The Comet class were 12 4-4-0 saddle tank broad gauge locomotives operated on the South Devon Railway and associated railways. They were designed for passenger trains on this steep and sharply curved line but were also used on goods trains when required.
They were ordered by Evans and Geach who were contracted to operate the railway's locomotives. They were designed by Daniel Gooch and based on his Bogie class locomotives built for the Great Western Railway who had previously operated the South Devon Railway.
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.
Six similar locomotives were built for the Vale of Neath Railway by Robert Stephenson and Company in 1851. Some of these could be found working on the South Devon lines after the 1876 amalgamation.
Aurora (1852 – 1878) GWR no. 2099Built by
Longridge and Company. Named after the goddess
Aurora.
Comet (1851 – 1884) GWR no. 2096Built by Longridge and Company. On 1 August 1853, it was working an express train when it collided with
Ixion, which had passed a danger signal at
Rattery, Devon.The name
Comet represents a heavenly body, and was reused on a
Leopard class locomotive built in 1875.
Damon (1852 – 1876) GWR no. 2101Built by the
Haigh Foundry, it was named after Damon, a Greek mythological character.
Falcon (1852 – 1878) GWR no. 2102Built by the
Haigh Foundry. On 13 September 1866,
Falcon was working the mail train when it failed to stop at the signal at Plympton so it collided with
Brutus, which ran away to
Plymouth. It was named after a bird, the
falcon.
Ixion (1853 – 1878) GWR no. 2105Built by Stothert and Slaughter. On 1 August 1853,
Ixion was working a goods train from
Exeter to
Plymouth. At
Rattery the driver ignored a danger signal and collided with a mail train while shunting.
Ixion was badly damaged and was out of use for many months, despite having seen less than five months' work at the time. Named after Ixion from Greek mythology.
Lance (1851 – 1873)Built by Longridge and Company.
Lance was written off after it was involved in a head-on collision with another train near
Menheniot railway station on the
Cornwall Railway on 2 December 1873. At the time it was providing front-end assistance to a heavy goods train. The name
Lance means a projectile, and was reused on a
Leopard class locomotive built in 1875.
Meteor (1851 – 1881) GWR no. 2098Built by Longridge and Company,
Meteor was named after a heavenly body, a meteor.
Orion (1853 – 1878) GWR no. 2103Built by the Haigh Foundry. Named after
Orion, a Greek Titan.
Osiris (1853 – 1873)Built by Stothert and Slaughter. On 31 October 1853, it was approaching
Totnes railway station with a passenger train when it was hit by a goods train which had been unable to stop after descending the incline from Rattery. After withdrawal,
Osiris was taken to
Portreath where it provided steam for the stationary engine that powered the
cable railway which raised wagons from the harbour up to the
West Cornwall Railway line.Named after Osiris, the Egyptian god of death, the name was reused on a Leopard class 4-4-0ST.
Ostrich (1852 – 1877) GWR no. 2104Built by Fairbairn and Sons,
Ostrich was named after a large African bird, the
ostrich.
Priam (1851 – 1876) GWR no. 2100Built by the Haigh Foundry, it was named after
Priam, the king of Troy.
Rocket (1851 – 1877) GWR no. 2097Built by Longridge and Company, it was named after a projectile, a
rocket.
