Standard Gauge Gallery

0-6-0 Dean Goods locomotives No's. 2479, 2576, 2425 and 2399 in the process of being scrapped, c.1949

The sorry sight of four The sorry sight of four 0-6-0 Dean Goods locomotives, photographed in the late 1940's, in the process of being scrapped. Identified as engine No's. 2479, 2576, 2425 and 2399, and all built during the 1890's, these locomotives would have seen service in both World Wars. With many Dean Goods having been rescued from the scrap heap in 1930/1940 due to them being needed for war service, it was inevitable that once locomotive building resumed in earnest after the war, many of these older engines were destined for the scrap heap once again. . Identified as engine No's. 2479, 2576, 2425 and 2399, and all built during the 1890's, these locomotives would have seen service in both World Wars. With many Dean Goods having been rescued from the scrap heap in 1930/1940 due to them being needed for war service, it was inevitable that once locomotive building resumed in earnest after the war, many of these older engines were destined for the scrap heap once again

2-8-0 locomotives under construction in AE shop, 1943

In this image, War Department 2-8-0 locomotives are shown under construction in AE shop at Swindon Works in May 1943. In order to meet the demand for locomotives for war work, the War Department placed an order in 1942 for the GWR to build 80 LMS 8F Class Stanier 2-8-0 freight locomotives, for use both at home and overseas. The short supply of raw materials meant that the building of these locomotives took longer than expected, and this image shows a number of the first batch of 27 engines under construction, over a year after the first order was placed

0-6-0 tender locomotive Dean Goods No.2430 in wartime livery, c.1939

0-6-0 tender locomotive Dean Goods No.2430 is pictured here in its wartime livery. The tender is painted with the WD for War Department and the engine bears its War Department number, 177. In late 1939 and again in late 1940 the GWR was called upon to supply a total of 108 Dean Goods locomotives for service overseas. This lightweight but strong class of locomotive was regarded as ideal for war work so the locomotives were quickly got ready, a number of which had to be reinstated and overhauled having been withdrawn from service prior to the war. It is interesting to note that locomotive No.2430 was one of a number of Dean Goods locomotives that had already seen overseas service in the First World War