GWR Haigh Foundry locomotives
The first 19 locomotives ordered by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Great Western Railway included two unusual Haigh Foundry locomotives.
Snake and Viper were built at the Haigh Foundry in 1838 with cylinders and the driving wheels geared 2:3 in order to keep the cylinder stroke speed low while allowing high track speed, in line with Brunel's specifications. Within a couple of years they had been rebuilt with and conventional drive. They were later converted to 2-2-2T tank locomotives, possibly when they were sent to work the South Devon Railway, and at some time fitted with driving wheels and cylinders.Names
