GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

Knowle & Dorridge Station: gwrkd1624

An unknown Achilles class 4-2-2 locomotive doubleheads an outside framed 0-6-0 locomotive on a down fast service circa 1910. The Dean Single, 3031 Class, or Achilles Class was built by the Great Western Railway between 1891 and 1899 and were designed by William Dean for express passenger work. The first 30 members of the class were built as 2-2-2s as the 3001 Class with the first eight members of the class - No 3021 to No 3028 (built April–August 1891) being built as convertible broad gauge 2-2-2 locomotives. These locomotives were converted to standard gauge in mid-1892, at the end of broad gauge running on the Great Western Railway. A further 22 locomotives were built between late 1891 and early 1892 as standard gauge engines. Due to their long boilers these engines were unstable, particularly at speed. In September 1893 this resulted in a derailment for No 3021 Wigmore Castle in Box Tunnel, when the front axle broke. It was decided that future members of the class would be constructed to a 4-2-2 wheel arrangement to reduce the weight on the front wheels. Locomotives No 3001 to No 3030 were then very quickly rebuilt as 4-2-2s to this new modified design.

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