South Devon Railway Leopard class
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox locomotive
| name=Leopard
| image=BASA-3K-7-518-56.jpg
| caption=Leopard derailed in snow near Camborne, 8 March 1891
| powertype=Steam
| builder=Avonside Engine Co.
| serialnumber = 894–895, 1050–1051
| builddate = 1872 (2), 1875 (2)
| whytetype={{whyte|4-4-0|ST}}
| gauge={{convert|7|ft|0+1/4|in|abbr=on}}
| leadingdiameter={{convert|3|ft|6|in|abbr=on}}
| driverdiameter={{convert|5|ft|9|in|abbr=on}}
| wheelbase={{convert|18|ft|5|in|abbr=on}}
| watercap = {{convert|1100|impgal|abbr=on}}
| cylindersize={{convert|17|x|24|in|abbr=on}}
| operator={{ubl|South Devon Railway|Great Western Railway}}
| operatorclass=Leopard
}}
The Leopard class were four {{whyte|4-4-0|ST}} broad gauge locomotives designed for passenger trains but were also used on goods trains when required. They were built by the Avonside Engine Company for the South Devon Railway, but also operated on its associated railways. Although designed for easy conversion to standard gauge this was never carried out.
On 1 February 1876 the South Devon Railway was amalgamated with the Great Western Railway, the locomotives were given numbers by their new owners but continued to carry their names too.
Locomotives
- Lance (1875 – 1892) GWR no. 2130
:It was one of two locomotives kept working at Swindon Works for shunting the broad gauge stock into the workshops for conversion or dismantling, until it was dismantled in June 1893. This was the second South Devon Railway locomotive to carry this name, it was previously carried by a Comet class locomotive.
- Leopard (1872 – 1893) GWR no. 2128
:It was one of two locomotives kept working at Swindon Works for shunting the broad gauge stock into the workshops for conversion or dismantling, until it too was dismantled in June 1893. On 8 March 1891, Leopard was derailed in a blizzard near {{rws|Camborne}}, Cornwall whilst working a relief passenger train.{{cite book |last=Earnshaw |first=Alan |title=Trains in Trouble: Vol. 6 |year=1990 |publisher=Atlantic Books |location=Penryn |isbn=0-906899-37-0 |page=4 }}
- Osiris (1875 – 1892) GWR no. 2131
:Named after the ancient Egyptian god Osiris, this was the second South Devon Railway locomotive to carry this name, it was previously carried by a Comet class locomotive.
- Stag (1872 – 1893) GWR no. 2129
:This locomotive is believed to have worked the last train on the St Ives branch on 20 May 1892 before this and all other lines were converted to standard gauge. It then took the empty coaches from there to Swindon Works where it was kept for shunting the broad gauge stock into the workshops for conversion or dismantling, until it too was dismantled in June 1893.
References
{{reflist}}
;Sources
- {{cite book | title = The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway, Part 2: Broad Gauge | publisher = The Railway Correspondence and Travel Society | isbn = 0-901115-32-0 |last=Reed |first=P.J.T. |editor-last=White |editor-first=D.E. |date=February 1953 |location=Kenilworth |oclc=650490992 }}
- {{cite book | last1= Beck | first1= Keith |last2=Copsey |first2=John | title = The Great Western in South Devon | publisher = Wild Swan Publications | date = 1990 | location = Didcot | isbn = 0-906867-90-8 }}
- {{cite book | last = Gregory | first = R H | title = The South Devon Railway | publisher = The Oakwood Press | date = 1982 | location = Salisbury | isbn = 0-85361-286-2 }}
- {{cite book | last = Waters | first = Laurence | title = The Great Western Broad Gauge | publisher = Ian Allan Publishing | date = 1999 | location = Hersham | isbn = 0-7110-2634-3 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/greatwesternbroa0000wate }}
- Railway company records at The National Archives
{{SDR Locomotives}}
Category:Broad gauge (7 feet) railway locomotives