#0030
GWR Sun Class
🇬🇧 United Kingdom ·built by Sharp, Stewart and Company· from 1840· class of 21 broad gauge 2-2-2 locomotives
what is it?
The Great Western Railway Sun Class were 2-2-2 broad gauge steam locomotives for passenger train work. This class was introduced into service between April 1840 and January 1842, and withdrawn between January 1864 and June 1879. A smaller-wheeled version of the Fire Fly Class for working trains on the hilly sections of line west of Swindon, they did not prove heavy enough for the task and were later altered to become 2-2-2T tank locomotives.
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 186 years ago, in 1840.
- Served for 39 years (1840–1879).
steam locomotive: Burns coal, wood or oil to boil water; the steam drives pistons that turn the wheels.
spec sheet
- built
- 1840
- in service from
- 1840
- retired
- 1879
- status
- retired
- number built
- 21
- kind
- Steam
- traction
- steam
- origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- builders
- Sharp, Stewart and Company, R. & W. Hawthorn, Stothert, Slaughter and Company
- designer
- Daniel Gooch
- operators
- Great Western Railway
- top speed
- —
- power
- —
- gauge
- 2,140 mm Brunel broad gauge
- wheel arrangement
- 2-2-2
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q5515054, Wikipedia: GWR Sun Class (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.