GWR NO 1

The original design of the GWR No 1 experimental tank engine was by arguably the greatest designer of the day, William Dean, and the outstanding, multiple award-winning model is by distant relative, Mike Dean from Surrey. The model was one of the stars of the Centenary Model Engineer Exhibition at Ascot where it won a Gold Medal. It is pictured here at Brighton Modelworld.

The locomotive was originally built in 1880 as a 4-4-0 tank engine, and altered to 2-4-0 in 1882. It was withdrawn in 1926 with 804,460 miles on the clock. Mike’s model is based on how it would have been running at the turn of the century, with an S4 Belpaire boiler.

The original 4-4-0 engine was double framed like many on the GWR at the time, with a flush round top boiler and side tanks extending to the smokebox to investigate the suitability of using large tank engines for fast passenger running. Initially fitted with an experimental front bogie, that proved a failure, and a single leading axle was  fitted, while the tanks were shortened to reduce weight. It was fitted with 17in cylinders and the intital stroke of 26in was reduced to 24in. J. N. Maskelyne reported that “I have always understood that, in spite of all efforts, the engine got no further than the works’ yards; the reason was that the bogie, at the leading end, would persist in riding on the ballast rather than on the rails!”

After alteration she was a success, but no further examples were built.

The engine started life in South Devon around Newton Abbot, and was later transferred to South Wales working between Camarthen and Tenby. Her final days were at Chester, working fast passenger trains to Birkenhead or Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton.

Mike started the model in 1991 with extensive research resulting in 30 GA and main component drawings. Further sketches were made as required.

The result is a superb detailed model of a fascinating subject.