The ten Buffalo class locomotives were 0-6-0 saddle tank broad gauge locomotives operated on the South Devon Railway, Cornwall Railway and West Cornwall Railway. They were designed for goods trains but were also used on passenger trains when required.
These locomotives were built by the Avonside Engine Company and designed for easy conversion to standard gauge after the broad gauge was converted on 21 May 1892.
The locomotives of the three railways were operated as a combined fleet by the South Devon Railway but each was accounted to the railway that ordered it. On 1 February 1876 the South Devon Railway was amalgamated with the Great Western Railway, the locomotives were given numbers by their new owners but continued to carry their names too.
Achilles (1873 – 1892) GWR no. 2165Converted to standard gauge and worked in this form as no. 1324 until 1905 when it was sold to the
South Wales Mineral Railway and became their no. 7, later returning to the
Great Western Railway and running as no. 818 until finally withdrawn in 1932. The locomotive was named after
Achilles, a Greek hero.
Buffalo (1872 – 1892) GWR no. 2160This locomotive was converted to standard gauge and worked in this form as no. 1320. It was named after an animal, the buffalo.
Camel (1872 – 1892) GWR no. 2162This locomotive was converted to standard gauge and worked in this form as no. 1322. It was named after an animal, the
camel.
Dromedary (1873 – 1892) GWR no. 2166This locomotive was converted to standard gauge and worked in this form as no. 1325. It was named after a species of camel, the
dromedary.
Elephant (1872 – 1892) GWR no. 2161This locomotive was converted to standard gauge and worked in this form as no. 1321. It was named after an animal, the
elephant.
Python (1874 – 1892) GWR no. 2168Converted to standard gauge and worked in this form as no. 1318. Rather than being named after a snake,
Python was named after the Greek mythological creature, the Python.
Vulcan (1874 – 1892) GWR no. 2169Vulcan worked the last train on the Falmouth branch on 20 May 1892 before it was converted to standard gauge. The locomotive itself was also converted to standard gauge and worked in this form as no. 1319. The locomotive was named after Vulcan, a Roman god.
Dragon (1873 – 1892) GWR no. 2164Converted to standard gauge and worked in this form as no. 1323. The locomotive was named after the
dragon, a kind of mythological animal.
Emperor (1873 – 1892) GWR no. 2167Converted to standard gauge and worked in this form as no. 1317 until 1905 when it was sold to the
South Wales Mineral Railway and became their no. 6, later returning to the Great Western Railway and running as no. 817 until finally withdrawn in 1926.
For other uses of the name, see Emperor (disambiguation).Hercules (1872 – 1889) GWR no. 2163The locomotive was named after
Hercules, a Roman hero.
