Fire Fly - Transfer Shed-Burlescombe, Didcot Railway Centre, Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK - Locomotives on Waymarking.com

Fire Fly is a replica of a broad gauge locomotive built in 2005 by the Fire Fly Project at Didcot. The wheel arrangement is 2-2-2 and it was first brought into the collection at this museum in 1988 being replicated in 2005 and ready for use in the museum on the specially restored broad gauge track.

The Fire Fly class was designed by Daniel Gooch with the original being built in 1840 by Jones, Turner & Evans of Newton-le-Willows. It was built for the Great Western Railway for £2155. This was young Daniel Gooch's first locomotive design with his draughtsman young Thomas Crampton. Seven manufacturers were commissioned to build the locomotive so standardised parts were used.

There were 62 Fire Fly class engines built. They had 7 foot driving wheels, weighed 24 tons 4 cwt, had a boiler pressure of 50lb/sq.in raised to 80/lb/sq.in with the tender holding 800 gallons of water and 1.5 tons of coal.

Speeds of 60mph were achieved which meant the Paddington to Exeter run was completed in 4.5 hours. It was with one of the Fire Fly class locomotives that Queen Victoria first rode on a train on 13 June 1842.

The Fire Fly was withdrawn from service in 1870 having completed 378,801 miles.

This locomotive we see at the railway centre is made from the original drawings with only 'new build' regulation, modern compromises altering the engine from the original and these have been disguised. It uses the original Gab Gear and one sided brake system.

The Fire Fly Project was begun in Bristol in 1987 and completed at Didcot in 2004 in the locomotive works. It cost £190,000 to build and was built by the volunteers of the Great Western Society who run this working museum.

Broad gauge is 7'0.25" wide and Didcot has its own broad gauge track to run this engine on. This track was installed in 1982-5 when the rail was re-discovered, overgrown and disused in a siding at Burlescombe in Devon.

There is a 3rd class open broad gauge carriage hauled behind Fire Fly which is on loan from the National Railway Museum having been restored here at Didcot. At present there is a 2nd class covered coach nearing restoration completion and a 1st class coach is also in the pipeline.

The Fire Fly is housed in the Transfer Shed, Burlescombe station at Didcot Railway Centre. There is a sign detailing the Fire Fly story, a newspaper article and a poem about broad gauge situated on the platform in front of the Fire Fly.

Locomotive Type: (required): Steam If "other" what is the engine type? (optional): steam engine - the first! Do you need to pay an entrance fee to view this locomotive? (required): Yes If a fee is required what is the approximate cost for admittance? (optional): Adult £5.00, Child £4.00, Over-60 £4.50, Family £16.00 How accessible is this locomotive display? (Required): Only touching is allowed.

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Date Logged Log   08/07/2013 NH82 visited it 05/26/2007 goodhorsehymn visited it

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