Shannon (locomotive)

Shannon is an English steam locomotive, built in 1857 George England and Co. for the Sandy and Potton Railway and now preserved at the Didcot Railway Centre.

Shannon
Shannon at Didcot 2009
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
BuilderGeorge England and Co.
Build date1857
Specifications
Configuration:
​
 • Whyte0-4-0WT
 • UIC1'B
Gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Driver dia.2 ft 11 in (0.889 m)
Loco weight15 long tons (175,600 lb or 79.7 t)
Boiler pressure120 psi (0.83 MPa)
CylindersTwo, outside
Cylinder size9 in × 12 in (229 mm × 305 mm)
Performance figures
Tractive effort2,500 lbf (11.1 kN) @75% boiler pressure
Career
LocaleGreat Britain
Withdrawn1945
DispositionCurrently preserved at Didcot

History

The locomotive was built in 1857 by George England and Co. of New Cross for the Sandy and Potton Railway, at a cost of £800.[1] In 1862 it was sold to the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) for shunting at Crewe Works and numbered 1104. The LNWR also briefly tried it out on the Cromford and High Peak Railway.[2] It was renumbered 1863 in 1872 and given the name ‘Shannon’.

Shannon at Wantage Road

In 1878 it was sold to the Wantage Tramway for £365 8s 1d where it became No 5, known on the tramway as 'Jane'. After closure of the tramway in 1945 it was purchased for £100 by the Great Western Railway and the name 'Shannon' was reapplied. It was preserved as a static exhibit on Wantage Road railway station until that closed in 1964. In 1965 it was stored on premises of the Atomic Energy Authority but in 1969 it was moved to the Didcot Railway Centre, where it was finally steamed and operated again in October 1969.[3]

No. 5 Shannon is part of the UK National Collection of railway locomotives (Object No.1978-7013). In 1975 it took part in the 150th anniversary celebrations of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in steam but had to be retired soon afterwards as cracks were discovered in the firebox.

See also

List of rolling stock items in the UK National Collection

References
  1. Didcot Railway Centre (1999), No. 5 0-4-0WT - "Shannon", retrieved 5 June 2012
  2. Casserley, H.C. (1960). Historic locomotive pocket book. London: Batsford. p. 22.
  3. Didcot Railway Centre
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