GWR Sharp, Roberts locomotives
Encyclopedia
The first 19 locomotives ordered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel
for the Great Western Railway
included three 2-2-2
Sharp, Roberts locomotives. They were built by Sharp, Roberts and Company
and the most successful of the early designs, two lasting until the 1870s.
The original 14 in dia × 15 in cylinders were replaced from 1844 by larger 14 in dia × 18 in or 15 in dia × 18 in ones.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
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...
included three 2-2-2
2-2-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-2-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle two powered driving wheels on one axle, and two trailing wheels on one axle. The wheel arrangement both provided more stability and enabled a larger firebox...
Sharp, Roberts locomotives. They were built by Sharp, Roberts and Company
Sharp, Roberts and Company
Sharp, 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...
and the most successful of the early designs, two lasting until the 1870s.
The original 14 in dia × 15 in cylinders were replaced from 1844 by larger 14 in dia × 18 in or 15 in dia × 18 in ones.
Locomotives
- Atlas (1838 - 1872)
- This locomotive was rebuilt as a 2-2-2T tank locomotive in 1860. After it was withdrawn it was sold to a Mr Glasbrook in Swansea. It was named after AtlasAtlas (mythology)In Greek mythology, Atlas was the primordial Titan who supported the heavens. Although associated with various places, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in north-west Africa...
, a Greek Titan.- Eagle (1838 - 1871)
- This locomotive was rebuilt as a 2-2-T tank locomotive in 1860. It was named after the bird of prey, the eagleEagleEagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
.- Lion (1838 - 1847)
- This locomotive was named after the powerful animal, the lionLionThe lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
.