The Bulldog and Bird classes were double-framed inside cylinder 4-4-0 steam locomotives used for passenger services on the Great Western Railway. The Bird Class were a development of the Bulldogs with strengthened outside frames, of which a total of fifteen were built. A total of 121 Bulldogs were built new, with a further twenty rebuilt from Duke Class locomotives. Thirty Bulldogs were later rebuilt as Earl Class locomotives and renumbered 3265 (prototype conversion), 3200–3228.

History

No. 3312 Bulldog was built in October 1898, with curved outside frames, a domed parallel boiler with a raised Belpaire firebox and a wrapper-type smokebox. The boiler was a prototype for the parallel version of Churchward's Standard No. 2 boilers. Bulldog was originally classed as a variant of the Duke Class.

In October 1899 no. 3352 Camel appeared with the final form of the parallel No. 2 boiler, domeless, with a raised Belpaire firebox and a circular drumhead smokebox supported on a curved saddle. A further twenty locomotives, nos. 3332 to 3351, were built between November 1899 and March 1900. Between May and December 1900 a second batch of twenty Camels (as the class were initially known) were built with straight-topped outside frames. These were numbered 3353 to 3372. A third batch, 3413 to 3432 were built between December 1902 and May 1903; these were the last to be built with parallel boilers.

In September 1903 no. 3443 Birkenhead was built with a tapered Standard No. 2 boiler. The boiler was tapered only over the rear half of the barrel, and this type became known as the "half-cone"; a later version of the No. 2 boiler was tapered over three-quarters of the barrel. A further twenty-nine locomotives were built with the half-cone boiler between September 1903 and April 1904, bringing the class total to ninety-one.

Between April and September 1906 thirty locomotives were built with the three-quarter coned No. 2 boiler. In March 1906, Bulldog was rebuilt with the same type of boiler, and the class now became known as the Bulldog Class. From October 1906 to January 1909 eighteen of the Duke Class were converted to Bulldogs by the fitting of No. 2 boilers. A further member of the Duke Class, no. 3273 Armorel, had been fitted with a parallel domeless boiler in February 1902, thus becoming a Camel Class locomotive. It ran with tapered boilers of various types from April 1906.

The Bird Class were a development of the Bulldog Class with deeper outside frames and a new type of bogie. Previously all outside framed bogies on GWR locomotives had been of the Dean centreless type. Churchward adapted a French design of bogie, as used on the de Glehn Atlantics, to produce a bar-framed bogie for his standard locomotives. This inside-framed bogie design was adapted to produce an outside-framed replacement for the Dean bogie. The Birds were built in two batches; nos. 3731 to 3735 in May 1909 and nos. 3736 to 3745 from November 1909 to January 1910.

+ Table of orders and numbers Year Quantity Lot No. Works Nos. Loco Nos. (new) Loco nos. (1912) Frames 1899–1900 20 118 1743–1762 3332–3351 3320–3339 Curved 1899 1 120 1773 3352 3340 Curved 1900 20 124 1806–1825 3353–3372 3341–3360 Straight 1902–03 20 137 1970–1989 3413–3432 3361–3380 Straight 1903 10 142 2003–2012 3443–3452 3381–3390 Straight 1904 20 148 2036–2055 3453–3472 3391–3410 Straight 1906 15 162 2169–2183 3701–3715 3411–3425 Straight 1906 15 163 2184–2198 3716–3730 3426–3440 Straight 1909–10 15 177 2350–2364 3731–3745 3441–3455 Straight, deep (Bird class)

This class were subject to the 1912 renumbering of GWR 4-4-0 locomotives, which saw the Bulldog Class gathered together in the series 3300–3455, and other types renumbered out of that series. The 3300–3455 series had previously contained locomotives of Duke, Badminton, Atbara, City and a number of Bulldog class locomotives. After the renumbering, nos. 3300–19 were former Duke class locomotives rebuilt as Bulldogs between 1902 and 1909; nos. 3320–3440 were those built as Bulldogs; and nos. 3441–55 were the Bird class.

No. 3320 Avalon was the first of the Bulldog Class to be withdrawn, in August 1929, followed by no. 3365 Charles Grey Mott, withdrawn in January 1930. The frames of 3365 were used to construct the first of the Earl Class, no. 3265 Tre Pol and Pen. The last to be withdrawn was no. 3377 Penzance in January 1951.

All of the Bird Class survived into British Railways ownership, being withdrawn between April 1948 and November 1951, the last two being no. 3453 Seagull and no. 3454 Skylark.

No Bulldogs were preserved; however the frames of no. 3425 survive under Earl no. 9017 'Earl of Berkeley' at the Bluebell Railway.

Accidents and incidents In 1904, locomotive No. 3460 Montreal was hauling a passenger train with GWR 1661 Class 0-6-0ST No. 1674, when it was derailed at Loughor, Glamorgan due to excessive speed. Five people were killed and eighteen were injured.

Bulldog Class FirstNo.1912No.NameBuiltWithdrawnNotes32533300Pendennis CastleName removed in May 192332623301PowderhamName removed in May 192332633302Sir Lancelot32643303St. AnthonyName removed in August 193032683304River Tamar32693305TintagelName removed in August 193032733306Armorel32793307Exmoor32803308FalmouthName removed in August 193032823309Maristow32863310St. JustName removed in July 193033123311Bulldog33163312Isle of Guernsey33183313Jupiter33223314Mersey33243315Quantock33253316St. ColumbName removed in August 193033273317Somerset33303318Vulcan194633313319WeymouthName removed in May 193033323320Avalon33333321Brasenose33343322Eclipse33353323Etona33363324GlastonburyName removed in October 193033373325KenilworthName removed in July 193033383326LairaName removed in July 193033393327Marco Polo33403328MarazionName removed in January 193133413329Mars33423330Orion33433331Pegasus33443332Pluto33453333Perseus33463334Tavy33473335TregothnanName removed in December 193033483336Titan33493337The Wolf33503338Swift33513339Sedgemoor33523340Camel33533341Blasius33543342Bonaventura33553343Camelot33563344DartmouthName removed in November 193033573345Smeaton33583346Godolphin33593347KingsbridgeName removed in September 193033603348LauncestonName removed in November 193033613349Lyonesse33623350NewlynName removed in July 193033633351One and All33643352Pendragon33653353Plymouthrenamed Pershore Plum in May 192733663354RestormelName removed in September 193033673355St. AubynName removed in September 193033683356Sir Stafford33693357Trelawny33703358TremayneName refers to the Cornish family whose members also included Arthur Tremayne (1827 - 1905) and John Claude Lewis Tremayne (1869 - 1949)33713359Tregeagle33723360TorquayName removed in September 193034133361Edward VIIName removed in May 192734143362Albert Brassey 34153363Baldwin Renamed Alfred Baldwin in April 190334163364Bibby Renamed Frank Bibby in April 190334173365C. G. Mott Renamed Charles Grey Mott in January 1904. Rebuilt to Earl 326534183366Earl of CorkName removed in May 193634193367Evan Llewllyn 34203368Ernest Palmer Renamed Sir Ernest Palmer in February 1916; name removed in January 192434213369Mac Iver Renamed David Mac Iver in June 190334223370Sir John Llewelyn 34233371Sir MasseyRenamed Sir Massey Lopes in October 190334243372Sir Nigel Renamed Sir N. Kingscote in December 190334253373Sir W. H. Wills Renamed Sir William Henry in January 190634263374Walter Long Rebuilt as Earl 321334273375Sir Watkin Wynn 34283376River Plym34293377PenzanceName removed in August 193034303378River TaweName removed in 193934313379River Fal34323380River YealmRebuilt as Earl 321834433381BirkenheadName removed in August 193034443382CardiffName removed in May 192734453383IlfracombeName removed in August 193034463384LiverpoolRenamed Swindon in October 1903; name removed in May 192734473385NewportName removed in May 192734483386PaddingtonName removed in May 192734493387ReadingName removed in May 192734503388SwanseaName removed in May 192734513389TauntonName removed in May 192734523390WolverhamptonName removed in May 1927; rebuilt as Earl 322634533391Dominion of Canada34543392New ZealandRebuilt as Earl 320934553393Australia34563394Albany34573395Tasmania34583396Natal Colony34593397Toronto34603398Montreal34613399Ottawa34623400Winnipeg34633401Vancouver34643402JamaicaRebuilt as Earl 321034653403TrinidadRebuilt as Earl 320834663404BarbadosRebuilt as Earl 321634673405Empire of IndiaRebuilt as Earl 321234683406Calcutta34693407Madras34703408Bombay34713409QueenslandRebuilt as Earl 322434723410ColumbiaRebuilt as Earl 320737013411Stanley BaldwinNamed in January 1909; name removed in July 1937. Rebuilt as Earl 322137023412John G. GriffithsNamed in July 1914. Rebuilt as Earl 320137033413James Mason Rebuilt as Earl 320537043414A. H. MillsNamed in July 1914; renamed Sir Edward Elgar in 1932; rebuilt as Earl 322037053415George A. WillsRebuilt as Earl 321137063416John W. WilsonRebuilt as Earl 320237073417Francis MildmayRenamed Lord Mildmay of Fleet; renamed Lord Mildmay of Flete in 192337083418Sir Arthur Yorke37093419—37103420—Rebuilt as Earl 321537113421—37123422AberystwythNamed in June 1913; name removed in August 1930. Rebuilt as Earl 320037133423—Rebuilt as Earl 322337143424—Rebuilt as Earl 320337153425—Rebuilt as Earl 321737163426—37173427—Rebuilt as Earl 321937183428—Rebuilt as Earl 320637193429—Rebuilt as Earl 322837203430InchcapeNamed in February 192337213431—37223432—37233433—Rebuilt as Earl 322737243434Joseph Shaw Rebuilt as Earl 321437253435—37263436—Rebuilt as Earl 322237273437—Rebuilt as Earl 322537283438—37293439Weston-super-MareName removed in August 1930. Rebuilt as Earl 320437303440—

Bird Class FirstNo.1912No.NameBuiltWithdrawnNotes37313441Blackbird1909194937323442Bullfinch1909194837333443Chaffinch1909194937343444Cormorant1909195137353445Flamingo1909194837363446Goldfinch1909194837373447Jackdaw1909195137383448Kingfisher1909194937393449Nightingale1909195137403450Peacock1909194937413451Pelican1910195137423452Penguin1910194837433453Seagull1910195137443454Skylark1910195137453455Starling19101950

References

Bibliography

External links 3300 'Bulldog' class introduction The Great Western Archive