GWR 3521 Class

The 3521 Class were forty tank locomotives designed by William Dean to haul passenger trains on the Great Western Railway. They were introduced as 0-4-2T locomotives in 1887, but were quickly altered to become 0-4-4Ts to improve their running. Following two serious accidents they were further altered from 1899 to run as 4-4-0 tender locomotives, in which form the last was withdrawn in 1934.

Locomotives

0-4-2T standard gauge

The first twenty locomotives were turned out in 1887 as 0-4-2T locomotives for services on the standard gauge lines.
* 3521
* 3522
* 3523
* 3524
* 3525
* 3526
* 3527
* 3528
* 3529
* 3530
* 3531
* 3532
* 3533
* 3534
* 3535
* 3536
* 3537
* 3538
* 3539
* 3540

0-4-2T broad gauge

In 1888 a further batch of twenty were ordered as 0-4-2ST saddle tanks for the broad gauge lines in Devon and Cornwall.
* 3541 (1888 - 1890)
* 3542 (1888 - 1891)
* 3543 (1888 - 1891)
* 3544 (1888 - 1890)
* 3545 (1888 - 1891)
* 3546 (1888 - 1890)
* 3547 (1888 - 1891)
* 3548 (1888 - 1891)
* 3549 (1888 - 1891)
* 3550 (1888 - 1890)
* 3551 (1888 - 1890)
* 3552 (1888 - 1890)
* 3553 (1888 - 1890)
* 3554 (1889 - 1891)
* 3555 (1889 - 1890)
* 3556 (1889 - 1890)
* 3557 (1889 - 1891)
* 3558 (1889 - 1890)
* 3559 (1889 - 1890)

0-4-4T broad gauge

Due to the unsteady running of the 0-4-2STs, the last of the order, 3660, was turned out in August 1889 as a 0-4-4T bogie side tank. The remainder of the class were altered to a similar layout over the following two years. 3660 was slighly different at this time, having a bogie that was six inches shorter and an overall wheelbase of 20 ft 8 in, rather than the 21 ft 4 in of the converted locomotives.
* 3541 (1890 - 1892)
* 3542 (1891 - 1892)
* 3544 (1890 - 1892)
* 3545 (1891 - 1892)
* 3546 (1890 - 1892)
* 3548 (1891 - 1892)
* 3549 (1891 - 1892)
* 3550 (1890 - 1892)
* 3551 (1890 - 1892)
* 3552 (1890 - 1892)
* 3553 (1890 - 1892)
* 3554 (1891 - 1892)
* 3555 (1890 - 1892)
* 3556 (1890 - 1892)
* 3557 (1891 - 1892)
* 3558 (1890 - 1892)
* 3559 (1890 - 1892)
* 3660 (1889 - 1892)

0-4-4T standard gauge

The standard gauge 0-4-2Ts were converted to 0-4-4Ts in the same manner as the broad gauge locomotives, which were all eventually converted to standard gauge. By the end of 1892 the whole class of forty locomotives was to one standard design for the first time.
* 3521
* 3522
* 3523
* 3524
* 3525
* 3526
* 3527
* 3528
* 3529
* 3530
* 3531
* 3532
* 3533
* 3534
* 3535
* 3536
* 3537
* 3538
* 3539
* 3540
* 3541 (1892 - )
* 3542 (1892 - )
* 3543 (1891 - )
* 3544 (1892 - )
* 3545 (1892 - )
* 3546 (1892 - )
* 3547 (1891 - )
* 3548 (1892 - )
* 3549 (1892 - )
* 3550 (1892 - )
* 3551 (1892 - )
* 3552 (1892 - )
* 3553 (1892 - )
* 3554 (1892 - )
* 3555 (1892 - )
* 3556 (1892 - )
* 3557 (1892 - )
* 3558 (1892 - )
* 3559 (1892 - )
* 3660 (1892 - 1899)

On 13 April 1895 3521 and 3546 derailed near Bodmin Road. Three years later another of the class, 3542, derailed at Penryn and rolled down an embankment, killing the driver. Following this the whole class was rebuilt as 4-4-0 locomotives.

4-4-0 standard gauge

All forty 0-4-4T locomotives were rebuilt as 4-4-0 tender locomotives between 1899 and 1902.

Two locomotives, 3521 and 3546, were transferred to the Cambrian Railway in 1921 to replace locomotives destroyed in the Abermule accident. They were allocated Cambrian numbers 82 and 95 respectively but these were never carried, the two locomotives being returned to the Great Western Railway with their original numbers when the two railways were grouped together in 1922.

References

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