Great Western Star

Page 85

William Dean’s Ugly Ducklings When one looks of the deigns of engines produced by the GWR in the 19th century. It is with some puzzlement that one arrives in 1899 with what can only be described as one of the least attractive locomotives that ever came out of Swindon Works. The Class in question is the Krugers. They had outside frames to the six-coupled driving wheels, but inside frames for the leading wheels. A distinctive visual feature, initially, was a large saddle-shaped sandbox over the first ring of the boiler. The class had two prototypes: No. 2601, was a 4-6-0, while No. 2602 was a 2-6-0. These first two were built in 1899, while Nos. 2603-2610, all 2-60s, followed later, between 1899 and 1903. Though Dean was officially still in charge, Churchward's influence is evident in the rugged design. Their, perhaps ironic, nickname was as an insult to Paul Kruger, the Boer War leader defeated by Lord Roberts in 1900. In addition, No.2602, which was slightly less ugly as a 2-6-0, nicknamed Mrs Kruger! Basic dimensions for the class include 2-6-0 wheel arrangement (coupled wheels 4ft 7 1/2 in leading wheels 2ft 8in), boiler pressed at 180 lbf/ in2 and two inside cylinders (19in diameter and 28in stroke). Perhaps Churchward saw the chance of experimenting in the name of Dean, and this somewhat experimental class was not successful, the boiler with its high pressure and 3ft 6in long combustion chamber gave trouble and the long 28-

inch stroke of the inside cylinders led to fractures of the solid crank axles. The locos were employed on the coal drags from South Wales but did not prove successful. So, the class was not long-lived, and most were withdrawn around 1906. Several of the boilers were converted for stationary use in Swindon Works. They worked at a reduced pressure (165 lbf/in2) where they proved more successful than as a locomotive. They remained in service there, with at least one surviving until the 1950s. Their numbers (Nos.2601-2610) were adopted by Churchward in 1907 for some of the last batch of the more elegant and reliable Aberdare Class 2-6-0s, which may also have re-used some of the "Kruger’s' parts.

(Top) No 2601 in 4-6-0 format (Above) A Krger firebox seen at Swindon in 1964 (Below) The 2-6-0 version of the Krugers. No 2602, rudely nicknamed “Mrs Kruger” after the wife of the Boer War leader

Spring 2021

GREAT WESTERN STAR MAGAZINE

85


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Articles inside

Llanbourne – an OO Gauge layout set on the North Wales Coast

4min
pages 128-132

Railway – Part 1

16min
pages 120-124

Part 3 – Paul Perton

10min
pages 114-119

The HRA Goes Virtual for 2021 Awards

8min
pages 109-110

to reopen under the Government Scheme and at Record Speed

12min
pages 104-108

into Summer with a Sigh of Relief

11min
pages 111-113

Railroad Gauges of the World (1888) The Dartmoor Line – the FIRST

4min
page 103

The Banbury & Cheltenham Direct Railway – Then and Now – Peter and Paul Towey

22min
pages 94-101

Part 2

22min
pages 86-90

Railway Art Gallery

4min
pages 91-93

William Dean’s Ugly Ducklings Taking the GWR Act to Parliament

2min
page 85

An Abnormal Load

3min
page 76

of Rail Excellence

24min
pages 79-84

Valleys Be? Tales from the Four Foot Eight and

15min
pages 70-73

The Brunel Institute – The Brunel Legacy – Tim Bryan The New UK-based Global Centre

5min
pages 77-78

a Half – Life of the Oldest Railwayman Living

4min
pages 74-75

New Technology – Solar Power will Drive Mainline Trains

3min
page 68

Growing Interest in Hydrogen

16min
pages 63-67

The Shakespeare Express

3min
page 69

The New Silk Road

10min
pages 60-62

A New Railway Museum in Kent

2min
page 59

HP335 comes of Age

4min
pages 57-58

and a Fireman’s Story

4min
page 56

Accident to I K Brunel Pages from the Past – Paper Wheels

3min
page 55

Japanese High Speed Trains

8min
pages 52-53

Part the First – Adrian Vaughan

4min
page 46

Remembering The Old Hands – Locomen’s incidents

20min
pages 47-51

Edward Thomas Celebrates its Centenary

9min
pages 43-45

Guest Column – Our Rail Industry is a sleeping giant when it comes to boosting international trade – Chris Loder, MP

4min
page 34

a reality?

27min
pages 35-42

on the Railways

35min
pages 20-29

The Class 800 Story – It’s a Cracker

1hr
pages 4-19

Increased Reliability

6min
pages 31-32

It Went With a Bang

2min
page 33

Government Funding Offers Hope for Rebuilding Cullompton Station TfW Investment Repaid by

2min
page 30

Editor’s Thoughts

4min
page 3
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