Great Western Society 2-2-2 No. 'Fire Fly'
Didcot, Oxfordshire, UK 		Location: Didcot Railway Centre
Status: Overhaul
Posted: Mar 31, 2008 @ 16:03:49 by Steve Frost
As none of the original Broad Gauge locos survived (apart from 'Tiny' at the South Devon Railway - and that can hardly be descibed as representative), all that's left is the driving wheels of 'North Star' and replicas. Here is a fine Broad Gauge replica of Daniel Gooch's 'Fire Fly' class of 2-2-2s of 1840. The original 'Fire Fly' locos were capable of 80 mph, but it seems unlikely that the replica will have the opportunity to demonstrate such high performance. Running the express trains between London and Bristol, the original lasted until 1870. The replica can be seen running on broad gauge and mixed broad/standard gauge track at the Didcot Railway Centre. Just don't expect 80 mph speeds!