The

Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a History of rail transport in Great Britain, British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, ...

Hawthorn Class were

broad gauge A broad-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge (the distance between the rails) broader than the used by standard-gauge railways. Broad gauge of , more known as Russian gauge, is the dominant track gauge in former Soviet Union countries ...

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, Fuel oil, oil or, rarely, Wood fuel, wood) to heat ...

s for passenger train work. This class was introduced into service in 1865, a development of the Victoria Class. Twenty locomotives were ordered from

Slaughter, Grüning and Company The Avonside Engine Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Avon Street, St Philip's Marsh, St Philip's, Bristol, England between 1864 and 1934. However the business originated with an earlier enterprise Henry Stothert and Company. Origins The ...

and given the names of famous engineers. The remaining six were built by the railway itself at

Swindon Swindon () is a town in Wiltshire, England. At the time of the 2021 Census the population of the built-up area was 183,638, making it the largest settlement in the county. Located at the northeastern edge of the South West England region, Swi ...

and given names previously carried by the Firefly Class locomotives that they replaced. Withdrawals started in March 1876 but the following year ten were rebuilt as locomotives; the last survived until the end of the broad gauge on 21 May 1892.

Tender locomotives

* ''Acheron'' (1866 - 1887) :This locomotive was built by the Great Western Railway at

. The name ''

Acheron The Acheron ( or ; ''Acheron'' or Ἀχερούσιος ''Acherousios''; ''Acherontas'') is a river in the Epirus (region), Epirus region of northwest Greece. It is long, and has a drainage area of . The river's source is located near the vil ...

'' comes from a Greek river and had previously been carried by a Fire Fly Class locomotive. * ''Beyer'' (1865 - 1877) :Built by

. It was named after

Charles Beyer Charles Frederick Beyer (an anglicised form of his original German name Carl Friedrich Beyer) (14 May 1813 – 2 June 1876) was a celebrated German-British locomotive designer and builder, and co-founder of the Institution of Mechanical Engineer ...

, a founder partner in the

Beyer, Peacock and Company Beyer, Peacock and Company was an English general engineering company and railway locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Openshaw, Manchester. Charles Beyer, Richard Peacock and Henry Robertson founded the company in 1854. The company clo ...

locomotive manufacturing firm. * ''Blenkensop'' (1865 - 1892) :Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company, this locomotive was named after

John Blenkinsop John Blenkinsop (1783 – 22 January 1831) was an English mining engineer and an inventor of steam locomotives, who designed the first practical railway locomotive. He was born in Felling, County Durham, the son of a stonemason and was ap ...

, a mining engineer and pioneer of railway locomotives. * ''Bury'' (1865 - 1877) :Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company. This locomotive was named after Edward Bury of Bury, Curtis, and Kennedy. * ''Cerberus'' (1866 - 1877) :This locomotive was built at Swindon. Cerebus was a character in

Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...

and the name had previously been carried by a Fire Fly Class locomotive. * ''Dewrance'' (1865 - 1892) :Built by the Slaughter, Grüning and Company, it was named after John Dewrance, an early railway engineer. * ''Fenton'' (1865 - 1892) :Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company. This locomotive was named after James Fenton of

Fenton, Murray and Jackson Fenton, Murray and Jackson was an engineering company at the Round Foundry off Water Lane in Holbeck, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Fenton, Murray and Wood Fenton Murray and Wood was founded in the 1790s by ironfounder Matthew Murray and t ...

. * ''Foster'' (1865 - 1876) :Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company, it was probably named after James Foster of Foster, Rastrick and Company. * ''Gooch'' (1865 - 1892) :Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company, this locomotive was named after

Daniel Gooch Sir Daniel Gooch, 1st Baronet (24 August 1816 – 15 October 1889) was an English railway locomotive and transatlantic cable engineer. He was the first Locomotive Superintendent, Superintendent of Locomotive Engines on the Great Western Ra ...

, the first locomotive engineer of the Great Western Railway. * ''Hackworth'' (1865 - 1892) :Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company, This locomotive was named after

Timothy Hackworth Timothy Hackworth (22 December 1786 – 7 July 1850) was an English steam locomotive engineer who lived in Shildon, County Durham, England and was the first locomotive superintendent of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. Youth and early work ...

, a famous engineer. * ''Hawk'' (1865 - 1892) :This locomotive was built at Swindon. A

hawk Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are very widely distributed and are found on all continents, except Antarctica. The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks, and others. This ...

is a kind of bird of prey; the name was later carried by a Fire Fly Class locomotive. * ''Hawthorn'' (1865 - 1876) :Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company, it was named for the founder of R and W Hawthorn and Company * ''Hedley'' (1865 - 1877) :Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company, it was probably named after

William Hedley William Hedley (13 July 1779 – 9 January 1843) was born in Newburn, near Newcastle upon Tyne. He was one of the leading industrial engineers of the early 19th century, and was instrumental in several major innovations in early railway deve ...

, one of the pioneers of the steam locomotive. * ''John Gray'' (1865 - 1876) :Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company, named after John Gray, the engineer of the London and Brighton Railway. * ''Melling'' (1865 - 1877) :Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company, it was probably named after Richard Melling, a canal engineer. * ''Murdoch'' (1865 - 1892) :Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company. This locomotive was named after

William Murdoch William Murdoch (sometimes spelled Murdock) (21 August 1754 – 15 November 1839) was a Scottish chemist, inventor, and mechanical engineer. Murdoch was employed by the firm of Boulton & Watt and worked for them in Cornwall, as a steam engin ...

. * ''Ostrich'' (1865 - 1877) :This locomotive was built at Swindon. An

ostrich Ostriches are large flightless birds. Two living species are recognised, the common ostrich, native to large parts of sub-Saharan Africa, and the Somali ostrich, native to the Horn of Africa. They are the heaviest and largest living birds, w ...

is a large flightless bird; the name had previously been carried by a Fire Fly Class locomotive. * ''Peacock'' (1866 - 1875) :This locomotive was built by the

Avonside Engine Company The Avonside Engine Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Avon Street, St Philip's, Bristol, England between 1864 and 1934. However the business originated with an earlier enterprise Henry Stothert and Company. Origins The firm was original ...

. This locomotive was named after Richard Peacock, a founder partner in the

locomotive manufacturing firm. * ''Penn'' (1866 - 1877) :This locomotive was built by the Avonside Engine Company and named after John Penn, who served two terms as a president of the

Institution of Mechanical Engineers The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is an independent professional association and learned society headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that represents mechanical engineers and the engineering profession. With over 110,000 member ...

. * ''Phlegethon'' (1866 - 1887) :This locomotive was built at Swindon.

Phlegethon In Greek mythology, the river Phlegethon () or Pyriphlegethon (, ) was one of the five rivers in the infernal regions of the underworld, along with the rivers Styx, Lethe, Cocytus, and Acheron. Mythology According to Homer's ''Odyssey'', t ...

was one of the five rivers of the Greek underworld and the name had previously been carried by a Fire Fly Class locomotive. * ''Pollux'' (1866 - 1877) :This locomotive was built at Swindon. Pollux was the twin of Castor in Greek mythology; the name had previously been carried on a Fire Fly Class locomotive. * ''Roberts'' (1865 - 1877) :Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company. It was named after Richard Roberts of

Sharp, Roberts and Company Sharp, Stewart and Company was a steam locomotive manufacturer, originally based in Manchester, England. The company was established in 1843 following the dissolution of Sharp, Roberts & Co.. In 1888, it relocated to Glasgow, Scotland, where it ...

*''Sharp'' (1866 - 1887) :This locomotive was built by the Avonside Engine Company, it was named after Thomas Sharp of

Sharp, Stewart and Company Sharp, Stewart and Company was a steam locomotive manufacturer, originally based in Manchester, England. The company was established in 1843 following the dissolution of Sharp, Roberts & Co.. In 1888, it relocated to Glasgow, Scotland, where it ...

. * ''Slaughter'' (1865 - 1892) :Built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company, this locomotive was initially named after Edward Slaughter one of its partners, but was soon renamed ''Avonside'' when the business changed its name to become the Avonside Engine Company. * ''Stewart'' (1866 - 1877) :This locomotive was built by the Avonside Engine Company, and named after Charles Stewart of

. * ''Wood'' (1866 - 1892) :This locomotive was built by the Avonside Engine Company. It was probably named after Frederick Wood, a railway engineer.

Tank locomotives

* ''Beyer'' (1877 - 1887) * ''Bury'' (1877 - 1892) * ''Cerberus'' (1877 - 1892) * ''Hedley'' (1877 - 1892) :After withdrawal, ''Hedley'' was used as a stationary boiler at Conwil Quarry from 1893, then was moved to

Neath Neath (; ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community situated in the Neath Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot County Borough, Wales. The town had a population of 50,658 in 2011. The community of the parish of Neath had a population of 19,2 ...

in 1905. It ceased work in 1914 but was not cut up - at Swindon - until 1929. * ''Melling'' (1877 - 1892) * ''Ostrich'' (1877 - 1892) * ''Penn'' (1877 - 1892) * ''Pollux'' (1877 - 1892) * ''Roberts'' (1877 - 1892) * ''Stewart'' (1877 - 1892) :This locomotive worked the last

train on the Falmouth branch on 20 May 1892, in company with '' Vulcan''.

References

* * * {{GWR Locomotives Hawthorn 2-4-0 locomotives 2-4-0T locomotives Avonside locomotives Broad gauge (7 feet) railway locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 1865 Passenger locomotives in the United Kingdom