View source for GWR Firefly Class

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2018}}
{{more footnotes|date=December 2014}}
{{Infobox locomotive
|  name=''Fire Fly''
|  image= File:Fire Fly 2 (5646634337).jpg
|  caption= Replica of the Great Western Railway Gooch 7 foot gauge "Priam" Class, or “Firefly” Class 2-2-2 "Fire Fly”.
|  powertype=Steam
|  designer=[[Daniel Gooch]]
|  builder={{ubl|[[Jones, Turner and Evans]] (6)|[[Sharp, Roberts and Company]] (10)|[[Fenton, Murray and Jackson]] (20)|[[J. and G. Rennie|G. and J. Rennie]] (2)|[[R. B. Longridge and Company]] (6)|[[Stothert, Slaughter and Company]] (2)|[[Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company]] (16)}}
| totalproduction=62
| builddate = 1840–1842
|  whytetype=[[2-2-2]]
|  gauge={{track gauge|7 ft 0.25 in|lk=on}}
|  driverdiameter={{convert|7|ft|0|in|3|abbr=on}}
|  leadingdiameter={{convert|4|ft|0|in|3|abbr=on}}
|  trailingdiameter={{convert|4|ft|0|in|3|abbr=on}}
|  wheelbase={{convert|13|ft|2|in|3|abbr=on}}
|  cylindersize={{convert|15|×|18|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} [[Bore (engine)|dia]] x [[Stroke (engine)|stroke]]<br> later {{convert|16|×|20|in|mm|0|adj=on}}
|  operator=[[Great Western Railway]]
|  operatorclass=Fire Fly, or Priam
|disposition=Original 62 withdrawn and scrapped, new replica built in 2005}}

The '''Firefly''' was a class of [[broad gauge]] [[Whyte notation|2-2-2]] [[steam locomotives]] used for [[passenger]] services on the [[Great Western Railway]]. The class was introduced into service between March 1840 and December 1842, and withdrawn between December 1863 and July 1879. 

Following the success of the [[GWR Star Class|Star class]] locomotives introduced to the Great Western Railway by Daniel Gooch, Gooch set to work to develop a new class based on ''North Star'', but with larger boilers.  The result was the ''Fire Fly'', later followed by 61 similar locomotives designated the same class.

From about 1865, the Fire Fly Class locomotives became part of the '''Priam Class''', along with the [[GWR Prince Class|Prince Class]] locomotives.

The original Fire Fly is said to have covered the {{convert|30.75|mi|km}} from [[Twyford, Berkshire|Twyford]] to [[London Paddington]] in 37 minutes, an average speed of {{convert|50|mph|km/h}}, which was unprecedented in 1840.

==Locomotives==
===A to D===
;''Acheron''
:1842–1866. Built by [[Fenton, Murray and Jackson]].  The name ''[[Acheron]]'' comes from a Greek river and was later carried by a [[GWR Hawthorn Class|Hawthorn class]] locomotive.
;''Achilles''
:1841–1867. Built by [[Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company]]. The name is that of a Greek mythological warrior. ''See [[Achilles]]''.
;''Actaeon''
:1841–1868. Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company, the name is that of a hero from Greek mythology. ''See [[Actaeon]]''.
;''Arab''
:1841–1870. Built by [[G and J Rennie]]. An [[Arab]] is a member of an ethnic group found mainly in the Middle East and Africa.
;''Argus''
:1842–1873. Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson. Argus was the builder of the ''[[Argo]]'', a ship in Greek mythology.
;''Arrow''
:1841–1864. Built by [[Avonside Engine Company|Stothert and Slaughter]]. An [[arrow]] is a pointed projectile weapon.
;''Bellona''
:1841–1870. Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company. [[Bellona (goddess)|Bellona]] was a Roman goddess.
;''Castor''
:1841–1874. Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company. [[Castor and Pollux|Castor]] was the twin of Pollux in Greek mythology.
;''Centaur''
:1841–1867. Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company. A [[centaur]] is a Greek mythological creature, half human and half horse.
;''Cerberus''
:1841–1866. Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson. [[Cerberus]] was a character in [[Greek mythology]] and the name was later carried by a [[GWR Hawthorn Class|Hawthorn class]] locomotive.
;''Charon''
:1840–1878. Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson. In Greek mythology, [[Charon (mythology)|Charon]] was the ferryman who carried the dead in his boat.
;''Cyclops''
:1840–1865. Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson. The [[Cyclopes]] were one-eyed figures in [[Greek mythology]].
;''Damon''
:1842–1870. Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company. [[Damon and Pythias|Damon]] was a follower of the Greek philosopher, Pythagoras.
;''Dart''
:1841–1870. Built by Stothert and Slaughter. A [[Dart (missile)|dart]] is a projectile weapon.

===E to H===
;''Electra''
:1842–1867. Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company. In Greek mythology, [[Electra]] was daughter of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra.
;''Erebus''
:1842–1873. Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson. [[Erebus]] was the son of the primordial Greek god, Chaos.
;''Falcon''
:1840–1867. Built by [[Sharp, Roberts and Company]]. A [[falcon]] is a kind of bird of prey.
;''Fire Ball''
:1840–1866. Built by [[Vulcan Foundry|Jones, Turner and Evans]] with a {{convert|13|ft|4|in|m|adj=on}} wheelbase, ''Fire Ball'' hauled the first train from [[Bristol Temple Meads railway station|Temple Meads]] to [[Bath Spa railway station|Bath]] on 31 August 1840, and from Temple Meads to [[Bridgwater railway station|Bridgwater]] on 14 June 1841. It was rebuilt c.1849 as a saddle tank locomotive. This was one of six Fire Fly class locomotives named with a fire theme - the term ''fire ball'' refers to an explosion of fire.
;''Fire Brand''
:1840–1866. Built by Jones, Turner and Evans with a {{convert|13|ft|4|in|m|adj=on}} wheelbase. A firebrand is a piece of burning wood, but also used to denote a person with a fiery temperament.
;''Fire Fly''
:1840–1870. Built by Jones, Turner and Evans with a {{convert|13|ft|4|in|m|adj=on}} wheelbase. A [[firefly]] is a luminous beetle.
;''Fire King''
:1840–1875. This locomotive crashed in front of [[Isambard Kingdom Brunel]] on 25 October 1840, the first recorded accident on the railway. The driver and a guard were killed when ''Fire King'' and its goods train failed to stop at the temporary terminus at [[Faringdon Road railway station|Faringdon Road]]. It had been built by Jones, Turner and Evans with a {{convert|13|ft|4|in|m|adj=on}} wheelbase, and was rebuilt circa 1849 as a saddle tank locomotive.
;''Ganymede''
:1842–1878. Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson. [[Ganymede (mythology)|Ganymede]] was a hero in Greek mythology.
;''Gorgon''
:1841–1878. Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson. The [[Gorgon]] was a Greek mythological monster with hair of living snakes.
;''Greyhound''
:1841–1866. Built by Sharp, Roberts and Company. A [[greyhound]] is a kind of dog bred for its speed.
;''Harpy''
:1841–1873. Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson. A [[harpy]] was a Greek mythological winged spirit.
;''Hawk''
:1840–1865. Built by Sharp, Roberts and Company. A [[hawk]] is a kind of bird of prey; the name was later carried by a [[GWR Hawthorn Class|Hawthorn class]] locomotive.
;''Hecate''
:1841–1867. Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson. [[Hecate]] was a Greek goddess of childbirth.
;''Hector''
:1841–1866. Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company. [[Hector]] was a Greek hero in the Trojan War.
;''Hydra''
:1842–1865. Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson. The [[Lernaean Hydra|Hydra]] was a many-headed serpent in Greek mythology.

===I to N===
;''Ixion''
:1841–1879. Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson, this was the locomotive that represented the broad gauge at the Gauge Commission trials of 1845, achieving a maximum of {{convert|61|mi/h|km/h}}. [[Ixion]] was a king in Greek mythology.
;''Jupiter''
:1841–1867. Built by [[R. B. Longridge and Company]]. This locomotive was named after [[Jupiter (mythology)|Jupiter]], a senior Roman god.
;''Leopard''
:1840–1878. Built by Sharp, Roberts and Company. A [[leopard]] is a large member of the cat family.
;''Lethe''
:1842–1878. Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson. [[Lethe]] is one of the rivers in Hades, the Greek underworld, and drinking its waters caused forgetfulness.
;''Lucifer''
:1841–1870. Built by R B Longridge and Company. [[Lucifer]] was the poetic Roman name for the morning star.
;''Lynx''
:1840–1870. Built by Sharp, Roberts and Company. A lynx is a kind of wild cat.
;''Mars''
:1841–1868. Built by R B Longridge and Company. This locomotive was named after [[Mars (mythology)|Mars]], the Roman god of war.
;''Mazeppa''
:1841–1868. Built by G and J Rennie. ''[[Mazeppa (Byron)|Mazeppa]]'' was a popular Victorian heroic poem.
;''Medea''
:1842–1873. Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson. [[Medea]] was a princess in Greek mythology.
;''Medusa''
:1842–1864. Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson. [[Medusa]] was a Greek mythological monster whose look could turn a person to stone.
;''Mentor''
:1841–1867. Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company. The original [[mentor]] was a friend of Odysseus who featured in Greek mythology.
;''Mercury''
:1841–1865. Built by R B Longridge and Company. This locomotive was named after [[Mercury (mythology)|Mercury]], a Roman god.
;''Milo''
:1841–1866. Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company. This locomotive was probably named after [[Titus Annius Milo]], a Roman politician.
;''Minos''
:1841–1870. Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson. [[Minos]] was a king of Crete featured in Greek mythology.

===N to W===
;''Orion''
:1842–1867. Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company. Rebuilt as a [[4-2-2]]ST saddle tank locomotive. This locomotive was probably named after [[Orion of Thebes]], a Grecian scholar.
;''Ostrich''
:1840–1865. Built by Sharp, Roberts and Company.  An [[ostrich]] is a large flightless bird; the name was later carried by a [[GWR Hawthorn Class|Hawthorn class]] locomotive.
;''Panther''
:1840–1869. Built by Sharp, Roberts and Company. A [[Cougar|panther]] is a big cat and [[Panther (legendary creature)|appears in Greek mythology]] as an animal that carried gods.
;''Pegasus''
:1842–1868. Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company. [[Pegasus]] was the winged horse of Greek mythology.
;''Phlegethon''
:1842–1866. Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson, this locomotive had the privilege of powering [[Queen Victoria]]'s first railway journey on 13 June 1842.  [[Phlegethon]] was one of the five rivers of the Greek underworld. The name was later carried by a [[GWR Hawthorn Class|Hawthorn class]] locomotive.
;''Phoenix''
:1842–1870. Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company. The [[Phoenix (mythology)|phoenix]] was a Greek mythological bird that is reborn from the ashes of its fiery death.
;''Pluto''
:1841–1870. Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson. This locomotive was named after [[Pluto (mythology)|Pluto]], the Roman god of the underworld.
;''Pollux''
:1842–1866. Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company.  [[Castor and Pollux|Pollux]] was the twin of Castor in Greek mythology; the name was later transferred to a [[GWR Hawthorn Class|Hawthorn class]] locomotive.
;''Priam''
:1842–1864. Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company. [[Priam]] was the king of Troy during the Trojan War.
;''Proserpine''
:1842–1873. Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson. [[Persephone|Proserpine]] was the goddess of the Greek underworld.
;''Saturn''
:1841–1878. Built by R B Longridge and Company. This locomotive is named after [[Saturn (mythology)|Saturn]], the Roman god of the harvest.
;''Spit Fire''
:1840–1878. Built by Jones, Turner and Evans with a {{convert|13|ft|4|in|m|adj=on}} wheelbase.
;''Stag''
:1840–1870. Built by Sharp, Roberts and Company. A stag is a male [[deer]].
;''Stentor''
:1842–1867. Built by Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company. [[Stentor]] was a herald in the Trojan War.
;''Tiger''
:1840–1873. Built by Sharp, Roberts and Company, it derailed near [[Chippenham railway station|Chippenham]] on 7 September 1841 due to an [[earthslip]], although ''[[GWR Star Class|Rising Star]]'', which was coupled in front, ran over the damaged track without mishap. A [[tiger]] is a big cat.
;''Venus''
:1841–1870. Built by R B Longridge and Company. This locomotive was named after [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]], the Roman goddess of love.
;''Vesta''
:1841–1864. Built by Fenton, Murray and Jackson. [[Vesta (mythology)|Vesta]] was the Roman goddess of the home.
;''Vulture''
:1840–1870. Built by Sharp, Roberts and Company. A [[vulture]] is a large scavenging bird.
;''Wild Fire''
:1840–1867. Built by Jones, Turner and Evans with a {{convert|13|ft|4|in|m|adj=on}} wheelbase. One of six Firefly Class locomotives named with a  fire theme; a [[wildfire]] is another name for a forest fire.

==Accidents and incidents==
*On 25 November 1852, ''Lynx'' was hauling a passenger train which was derailed at [[Gatcombe]], [[Gloucestershire]].<ref name=Earnshaw6>{{cite book |last=Earnshaw |first=Alan |title=Trains in Trouble: Vol. 6 |year=1990 |publisher=Atlantic Books |location=Penryn |isbn=0-906899-37-0 |page=2 }}</ref>

==Replica==
[[File:GWR Firefly.jpg|thumb|GWR Firefly replica at [[Didcot Railway Centre]]]]
* '''''Firefly''''' (2005)

A 63rd member of the Fire Fly class was unveiled to the public in 2005. It is a working replica of the original Fire Fly and is based at [[Didcot Railway Centre]].

==In literature==
* A silver model of a Firefly Class locomotive provides a plotline in the novel "The Silver Locomotive Mystery" by [[Edward Marston]], published 2009.

==References==
{{commonscat|GWR Firefly Class}}
{{reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{RCTS-LocosGWR-2|pages=B13–B15}}
* {{cite book |last=Rolt |first=L.T.C. |authorlink=L. T. C. Rolt |year=1970 |title=Isambard Kingdom Brunel |publisher=Pelican}}
* {{cite book |last=Waters |first=Laurence |title=The Great Western Broad Gauge |publisher=Ian Allan Publishing |year=1999 |location=Hersham |isbn=0-7110-2634-3 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/greatwesternbroa0000wate| via=Archive.org}}


{{GWR Locomotives}}

[[Category:Great Western Railway locomotives|Firefly]]
[[Category:2-2-2 locomotives]]
[[Category:Broad gauge (7 feet) railway locomotives]]
[[Category:Sharp Stewart locomotives]]
[[Category:Avonside locomotives]]
[[Category:Nasmyth, Wilson and Company locomotives]]
[[Category:Railway locomotives introduced in 1840]]
[[Category:Passenger locomotives in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Scrapped locomotives]]