GWR 806 Class
Encyclopedia
The 806 Class was Joseph Armstrong
's last design of 2-4-0 mixed-traffic locomotives for the Great Western Railway
, built at Swindon Works in 1873. A further 20 locomotives were added by Armstrong's successor William Dean in 1881-2; numbered 2201-2220, these had modern domeless boilers. The class had a similar appearance to the 717 Class
but had driving wheels 6" larger. Most of the Armstrong locomotives worked in the Southern Division, and carried Sir Daniel Class boilers; only Nos. 806, 807, 810 and 821 were Northern Division engines, and these were in due course fitted with Wolverhampton boilers.
The four Northern engines were stationed at Wolverhampton and worked to Chester, then into Oxford over the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton
line. The other Armstrong engines worked on south Wales passenger services. The later, Dean engines were more widely distributed. In their last years they were relegated to milk and branch trains; the whole class was withdrawn between 1904 and 1926.
Joseph Armstrong (engineer)
Joseph Armstrong was a British locomotive engineer and the second locomotive superintendent of the Great Western Railway...
's last design of 2-4-0 mixed-traffic locomotives for the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
, built at Swindon Works in 1873. A further 20 locomotives were added by Armstrong's successor William Dean in 1881-2; numbered 2201-2220, these had modern domeless boilers. The class had a similar appearance to the 717 Class
GWR 56 Class
The 56 Class were 2-4-0 tender locomotives designed for the Great Western Railway by Joseph Armstrong and built at Swindon Works in 1871-2. There were 11 engines in the class, of which the prototype, No. 56 itself, was built in 1871; the remaining ten were numbered 717-726 and appeared the...
but had driving wheels 6" larger. Most of the Armstrong locomotives worked in the Southern Division, and carried Sir Daniel Class boilers; only Nos. 806, 807, 810 and 821 were Northern Division engines, and these were in due course fitted with Wolverhampton boilers.
The four Northern engines were stationed at Wolverhampton and worked to Chester, then into Oxford over the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton
Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton railway was a company authorised on 4 August 1845 to construct a railway line from the Oxford and Rugby Railway at Wolvercot Junction to Worcester, Stourbridge, Dudley, and Wolverhampton, with a branch to the Grand Junction Railway at Bushbury...
line. The other Armstrong engines worked on south Wales passenger services. The later, Dean engines were more widely distributed. In their last years they were relegated to milk and branch trains; the whole class was withdrawn between 1904 and 1926.