GWR 0-4-4T

Cheers Richard

The 3541 class, some of which were built as broad gauge convertibles.

Also a few they acquired at grouping from absorbed copanies.

Typo alert - 3521.

I should mention that these were unsteady locomotives with a 7' coupled wheelbase and no (or insufficient) side control on the bogies so they wriggled about a lot with a hefty overhang over the bogie - like most model 0-4-4Ts.

So they were eventually rebuilt as 4-4-0 tender engines. The frames were supposed to have been reversed to do this but the wheelbase was different. I suspect they were new engines made to look like rebuilds as a cover up for replacing engines just a few years old.

I also forgot the two tiny 0-4-4Ts that Dean built for Cornish branches. 34 and 35 AFAIR. Pretty little engines reminiscent of the American Forney, more like 0-4-0s and rigidly attached tender with a bogie under it. Out of date when new.

Both these classes were originally 0-4-2 tanks, with uncontrolled side play on the trailing axle.

If you've seen model 4-4-0s or 0-4-4Ts going round curves, they're usually built like 0-4-0s with the bogie just going along for the ride. With the bogie swing out from under the engine and the front of the 4-4-0 hanging off the track. This doesn't work on the real thing.

Several types, all Dean designs. Most of 'em were outside frame devices, with the typical Dean centreless bogie under the hind end. The first of 'em were built as broad gauge 0-4-2Ts, proved unacceptably prone to falling off the tracks, were rebuilt as BG 0-4-4Ts then converted to standard gauge 0-4-4T. A second batch followed, these built as SG 0-4-4Ts (I don't think any of these started as 0-4-2Ts, but I might be wrong - references not to hand). Frankly, they still weren't much good as 0-4-4Ts and a final convulsion of rebuilding saw them converted into 4-4-0 tender engines round about 1910ish - the 3521 class, if I remember correctly. There were also an isolated pair of inside-frame SG 0-4-4Ts - 34 and 35, from memory - wich were essentially the Dean Goods with a trailing bogie instead of the last pair of coupled wheels and a back tank (and very short side tanks). Gone by the early 1920s, I think.

Plenty of 0-4-4Ts came in at the grouping, of course.

Major oops there. they looked very much like the Dean goods, but a quick check reveals 'em to be much smaller machines. Sorry to mislead there. I was working entirely from memory and am far from being a GW expert..