South Devon Railway Eagle class

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South Devon Railway Eagle class
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
Designer Daniel Gooch
Builder Slaughter, Grüning and Company
Serial number360–368, 411–412, 522, 559, 591–593
Build date1859–1865
Total produced16
Specifications
Configuration:
   Whyte 4-4-0 ST
   UIC 2′B n2t
Gauge 7 ft 14 in (2,140 mm)
Leading dia. 3 ft 6 in (1.067 m)
Driver dia.5 ft 6 in (1.676 m)
Wheelbase 18 ft 0 in (5.49 m)
Water cap1,100 imp gal (5,000 l; 1,300 US gal)
Cylinder size 16 12 in × 24 in (419 mm × 610 mm)
Career
Operators
Class Eagle
Withdrawn1876–1892
DispositionAll scrapped

The Eagle class were sixteen 4-4-0 ST broad gauge locomotives operated on the South Devon Railway (SDR), Cornwall Railway (CR) and associated adjacent railways. They were designed for passenger trains on this steep and sharply curved line but were also used on goods trains when required.

Contents

They were ordered by Evans, Walker and Gooch who were contracted to operate the locomotives for both the railways. Daniel Gooch designed them as a development of his earlier Comet class. They had slightly smaller wheels but larger tanks containing 1,100 gallons, a 37.5% increase. They were built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company.

The locomotives were bought by the SDR on 1 July 1866 after which they were operated as a combined fleet over both the SDR and CR, but they continued to be accounted to their original owner. On 1 February 1876 the South Devon Railway was amalgamated with the Great Western Railway, the locomotives were given numbers by their new owners but continued to carry their names too.

Locomotives

South Devon Railway

Named after the bird of prey, hawk.
Giraffe hauled the first train on the Launceston and South Devon Railway on 1 June 1865 with Dart.
The locomotive was named after the animal, giraffe.
Named after the powerful animal, lion.
Named after the swift animal, antelope.
Named after the powerful animal, tiger.
Named after the Greek mythological character, Hector.
Dart hauled the first train on the Launceston and South Devon Railway on 1 June 1865 with Giraffe.
The locomotive was named after the dart missile.

Cornwall Railway

Named after the bird of prey, eagle.
Just two days after the opening of the railway Elk was derailed near St Germans and fell off Grove viaduct with fatal consequences.
The locomotive was named after the animal, elk.
Named after the strong animal, lynx.
Named after the swift animal, gazelle.
Named after an epic poem, Mazeppa by Lord Byron.
Named after the strong animal, wolf.
Cato was a name shared by many famous Romans.
Named after the Greek mythological character, Pollux, it had originally been intended to be named Tamar after the River Tamar.
Named after the Greek mythological character' Castor, it had originally intended to be named Fal after the River Fal.

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References