to rectify.
Lion - Delivered 6 May 1838 with 6 ft (1.85 metre) driving wheels and 3ft 6ins (1.08 metre) carrying wheels. It weighed 16 tons. Unlike Atlas and Eagle, this engine does not appear to have been altered during its years of service. It was withdrawn from service in June 1847, although it was used as a stationary engine and able to be returned to service until at least 1849.
Atlas - Delivered 6 June 1838 and identical in design to Lion. In July 1860 it was rebuilt as a 2-2-2 saddle tank, in which form it ran until June 1872 before being sold in July 1872.
Eagle - Delivered 8 November 1838 and identical design to Lion. Rebuilt as a 2-2-2 saddle tank in December 1860 it ceased work in December 1871 and was sold in January 1873.
2 locomotives delivered on 30 August 1838 and 7 September 1838. Both needed considerable modification, which was carried out in 1839-40, after which they ran successfully for a number of years.
Snake - Delivered 7 September 1838 with 6ft 4ins (1.95 metre) driving wheels which were geared up in a ratio of 3:2. The carrying wheels were 3ft 5ins (1.05 metres). A large number of problems with the original design required substantial alterations in 1839-40, including the removal of the gearing. In its modified form, Snake operated until November 1869, including a period between 1846 and 1851 when it worked on the South Devon Railway (during which time it was temporarily renamed "Exe").
Viper - Delivered 30 August 1838 and identical to Snake. Like Snake it was modified in 1839-40 and worked on the South Devon Railway between 1846 and 1851 (temporarily renamed "Teign"). It ceased work in January 1868, and its boiler subsequently used for stationary work at Shrewsbury.
2 locomotives of unusual design in that the engine and boiler were on separate frames.
Thunderer - delivered 6 March 1838. An 0-4-0 engine with 6ft (1.85 metre) coupled driving wheels weighing 12 or 12½ tons. The boiler was mounted on a separate 6 wheel frame attached behind the engine. The design was a total failure, lacking adhesive weight and requiring excessive amounts of coke to operate. The engine ceased work in December 1839 after travelling 9,882 miles (15,811 kms) and was later sold. The boiler was retained for use as a stationary engine.
Hurricane - delivered 6 October 1838. A 2-2-2 engine with 10ft (3.08 metre) driving wheels and (probably) 4ft 6ins (1.38 metre) carrying wheels. The engine weight was recorded as 11 tons 10 cwt, of which the driving wheels weighed 6 tons. Like Thunderer, it was a total failure and ceased work in December 1839 after travelling 10,527 miles (16,843 kms). The boiler and some of the engine parts are thought to have been reused in 1849 for a new 0-6-0 goods engine called Bacchus.
12 locomotives, known as the Star class, delivered between 28 November 1837 and November 1841. These locomotives were not part of the original order placed by Brunel, but the first two, North Star and Morning Star, were purchased from the manufacturer when the original purchaser, the New Orleans Railway (USA) defaulted. The two original engines were converted from 5ft 6ins (1.69 metre) gauge to 7ft gauge and, in the case of North Star, the driving wheels altered from 6ft 6ins (2 metres) to 7ft (2.15 metres). The carrying wheels were 4ft (1.23 metres) and the engine weighed about 23 tons. So successful were these locomotives, that Gooch ordered a further 10 locomotives, Evening Star, Dog Star, Polar Star, Red Star, Load Star, Rising Star, Bright Star, Shooting Star, Western Star, and Royal Star with 7ft (2.15 metre) driving wheels. These were easily the most reliable of the early locomotives, and Gooch based the design of his first "standard" engines on the Star class. Polar Star, Red Star, Rising Star, Bright Star, and Shooting Star were later modified to 4-2-2 saddle tank engines with two pairs of 3ft 6ins (1.08 metre) wheels replacing the 4ft (1.23 metres) leading wheels. All of the class saw long service, being withdrawn between April 1864 and September 1871. North Star was preserved at Swindon until 1906, when it was cut up to make space.
Fortunately for the Great Western Railway, by the time the London to Bristol line opened throughout, the first of Gooch's "standard" engines had been delivered and train services became less prone to breakdowns and delays. Gooch's first "standard" engines are reviewed in a later article in this series.