GWR Iron Duke Class


The Great Western Railway Iron Duke Class 4-2-2 was a class of broad gauge steam locomotives for express passenger train work.

History

The prototype locomotive, Great Western, was built as a 2-2-2 locomotive in April 1846, but was soon converted to a 4-2-2 arrangement, with the leading wheels set rigidly within the sandwich framing, rather than in a separate bogie. The remainder of the class entered service between April 1847 and July 1855.
Locomotives of the Iron Duke class were extremely fast and had an estimated top speed of about. They were used to haul the Flying Dutchman express train which, for several decades, was the world's fastest train. In 1852 the daily service from London Paddington to Exeter was achieved with an average speed of ; with the flatter section between London and Swindon covered at an average speed of.
From about 1865, the Iron Duke Class was known as the Alma Class.
In May to July 1870, three locomotives were extensively rebuilt with new frames and boilers, but retaining their original names. Following these, further locomotives were built to similar specifications, entering service between August 1871 and July 1888. These new locomotives are generally referred to as the Rover class. Although these locomotives took the names of withdrawn locomotives of the original design, they were not rebuilt from them like the first three, but entirely new locomotives.
Apart from the three conversions, the original locomotives were withdrawn between December 1870 and June 1884. Lord of the Isles was initially preserved by the GWR at Swindon Works, but was scrapped in January 1906 owing to the pressure of space. The three conversions were withdrawn between September 1880 and October 1887, while the other locomotives to the later design were all withdrawn with the end of the GWR broad gauge in May 1892.
Many of the nameplates can be seen at the National Railway Museum and at Swindon Steam Railway Museum, while the driving wheels from Lord of the Isles can also be seen at Swindon.

Locomotives

2-2-2 Great Western

The prototype for this class was named the Great Western and built in 1846. Named after the railway, it was designed to show how the 2-2-2 express engines could be improved; its driving wheels were larger than those of the successful Fire Fly class. It broke its leading axle after a short while in service and was subsequently rebuilt as a 4-2-2, becoming part of the Iron Duke class.

Iron Duke class

NameBuiltWithdrawnDetails and information
Great Western18461870Rebuilt from the 2-2-2 first, prototype, locomotive, with wheelbase. Name of the Great Western Railway company and Brunel's first steam ship, SS Great Western of 1838.
Great Britain18471880Second production locomotive, one of the first batch built, 18'6" wheelbase. Name of the country, Great Britain, and Brunel's SS Great Britain steamship of 1843.

Rover class

NameBuiltWithdrawnDetails and information
Balaklava18711892Name reused from Iron Duke class locomotive withdrawn in 1875.
Hirondelle18711890Name reused from Iron Duke class locomotive withdrawn in 1873.
Iron Duke18731892Name reused from Iron Duke class locomotive withdrawn in 1871.
Timour18731892Name reused from Iron Duke class locomotive withdrawn in 1871.
Sultan18761892Name reused from Iron Duke class locomotive withdrawn in 1874.
Tartar18761892Name reused from Iron Duke class locomotive withdrawn in 1876.
Warlock18761892Name reused from Iron Duke class locomotive withdrawn in 1874.
Amazon18781892Name reused from Iron Duke class locomotive withdrawn in 1877.
Courier18781892Name reused from Iron Duke class locomotive withdrawn in 1877.
Crimea18781892Name reused from Iron Duke class locomotive withdrawn in 1876.
Eupatoria18781892Name reused from Iron Duke class locomotive withdrawn in 1876.
Inkermann18781892Name reused from Iron Duke class locomotive withdrawn in 1877.
Lightning18781892Name reused from Iron Duke class locomotive withdrawn in 1878.
Alma18801892Name reused from Iron Duke class locomotive withdrawn in 1872.
Bulkeley18801892This locomotive worked the last broad gauge passenger train out of Paddington station on the afternoon of 20 May 1892. It worked this as far as Bristol Temple Meads and then returned early the following morning with the last train from Penzance, thus being the last broad gauge locomotive to work a passenger train on the main line. The name, Bulkeley, honoured a long-standing Great Western Railway director. It had previously been carried on a Sir Watkin class0-6-0T that had been sold to the South Devon Railway Company in 1872.
Dragon18801892Name reused from Iron Duke class locomotive withdrawn in 1872.
Emperor18801892Name reused from Iron Duke class locomotive withdrawn in 1873.

Replica

In 1985 a working replica of Iron Duke was constructed using parts from two Hunslet Austerity tanks as part of the Great Western 150 celebrations. The boiler certificate has expired so it cannot currently be steamed.
It is part of the National Railway Collection but is currently on long-term loan to the Didcot Railway Centre, which has a section of working broad gauge track.
The replica appeared in The Railway Series book Thomas and the Great Railway Show, in which it was portrayed with whiskery eyebrows and a walrus moustache.