The William Dean 7 or Armstrong Class refers to a group of four prototype 4-4-0 double-frame locomotives built at the Swindon Works of the

Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...

in 1894.

History

They were nominal renewals of four of Dean's "experimental locomotives", Nos. 7, 8, 14 and 16. Had it not been for the recent derailing of one of his 3001 Class 2-2-2s in Box Tunnel, these engines would probably have been rebuilt as 2-2-2s; in the event they emerged as double-framed four-coupled engines with 7' driving wheels and a front bogie similar to that used on the 3031 Class.

Names

The four locomotives, which with their double-curved running plates were exceptionally handsome, were named as follows: * 7 Charles Saunders (first), Armstrong (second) * 8 Gooch * 14 Charles Saunders * 16 Brunel

Use

At the end of the 19th century the four locos ran between London and Bristol, but after about 1910 they were moved to Wolverhampton and worked north from there. Rather later, between 1915 and 1923, all four were rebuilt with driving wheels and Standard No. 2 boilers, and became members of the Flower class. They were renumbered 4169-4172.

References

Sources

* * * {{GWR Locomotives 4-4-0 locomotives Experimental locomotives 0007 Standard gauge steam locomotives of Great Britain Passenger locomotives