GWR River Class

The 69 Class designed by William Dean for the Great Western Railway consisted of eight 2-4-0 tender locomotives, constructed at Swindon Works between 1895 and 1897. Nominally they were renewals of eight 2-2-2 engines that carried the same numbers, these themselves having been renewals by George Armstrong at Wolverhampton of 2-2-2s designed by Daniel Gooch as long ago as 1855.

GWR 69 River class
No. 70 Dart
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer William Dean Builder Swindon Works Order number 103 Serial number (none) Build date 1895–1897 Total produced 8
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 2-4-0  • UIC 1B n2 Gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Driver dia. 6 ft 8 in (2.032 m) Cylinders Two Cylinder size 17 in × 24 in (432 mm × 610 mm)
Career Operators Great Western Railway Numbers 69–76

In truth the Dean engines were in effect new engines, the only re-used parts being some recently fitted boilers of Swindon pattern. They had 6 ft 8 in (2.032 m) driving wheels and 17 in × 24 in (432 mm × 610 mm) cylinders. 2-4-0s, being mixed-traffic engines, were not usually named on the GWR, but all of the 69s did carry names, as follows:

• 69 Avon
• 70 Dart
• 71 Dee
• 72 Exe
• 73 Isis
• 74 Stour
• 75 Teign
• 76 Wye

The "Rivers" were originally allocated to Oxford, and later moved to the Bristol division. They were not long-lived as 2-4-0s, the last being withdrawn in 1918.^[1]