All scrapped, one non-working replica was built in the early 1980s
The Dean Single, 3031 Class, or Achilles Class was a type of steam locomotive built by the British Great Western Railway between 1891 and 1899. They were designed by William Dean for passenger work. The first 30 members of the class were built as 2-2-2s of the 3001 Class.
The first eight members of the class (numbers 3021-3028, built April–August 1891) were built as convertible 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) broad gauge2-2-2 locomotives, being converted to standard gauge in mid-1892, at the end of broad gauge running on the Great Western Railway. A further 22 were built in late 1891 and early 1892, this time as standard gauge engines.
Although the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) 3001 class were fitted with larger boilers than earlier GWR 2-2-2 classes, the diameter of the boiler was constrained by its position between the 7 ft 8+1⁄2 in (2.350 m) driving wheels. Thus boiler capacity could only be increased by making the boiler longer, not wider, bringing the smokebox and cylinders in front of the leading axle.[1] The extra weight of the larger boilers was borne by the leading wheels, making the locomotives unstable, particularly at speed. On 16 September 1893 No. 3021 Wigmore Castle, hauling an express train, was derailed in Box Tunnel when the front axle broke. The cause of the accident was thought to be excessive weight being carried on the front axle, so it was decided to replace the leading pair of wheels in the 3001 class with a bogie.[2][3]
In the 3001 class the steam chest was located underneath the cylinders, and contained two slide valves. The inverted placement of the valves allowed them to drop away from the face of the steam ports when steam was shut off, thus reducing wear.[4] The steam chest and valves lay above the front carrying axle, and there was sufficient clearance to allow the steam chest cover to be removed over the axle for maintenance.
Replacing the axle with a bogie of conventional design would have obstructed access to the port faces. Dean instead used a suspension bogie, in which the weight of the locomotive was transferred upwards to the bogie by four bolts mounted on the inside frames. The centre pin of the bogie rotated in a spring-centred block mounted beneath the steam chest on cross beams. This setup gave sufficient clearance so that, when the bolts were undone, the front end of the locomotive raised, and the bogie was run out from underneath, the steam chest cover could be removed without hindrance.[2]
No. 3021 was rebuilt as a 4-2-2 in March 1894. Between June and December 1894 the 28 remaining locomotives of the 3001 class were rebuilt.[5] The first of a further 50 new bogie singles was also built in March 1894, the last of the class being outshopped in March 1899.[6] These new locomotives differed from the rebuilds in having their cylinder diameter reduced from 20 to 19 inches (508 to 483 mm), and the springs for the trailing wheels located above the footplate and outside the cab, necessitating a reduced width for the latter.[7] The rebuilds subsequently had their cylinders lined down to 19 inches (483 mm).[8] The entire class, as they required it, had their driving wheels fitted with thicker tyres from 1898 onwards, increasing the wheel diameter by one-half inch (12.7 mm) to 7 ft 8+1⁄2 in (2.350 m).[8]
In 1900, George Jackson Churchward replaced the boiler on number 3027 Worcester with a parallel Standard 2 boiler. Twelve further engines were similarly converted in 1905 and 1906.
Despite the locomotives' speed, the 4-2-2 design was soon found to be outdated and unsuitable for more modern operation. A proposal to improve their performance by fitting them with long-travel valves was found to be impracticable; the existing valves were directly driven from eccentrics mounted on the driving axle, and there was insufficient clearance to fit larger eccentrics.[9] Churchward considered rebuilding the class as Armstrong Class 4-4-0s with
7 ft 2 in (2.184 m) coupled wheels. The cylinder centre line would then be 3.5 in (89 mm) above the driving centre, due to the 7 in (178 mm) difference in driving wheel diameter. This scheme was not carried through because the connecting rods would not clear the lower slide bar, and the valve gear would be out of alignment. An alternative proposal to drop the locomotive 3.5 in (89 mm), and raise the buffer beam and dragbox, was also rejected on the grounds of cost. The class were gradually withdrawn between 1908 and 1915, with the last survivor, no. 3074 Princess Helena, being withdrawn in December 1916.[9] All of the originals were scrapped, but a non-working replica was built in the early 1980s.[10][11]
Notable members of the class
3065 Duke of Connaught made a record-breaking run with the Ocean Mail on 9 May 1904 (having taken over the train from City of Truro at Bristol), covering the distance from Bristol (Pylle Hill) to Paddington in 99 minutes 46 seconds[12] as part of a run from Plymouth to Paddington in 227 minutes.
3041 The Queen, originally named James Mason, was an example of this class allocated to Royal Train duties.
Number 3046 Lord of the Isles has enjoyed a certain amount of celebrity, having been chosen as the prototype for a Tri-ang model locomotive. Since then the engine has also been modelled by Brio and Matchbox. In 2006, Hornby also produced a limited edition of the same model, this time bearing the name Lorna Doone. Hornby also produced Royal Sovereign, Great Western, Duke of Edinburgh and Achilles in 2008, 2010, 2009 and 2020 respectively.
None of the original class survive, but a static replica of The Queen was commissioned by Tussauds for the Railways and Royalty exhibition at Windsor and Eton Central railway station. The replica loco was completed in December 1982 and displayed outside Steamtown in January 1983 (where it was constructed), before being transported by road to Windsor on 12 January 1983 and arriving on 14 January.
The main frames, footplate, 'boiler', smokebox, cab and splashers were fabricated by Babcock's of Tipton. The tender was modified from an LBSCR C2x tender. Parts from a GWR tender, that came from the Dumbleton Hall Preservation Society, were used to provide the wheels for the front bogie and the rear wheels. The top halves of the driving wheels do not exist, while the bottom halves were cast from 2 quarters, being bolted together to make a half. The driving wheels also do not sit on the rail so the loco could be wheeled into position on its front bogie and rear wheels. Some boiler fittings were obtained from the Great Western Society and sandblasted, and the dome and safety valve bonnet were made by Newcastle Metal Spinners. Tussaud's fitted smoke and steam generators, so steam was emitted from the cab, whistles, safety valves and smoke from the chimney. A sound unit was also fitted.[13]
The engine remains there, but the tender was scrapped to make more space for the shopping centre occupying that station building. The Bluebell Railway Atlantic Group purchased the axleboxes, springs and the complete wheel sets from the tender for use in their newbuild Atlantic project.[14]
Previously the name of a Rover Class locomotive withdrawn in 1892
3013
Great Britain
03/1892
11/1894
02/1914
Previously the name of a Rover Class locomotive withdrawn in 1892
3014
Iron Duke
04/1892
10/1894
06/1908
Previously the name of the Iron Duke Class and a locomotive of that class; in this case it was reused from a locomotive of the Rover Class withdrawn in 1892. One of two locomotives of the class named after the Duke of Wellington.[16]
Built to broad gauge and originally named Rougemont (previously the name of an Iron Duke Class locomotive withdrawn in 1879). Renamed in 1898, after Henry Bessemer, who invented the first process for mass-producing steel.
3023
Swallow
07/1891
09/1894
09/1912
Built to broad gauge; previously the name of an Iron Duke Class locomotive withdrawn in 1871
3024
Storm King
07/1891
12/1894
02/1909
Built to broad gauge.
3025
Quicksilver
08/1891
10/1894
09/1908
Built to broad gauge and named St. George. Renamed May 1907, after the element mercury; previously the name of a Saint Class locomotive, which was itself renamed The Abbott 03/1907.
3026
Tornado
08/1891
06/1894
02/1909
Built to broad gauge; previously the name of a Rover Class locomotive withdrawn in 1892.
3027
Worcester
08/1891
11/1894
07/1914
Built to broad gauge and originally named Thames; renamed December 1895.[18]
Named after HMS Majestic, a battleship launched the month prior to the locomotive's delivery[23]
3049
Nelson
02/1895
07/1913
Originally named Prometheus; renamed May 1895. Previously the name of an Ariadne Class locomotive withdrawn in 1873.
3050
Royal Sovereign
02/1895
12/1915
Royal Sovereign was a contemporary term for Queen Victoria.[24] This name was temporarily transferred to Atbara Class locomotive no. 3373 when it hauled the Royal Funeral Train from Paddington on 2 February, 1901.[25]
Named after the Elizabethan privateer and explorer, involved with Raleigh in the settlement of North America, and with Drake's action against the Spanish Armada
Built as Timour (previously the name of a Rover Class locomotive withdrawn in 1892); renamed July 1901.
3057
Walter Robinson
04/1895
09/1912
Built as Tartar (previously the name of a Rover Class locomotive withdrawn in 1892); renamed July 1901.
3058
Grierson
04/1895
02/1912
Built as Ulysses (previously the name of an Ariadne Class locomotive withdrawn in 1872); renamed May 1895. James Grierson was chief engineer of the GWR; his son William was also a civil engineer on the railway.
Built as Warlock (previously the name of a Rover Class locomotive withdrawn 1892); renamed 03/1908, after a director of the GWR 1908–22;[16] name removed 03/1914.
Built as North Star (previously the name of a Star Class locomotive withdrawn 1871); name removed early 1906; renamed 09/1906 (previously the name of a Sir Watkin Class locomotive withdrawn 1872).
A model of the "Duke of Connaught" was produced by Lesney Products as Y-14 in the Models of Yesteryear range from 1959 to 1963.
Civic heraldry
Borough of Swindon arms on 1905 'JaJa' postcard
The coat of arms of the old Borough of Swindon (1900–74) includes an image of 3029 White Horse on the shield.[29] The coat of arms was displayed on the splashers of the last Castle Class built (No. 7037 Swindon). STEAM Museum of the Great Western Railway at Swindon acquired one of the splashers in 2012.[30]
Allcock, N. J.; Davies, F. K.; le Fleming, H. M.; Maskelyne, J. N.; Reed, P. J. T.; Tabor, F. J. (1968) [1951]. White, D. E. (ed.). The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway, part one: Preliminary Survey. Kenilworth: RCTS.
Bryan, Tim; Salter, Jeff; Smith, Peter (2008). STEAM Museum of the Great Western Railway (2nd ed.). Peterborough, UK: Heritage House. ISBN978-0-85101-898-0.
Davies, Ken (April 1993). The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway, part fourteen: Names and their Origins - ... Lincoln: RCTS. ISBN0-901115-75-4.
Fryer, Charles (1993). Single Wheeler Locomotives: The Brief Age Of Perfection. Sparkford: Haynes Publishing Group. ISBN0-86093-506-X.
Hinchcliffe, G (March 1983). "Gentlemen- 'The Queen'". The Railway Magazine. Vol. 129, no. 983.
le Fleming, H.M. (October 1954). White, D.E. (ed.). The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway, part seven: Dean's Larger Tender Engines. Kenilworth: RCTS. ISBN0-901115-18-5.
Nock, O.S. (1954). 60 years of Western Express Running. Ian Allan Ltd.
Nock, O.S. (1977). Standard Gauge Great Western 4-4-0s: Part 1: Inside Cylinder Classes 1894-1910. Newton Abbot: David and Charles. ISBN0-7153-7411-7.
Russell, J.H. (1999) [1975]. A Pictorial Record of Great Western Engines: Volume One:Gooch, Armstrong & Dean Locomotives. Shepperton: Ian Allan. ISBN0-86093-398-9.
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