This locomotive, along with Charles Tayleur's Vulcan was delivered by canal to West Drayton[3] on 25 November 1837.[1] It had 14.5-by-14.5-inch (368 mm × 368 mm) cylinders. The name, which means "first", was later used on the first locomotive built at Swindon, the first of the Premier Class goods locomotives.[4]
Ariel (Mather, Dixon 41; 1838 - 1840)
This locomotive was the second of the Mather, Dixon locomotives to arrive and featured 14-by-14-inch (356 mm × 356 mm) cylinders.[1] Ariel is, amongst other things, an angel and a fairy in William Shakespeare's The Tempest.
Ajax showing the distinctive wheels constructed from iron plates; the other five had normal spoked wheelsAjax (Mather, Dixon 50; 1838 - 1840)
This rather distinctive locomotive had plate 10 ft (3,048 mm) wheels instead of the more usual spoked ones, the carrying wheels being 5 ft (1,524 mm). The 14-by-20-inch (356 mm × 508 mm) cylinders were fed from a doubled-domed boiler.[1] It was named after Ajax, a Greek mythological hero.
Planet (Mather, Dixon 51; 1839 - 1840)
This locomotive was delivered in December 1838 before being put to work in August 1839. After withdrawal it was used as a stationary boiler at Reading.[1]
Mercury (Mather, Dixon 52; 1839 - 1843)
This locomotive was built to similar dimensions to Planet and also arrived in December 1838 but not accepted into service until 26 September 1839. It had 8 ft driving wheels and 16-by-20-inch (406 mm × 508 mm) cylinders.[1] The name comes from a Roman god and was later carried by one of the Ariadne Class standard goods locomotives.
Mars (Mather, Dixon 53; 1840 - 1840)
This locomotive was built with 10 ft wheels, but did not enter service until they had been changed to 8 ft ones. The cylinders were 16 by 20 inches (406 mm × 508 mm). It was not successful, being delivered in April 1840 and withdrawn in December.[1] It was named after Mars, the Roman god of war, and this was carried by one of the 1841-built Firefly Class locomotives.[5]
References
^ abcdefgReed, P. J. T. (February 1953). White, D. E. (ed.). The Locomotives of the Great Western Railway, Part 2: Broad Gauge. Kenilworth: RCTS. pp. B10–B11. ISBN 0-901115-32-0.
^Sheppard, Geof (2008). Broad Gauge Locomotives. Southampton: Noodle Books. p. 12. ISBN 978-1-906419-09-7.
^ abArman, Brian (2016). "The Early Locomotives of the GWR". Broadsheet (76): 27–33.