Great Western

When Daniel Gooch was employed as locomotive superintendent by Great Western Railway he was told to produce a "colossal locomotive that should easily surpass anything that had gone before". The result of this directive was The Great Western. Shortly after it was completed in 1846 the Great Western travelled the 53 miles from Paddington to Didcot in 47 minutes, therefore achieving an average speed of 67 mph.

The Great Western
The Great Western
© John Simkin, September 1997 - June 2013