GWR No. 36

GWR No. 36 was a prototype 4-6-0 steam locomotive constructed at Swindon railway works for the Great Western Railway in 1896, the first 4-6-0 ever built for the GWR and one of the first in Britain. It was designed by William Dean and le Fleming comments that "the design is unusual and entirely Dean of the later period, including the only large boiler ever built entirely to his ideas."[1]

GWR No. 36
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerWilliam Dean
BuilderGWR Swindon works
Build date1896
Total produced1
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte4-6-0
Gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Driver dia.4 ft 7.5 in (1.410 m)
Fuel typecoal
Cylinderstwo
Cylinder size20 in × 24 in (508 mm × 610 mm)
Career
OperatorsGWR
Withdrawn1905

Design

No. 36 had double frames for the 4 ft 7 1⁄2 in (1.410 m) coupled wheels and an outside-frame bogie; cylinders were 20" x 24". The long boiler and raised round-topped firebox create a harmonious impression, and the loco acquired the nickname "The Crocodile". Among its innovative features included the use of Serve tubes.

Use

Designed for heavy freights through the Severn Tunnel, it proved itself exceptionally capable. It was probably due to Dean's declining state of health and Churchward's increasing influence that the loco did little work away from Swindon, remained a prototype, and was withdrawn by Churchward in 1905 with the low mileage of 171,428.[2]

References
  1. le Fleming 1954, p. G38.
  2. le Fleming 1954, pp. G38-G39.

Sources
  • 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. ISBN 0-901115-18-5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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