GWR Hawthorn Class
Encyclopedia
The Great Western Railway
Hawthorn Class were 2-4-0
broad gauge
steam locomotive
s for passenger train work. This class was introduced into service in 1865, a development of the Victoria Class
.
Twenty locomotives were ordered from Slaughter, Grüning and Company
and given the names of famous engineers. The remaining six were built by the railway itself at Swindon and given names previously carried by the Firefly Class
locomotives that they replaced.
Withdrawals started in March 1876 but the following year ten were rebuilt as 2-4-0T tank locomotives; the last survived until the end of the broad gauge on 21 May 1892.
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...
Hawthorn Class were 2-4-0
2-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels....
broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
steam locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s for passenger train work. This class was introduced into service in 1865, a development of the Victoria Class
GWR Victoria Class
The Great Western Railway Victoria Class were 2-4-0 broad gauge steam locomotives for passenger train work. This class was introduced into service in two batches between August 1856 and May 1864...
.
Twenty locomotives were ordered from Slaughter, Grüning and Company
Avonside Engine Company
The Avonside Engine Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Avon Street, St. Philip's, Bristol, England between 1864 and 1934. However the business originated with an earlier enterprise Henry Stothert and Company.-Origins:...
and given the names of famous engineers. The remaining six were built by the railway itself at Swindon and given names previously carried by the Firefly Class
GWR Firefly Class
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....
locomotives that they replaced.
Withdrawals started in March 1876 but the following year ten were rebuilt as 2-4-0T tank locomotives; the last survived until the end of the broad gauge on 21 May 1892.
Tender locomotives
- Acheron (1866 - 1887)
- This locomotive was built by the Great Western Railway at Swindon. The name AcheronAcheronThe Acheron is a river located in the Epirus region of northwest Greece. It flows into the Ionian Sea in Ammoudia, near Parga.-In mythology:...
comes from a Greek river and had previously been carried by a Fire Fly ClassGWR Firefly ClassThe 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....
locomotive.- Beyer (1865 - 1877)
- Built by Slaughter, Grüning and CompanyAvonside Engine CompanyThe Avonside Engine Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Avon Street, St. Philip's, Bristol, England between 1864 and 1934. However the business originated with an earlier enterprise Henry Stothert and Company.-Origins:...
. It was named after Charles BeyerCharles BeyerCharles Frederick Beyer was a German-British locomotive engineer, co-founder of the firm Beyer-Peacock.-Early life:...
, a founder partner in the Beyer, Peacock and CompanyBeyer, Peacock and CompanyBeyer, Peacock and Company was an English railway Locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Gorton, Manchester. Founded by Charles Beyer and Richard Peacock, it traded from 1854 until 1966...
locomotive manufacturing firm.- Blenkensop (1865 - 1892)
- Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company, this locomotive was named after John BlenkinsopJohn BlenkinsopJohn Blenkinsop was an English mining engineer and an inventor of steam locomotives, who designed the first practical railway locomotive....
, a mining engineer and pioneer of railway locomotives.- Bury (1865 - 1877)
- Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company. This locomotive was named after Edward Bury of Bury, Curtis, and KennedyBury, Curtis, and KennedyBury, Curtis and Kennedy was a steam locomotive manufacturer in Liverpool, England.Edward Bury set up his works in 1826, under the name of Edward Bury and Company. He employed James Kennedy, who had gained experience of locomotive production under Robert Stephenson and Mather, Dixon and Company,...
.- Cerberus (1866 - 1877)
- This locomotive was built at Swindon. Cerebus was a character in Greek mythologyGreek mythologyGreek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
and the name had previously been carried by a Fire Fly Class locomotive.- Dewrance (1865 - 1892)
- Built by the Slaughter, Grüning and Company, it was named after John Dewrance, an early railway engineer.
- Fenton (1865 - 1892)
- Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company. This locomotive was named after James Fenton of Fenton, Murray and JacksonFenton, Murray and JacksonFenton, Murray and Jackson was an engineering company at the Round Foundry off Water Lane in Holbeck, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Fenton, Murray and Wood:...
.- Foster (1865 - 1876)
- Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company, it was probably named after James Foster of Foster, Rastrick and CompanyFoster, Rastrick and CompanyFoster, Rastrick and Company was one of the pioneering steam locomotive manufacturing companies of England. It was based in Stourbridge, Worcestershire, now West Midlands....
.- Gooch (1865 - 1892)
- Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company, this locomotive was named after Daniel GoochDaniel GoochSir Daniel Gooch, 1st Baronet was an English railway and transatlantic cable engineer and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1865 to 1885...
, the first locomotive engineer of the Great Western Railway.- Hackworth (1865 - 1892)
- Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company, This locomotive was named after Timothy HackworthTimothy HackworthTimothy Hackworth was a steam locomotive engineer who lived in Shildon, County Durham, England and was the first locomotive superintendent of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.- Youth and early work :...
, a famous engineer.- Hawk (1865 - 1892)
- This locomotive was built at Swindon. A hawkHawkThe term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
is a kind of bird of prey; the name was later carried by a Fire Fly Class locomotive.- Hawthorn (1865 - 1876)
- Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company, it was named for the founder of R and W Hawthorn and CompanyHawthorn Leslie and CompanyR. & W. Hawthorn Leslie and Company, Limited, usually referred to as Hawthorn Leslie, was a shipbuilding and locomotive manufacturer. The Company was founded on Tyneside in 1886 and ceased building ships in 1982.-History:...
- Hedley (1865 - 1877)
- Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company, it was probably named after William HedleyWilliam HedleyWilliam Hedley was one of the leading industrial engineers of the early 19th century, and was very instrumental in several major innovations in early railway development...
, one of the pioneers of the steam locomotive.- John Gray (1865 - 1876)
- Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company, named after John Gray, the engineer of the London and Brighton RailwayLondon and Brighton RailwayThe London and Brighton Railway was a railway company in England which was incorporated in 1837 and survived until 1846. Its railway runs from a junction with the London & Croydon Railway at Norwood - which gives it access from London Bridge, just south of the River Thames in central London...
.- Melling (1865 - 1877)
- Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company, it was probably named after Richard Melling, a canal engineer.
- Murdoch (1865 - 1892)
- Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company. This locomotive was named after William MurdochWilliam MurdochWilliam Murdoch was a Scottish engineer and long-term inventor.Murdoch was employed by the firm of Boulton and Watt and worked for them in Cornwall, as a steam engine erector for ten years, spending most of the rest of his life in Birmingham, England.He was the inventor of the oscillating steam...
.- Ostrich (1865 - 1877)
- This locomotive was built at Swindon. An ostrichOstrichThe Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
is a large flightless bird; the name had previously been carried by a Fire Fly Class locomotive.- Peacock (1866 - 1875)
- This locomotive was built by the Avonside Engine CompanyAvonside Engine CompanyThe Avonside Engine Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Avon Street, St. Philip's, Bristol, England between 1864 and 1934. However the business originated with an earlier enterprise Henry Stothert and Company.-Origins:...
. This locomotive was named after Richard PeacockRichard PeacockRichard Peacock was an English engineer, one of the founders of locomotive manufacturer Beyer-Peacock.-Early life and education:...
, a founder partner in the Beyer, Peacock and CompanyBeyer, Peacock and CompanyBeyer, Peacock and Company was an English railway Locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Gorton, Manchester. Founded by Charles Beyer and Richard Peacock, it traded from 1854 until 1966...
locomotive manufacturing firm.- Penn (1866 - 1877)
- This locomotive was built by the Avonside Engine Company and named after John PennJohn Penn (engineer)John Penn FRS, was a marine engineer, whose firm was pre-eminent in the middle of the nineteenth century due to his innovations in engine and propeller systems, which led his firm to be the major supplier to the Royal Navy as it made the transition from sail to steam power...
, who served two terms as a president of the Institution of Mechanical EngineersInstitution of Mechanical EngineersThe Institution of Mechanical Engineers is the British engineering society based in central London, representing mechanical engineering. It is licensed by the Engineering Council UK to assess candidates for inclusion on ECUK's Register of professional Engineers...
.- Phlegethon (1866 - 1887)
- This locomotive was built at Swindon. PhlegethonPhlegethonIn Greek mythology, the river Phlegethon or Pyriphlegethon was one of the five rivers in the infernal regions of the underworld, along with the rivers Styx, Lethe, Cocytus, and Acheron...
was one of the five rivers of the Greek underworld and the name had previously been carried by a Fire Fly Class locomotive.- Pollux (1866 - 1877)
- This locomotive was built at Swindon. Pollux Castor and PolluxIn Greek and Roman mythology, Castor and Pollux or Polydeuces were twin brothers, together known as the Dioscuri . Their mother was Leda, but Castor was the mortal son of Tyndareus, king of Sparta, and Pollux the divine son of Zeus, who visited Leda in the guise of a swan...
was the twin of Castor in Greek mythology; the name had previously been carried on a Fire Fly Class locomotive.- Roberts (1865 - 1877)
- Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company. It was named after Richard Roberts of Sharp, Roberts and CompanySharp, Roberts and CompanySharp, Stewart and Company was a steam locomotive manufacturer, initially based in Manchester, England. The company was formed in 1843 upon the demise of Sharp, Roberts & Co. and moved to Glasgow, Scotland in 1888, eventually amalgamating with two other Glasgow-based locomotive manufacturers to...
- Sharp (1866 - 1887)
- This locomotive was built by the Avonside Engine Company, it was named after Thomas Sharp of Sharp Stewart and Company.
- Slaughter (1865 - 1892)
- Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company, this locomotive was initially named after Edward Slaughter one of its partners, but was soon renamed Avonside when the business changed its name to become the Avonside Engine Company.
- Stewart (1866 - 1877)
- This locomotive was built by the Avonside Engine Company, and named after Charles Stewart of Sharp Stewart and Company.
- Wood (1866 - 1892)
- This locomotive was built by the Avonside Engine Company. It was probably named after Frederick Wood, a railway engineer.
Tank locomotives
- Beyer (1877 - 1887)
- Bury (1877 - 1892)
- Cerberus (1877 - 1892)
- Hedley (1877 - 1892)
- After withdrawal, Hedley was used as a stationary boiler at Conwil Quarry from 1893, then was moved to NeathNeathNeath is a town and community situated in the principal area of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, UK with a population of approximately 45,898 in 2001...
in 1905. It ceased work in 1914 but was not cut up - at Swindon - until 1929.- Melling (1877 - 1892)
- Ostrich (1877 - 1892)
- Penn (1877 - 1892)
- Pollux (1877 - 1892)
- Roberts (1877 - 1892)
- Stewart (1877 - 1892)
- This locomotive worked the last broad gauge train on the Falmouth branchMaritime LineThe Maritime Line is a railway line that runs in the valley of the River Fal from Truro to Falmouth on the south coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom.-History:...
on 20 May 1892, in company with VulcanSouth Devon Railway Buffalo classThe ten Buffalo class locomotives were 0-6-0 saddle tank broad gauge locomotives operated on the South Devon Railway, Cornwall Railway and West Cornwall Railway...
.