South Devon Railway Eagle class

Infobox Locomotive
name="Eagle"
powertype=Steam
whytetype=4-4-0ST
driversize=5 ft 6 in
leadingsize=3 ft 6 in
wheelbase=18 ft 0 in
cylindersize=16½ in dia × 24 stroke
railroad=South Devon Railway
railroadclass=Eagle
gauge=7 ft 0¼ in
designer=Daniel Gooch
builder=Stothert, Slaughter, Grunning & Co.

The Eagle class were sixteen 4-4-0 saddle tank broad gauge locomotives operated on the South Devon Railway, Cornwall Railway and associated adjacent railways. They were designed for passenger trains on this steep and sharply curved line but were also used on goods trains when required.

They were ordered by Evans, Walker and Gooch who were contracted to operate the locomotives for both the railways. They were designed by Daniel Gooch a development of his earlier Comet class with slightly smaller wheels and larger tanks containing 1,100 gallons, a 37.5% increase, and built by Stothert, Slaughter, Grunning and Company.

From 1 July 1866 the locomotives were bought by the South Devon Railway, after which they were operated as a combined fleet over both railways, but they continued to be accounted to their original owner. On 1 February 1876 the South Devon Railway was amalgamated with the Great Western Railway, the locomotives were given numbers by their new owners but continued to carry their names too.

Locomotives

outh Devon Railway

* "Antelope" (1859 - 1884) GWR no. 2114:Named after the swift animal, antelope.

* "Dart" (1863 - 1885) GWR no. 2119:"Dart" hauled the first train on the Launceston and South Devon Railway on 1 June 1865 with "Giraffe".:The locomotive was named after the dart missile.

* "Giraffe" (1859 - 1877) GWR no. 2112:"Giraffe" hauled the first train on the Launceston and South Devon Railway on 1 June 1865 with "Dart".:The locomotive was named after the animal, giraffe.

* "Hawk" (1859 - 1886) GWR no. 2108:Named after the bird of prey, hawk.

* "Hector" (1860 - 1892) GWR no. 2117:Named after the Greek mythological character, Hector.

* "Lion" (1859 - 1883) GWR no. 2113:Named after the powerful animal, lion.

* "Tiger" (1860 - 1884) GWR no. 2116:Named after the powerful animal, tiger.

Cornwall Railway

* "Castor" (1865 - 1882) GWR no. 2121:Named after the Greek mythological character' Castor, it had originally intended to be named "Fal" after the River Fal.

* "Cato" (1863 - 1877) GWR no. 2118:Cato was a name shared by many famous romans.

* "Eagle" (1859 - 1876) GWR no. 2106:Named after the bird of prey, eagle.

* "Elk" (1859 - 1877) GWR no. 2107:Just two days after the opening of the railway"Elk" was derailed near St Germans and fell off Grove viaduct with fatal consequences.:The locomotive was named after the animal, elk.

* "Gazelle" (1859 - 1865) GWR no. 2110:Named after the swift animal, gazelle.

* "Lynx" (1859 - 1876) GWR no. 2109:Named after the strong animal, lynx.

* "Mazeppa" (1859 - 1885) GWR no. 2111:Named after an epic poem, "Mazeppa" by Lord Byron.

* "Pollux" (1865 - 1892) GWR no. 2120:Named after the Greek mythological character, Pollux, it had originally been intended to be named "Tamar" after the River Tamar.

* "Wolf" (1859 - 1878) GWR no. 2115:Named after the strong animal, wolf.

References

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* Railway company records at The National Archives