Railways Gallery

GWR (4-4-0) Bulldog SWIFT (3350) with men posed in front. Between 1900-1912

Image shows GWR (4-4-0) Bulldog SWIFT (3350) possibly at Truro station although the locality is unknown. Eight workers are posed in front of the locomotive. This specific train was built in Swindon in March 1900. It was renumbered in 1912 to 3338 and then withdrawn and scrapped in November of 1933. It was one of 156 locomotives of its type. It was often used in Devon and Cornwall because their 5ft 8in driving wheels were useful on heavy gradients

© From the collection of the RIC

Penponds

© From the collection of the RIC

Bridge, Cornish, Countryside, Fields, Great, Gwr, Railway, Western

Redruth Railway Station, Cornwall, 1st March 1867

This well known photograph depicts the first broad gauge passenger train to arrive at Redruth from the west on 1st March 1867. It also shows that the station has been extended towards the goods shed, revealed by the change in chimney brickwork colour. The corrugated iron roof covering to the station is shown clearly, whilst the goods shed was slate covered. It's sliding doors have been drawn across against the March cold. The locomotive is "Lance", which was one of the first contract engines built in October 1851 by Longridge and Company of Bedlington, to Gooch's "Corsair" design. Inside frames started behind the motion plate. The wheel base was 5'0"+5 1" + 7 8" giving a total of 17 9". The leading wheels were 3 6" diameter and the driving wheels 5 9". A relatively short tank of 800 gallons capacity rested on a boiler of 4 5" diameter with 220 tubes of 2" diameter. The engine was later destroyed in the collision occurring between Menheniot and St Germans early in the morning of 2nd December 1873 with the double headed goods drawn by 0-6-0STs "Brutus" and "Romulus". The authorisation "All right Dick" was given to the guard of a down train at Menheniot, but Lance`s guard was also called Dick and his train was started by mistake. The heavy down goods had already left St Germans and disaster was thus inevitable. The first passenger carriage is covered, whilst the second, just in view, is open to the elements. Photographer: Unknown

© From the collection of the RIC