#0021
GWR Thunderer locomotive
🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by R. & W. Hawthorn· from 1838· experimental British steam locomotive
what is it?
Thunderer was the first of a pair of steam locomotives (the other being Hurricane) built for the Great Western Railway (GWR), England, by R. & W. Hawthorn & Co. whose design was very different from other locomotives. In order to meet Isambard Kingdom Brunel's strict specifications, an 0-4-0 frame carried the 'engine', while the boiler was on a separate six-wheeled frame.
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 188 years ago, in 1838.
- Served for 1 years (1838–1839).
steam locomotive: Burns coal, wood or oil to boil water; the steam drives pistons that turn the wheels.
spec sheet
- built
- 1838
- in service from
- 1838
- retired
- 1839
- status
- retired
- number built
- 1
- kind
- Steam
- traction
- steam
- origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- builders
- R. & W. Hawthorn
- designer
- T. E. Harrison
- operators
- Great Western Railway
- top speed
- —
- power
- —
- gauge
- 2,140 mm Brunel broad gauge
- wheel arrangement
- 0-4-0+6
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q5515059, Wikipedia: GWR Thunderer locomotive (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.