Talyllyn (locomotive)
Talyllyn at Tywyn Wharf railway station in 2009
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| Type and origin | |
|---|---|
| Power type | Steam |
| Builder | Fletcher, Jennings & Co. |
| Serial number | 42 |
| Model | Class C |
| Build date | 1864 |
| Total produced | 1 |
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Configuration: |
|
| • Whyte | 0-4-0 ST, later 0-4-2 ST |
| Gauge | 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) |
| Driver dia. | 2 ft 4 in (711 mm) |
| Trailing dia. | 1 ft 9 in (533 mm) |
| Wheelbase |
|
| Length | 18 ft 0.5 in (5.50 m) |
| Loco weight | 11 long tons 18 cwt (26,700 lb or 12.1 t) 13.3 short tons |
| Boiler pressure | 160 lbf/in2 (1.10 MPa) |
| Cylinders | Two, outside |
| Cylinder size | 8 5⁄8 in × 16 in (219 mm × 406 mm) |
| Performance figures | |
|---|---|
| Tractive effort | 5,781 lbf (25.72 kN) |
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Operators | Talyllyn Railway |
| Numbers | 1 |
Talyllyn is a narrow gauge steam locomotive. It was built by Fletcher, Jennings & Co. in 1864 and is one of the oldest locomotives still in active service. It was delivered to the Talyllyn Railway on 24 September 1864 and continues to run on this railway.
The Talyllyn Railway was the first British narrow gauge line to be built as a steam hauled railway from its conception. The company ordered two locomotives for its opening, Talyllyn and Dolgoch. Both were built by Fletcher, Jennings & Co. of Whitehaven, although to two very different designs. Talyllyn was the first order the company had delivered to north Wales and the first narrow gauge locomotive they had built with plate frames. It was built to the company's C Class design, although it was the first member of its class to be built to a gauge less than 2 ft 8 in (813 mm).
The saddle tank locomotive was originally delivered as a 0-4-0 ST with an open cab. Early tests on the railway showed that this wheel arrangement lead to unacceptable vertical oscillation, and in January 1867, Talyllyn was returned to its manufacturer for the fitting of a pair of trailing wheels, converting it into an 0-4-2ST. A cab was subsequently fitted in the railway's workshops at Pendre.
One unusual feature of the conversion of Talyllyn to an 0-4-2 wheel arrangement is that the trailing axle was fixed rigidly to the frame, resulting in an overall wheelbase of 8 ft. Most 0-4-2 locomotives have the trailing wheels that are able to swivel independently of the frame, thus avoiding creating a long fixed wheelbase. To accommodate Talyllyn's long wheelbase, the gauge of the Talyllyn Railway was increased marginally to between 2 ft 3½in and 2 ft 4in.
The locomotive was returned to Fletcher Jennings for a second time around 1900, although the reason for this visit is not recorded. Repairs and improvements were also made at Pendre over the years, including alterations to the cab, fitting of a footplate at the front of locomotive and of a sandbox. A new set of frames supplied by W.G. Bagnall's was also fitted at Pendre, again around 1900.
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Wikipedia