The broad gauge Bristol & Exeter Railway took over the “Flying Dutchman”, which started from London-Paddington, on the last section between Bristol and Exeter. To accommodate this fastest train in the world, eight tank locomotives with a driving wheel diameter of nine feet or 2,743 mm were ordered from Rothwell & Co. These were the largest wheels ever found on a commercially used locomotive.

There was a bogie at each end of the locomotives, while the driving wheels had no flanges. The load on the bogies was lower than that on the driving axle. Another feature was the outside frame, which ran from front to back and in which the driving axle was also mounted. They often reached speeds of around 80 mph (129 km/h), with the highest recorded speed on a slight decent reaching 81.8 mph. 

After the rebuild to 8 ft 10 in

Locomotive Magazine, October 1898

After a derailment in 1876, the remaining seven locomotives were rebuilt. They received driving wheels with a diameter of only eight feet and ten inches, which now had flanges. In addition, the outside frame was eliminated and there was now a longer overall wheelbase. Furthermore, the cylinders were now larger and, the larger boiler above all had a larger grate because it now burned coal instead of coke. Three were even converted into tender locomotives with a 4-2-2 wheel arrangement.

During the American Civil War, when all the major locomotive works were busy producing for the war factions, the Central Pacific was in search of locomotives for its eastward expansion. Since no powerful tender locomotives could be found, the two small 4-2-4T tank locomotives with the names “C.P. Huntington” and “T.D. Judah” were purchased from Cooke. The former was named after Collis Potter Huntington, who was one of the “Big Four” and thus played a key role in the realization of the First Transcontinental Railroad.

After the procurement of more powerful locomotives, the No. 3 quickly lost importance due to its low power and small supplies and was used in front of construction trains. After being taken over by the Southern Pacific, it was assigned number 1 because of its importance and took on lighter duties in northern California. It was on display from 1888, but ended up in storage as early as 1891, only to be converted into a mobile weed incinerator ten years later.

“C.P. Huntington” in the California State Railroad Museum

Joe Ross

A new life for the locomotive began in 1910 when it was restored to working order. In the decades that followed, it participated in many parades and exhibitions, including the opening of Union Station in Los Angeles. In 1964 it was sold to the State of California, which has exhibited it at the California State Railroad Museum since 1981 after it had been at two other locations in Sacramento. Since 1960, more than 400 scaled-down replicas have been manufactured in two feet gauge, which have been available with different types of power for several years.