GWR River Class

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GWR 69 River class
No. 70 Dart
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer William Dean Builder Swindon Works Order number 103 Serial number (none) Build date 1895–1897 Total produced 8
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-4-0  • UIC 1B n2 Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Driver dia. 6 ft 8 in (2.032 m) Cylinders Two Cylinder size 17 in × 24 in (432 mm × 610 mm)
Career Operators Great Western Railway Numbers 69–76 Restored 1918 Disposition All Scrapped

The 69 Class designed by William Dean for the Great Western Railway consisted of eight 2-4-0 tender locomotives, constructed at Swindon Works between 1895 and 1897. Nominally they were renewals of eight 2-2-2 engines that carried the same numbers, these themselves having been renewals by George Armstrong at Wolverhampton of 2-2-2s designed by Daniel Gooch as long ago as 1855.

In truth the Dean engines were in effect new engines, the only re-used parts being some recently fitted boilers of Swindon pattern. They had 6 ft 8 in (2.032 m) driving wheels and 17 in × 24 in (432 mm × 610 mm) cylinders. 2-4-0s, being mixed-traffic engines, were not usually named on the GWR, but all of the 69s did carry names, as follows:

• 69 Avon
• 70 Dart
• 71 Dee
• 72 Exe
• 73 Isis
• 74 Stour
• 75 Teign
• 76 Wye

The "Rivers" were originally allocated to Oxford, and later moved to the Bristol division. They were not long-lived as 2-4-0s, the last being withdrawn in 1918.

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