Brunel originally built the Great Western Railway to his unique broad gauge of 7 feet between the rails as he thought this would give extra speed and comfort.
But as the railway network expanded the Great Western had increasing problems with transshipping goods onto the standard gauge, or 'narrow gauge' as they called it, of the other railways and its broad gauge was finally abandoned in 1892.
However, at Didcot Railway Centre the Great Western Society has recreated a section of broad gauge railway using materials recovered from a disused railway in Devon together with the relocated Didcot Transfer Shed built in the 1850s to transship goods between broad and standard gauge trains.
Much of the recreated railway is laid as mixed gauge track, capable of carrying both broad and standard gauge trains. A quick look at the resultant complexity of pointwork shows the considerable increase in material and maintenance costs that such a layout involves.
In addition to the track and the Transfer Shed there are many other features reminiscent of the Great Western Railway's 'broad gauge' era in this part of the centre. Look out for the characteristic disc and crossbar signal, the Railway Policeman's Hut and a display on Brunel's ill-fated attempt at 'atmospheric' propulsion.
‘Fire Fly’ is a faithful replica of the original ‘Fire Fly’ locomotive designed by Daniel Gooch in 1840 to run on Brunel’s broad gauge Great Western Railway between Bristol and London.
The replica was conceived by the members of the Firefly Trust and they have assembled it at Didcot Railway Centre where it now operates.
‘Fire Fly’ operates the broad gauge railway together with a replica of a third class coach, open to the elements, built by the National Railway Museum for the 150th anniversary of the Great Western Railway in 1985.
The original ‘Fire Fly’ was the first locomotive designed by Daniel Gooch, first locomotive superintendent of the Great Western Railway, and was one of a class of sixty two; built in May 1840 it ran until 1870. Gooch took advantage of the broad gauge; his locomotives travelled at much faster speeds than those made previously. In all he designed 340 locomotives.
The Fire Fly class handled the principal trains from London to Bristol when they were new and were capable of hauling trains weighing 80 tons at speeds up to 60 miles per hour; one of the class hauled the first royal train, taking Queen Victoria from Slough to London, in 1842. The wheel arrangement is 2-2-2, the single driving wheel being 7 feet diameter, and the weight 24 tons 4 cwt.
The Firefly Trust's achievements were recognised by the Heritage Railway Association by the award of the 2005 John Coiley Memorial Prize for locomotives.
Fire Fly will be running (subject to availability) on the dates shown in the panel on the right.