Locomotive Wiki


Hercules is a red/maroon 4-8-2 freelance "Mountain" type tender steam locomotive.

History[]

Hercules was built in 1927 to a design by Henry Greenly by the Davey Paxman company for the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch railway. Hercules was ordered for ballistic traffic and was delivered to the railway on the 20th of April in 1927 and hauled the inaugural opening train on the 16th of July in the same year. Hercules was left basically derelict by the early 1930s as ballast traffic never reached the acceptable peaks to justify it and No.6's operation. The two mountain types also often got derailed on points and curves and were considered surplus to operations on the railway.[1][2][3][4][5]

However in 1936 ballast traffic once more became viable for the railway to transport and Hercules was rebuilt to operate these trains and did so until the 1940s. During the second world war when the railway was commanded by the military (army), Hercules was chosen to be modified being fully armored and hauling defensive trains along the railway. After the war Hercules had it's armor removed and it returned to regular service. Hercules is currently out of traffic however she currently holds a GWR Hall whistle and is painted in a Midland Railway Maroon livery.[1][2][3][4][5]

Trivia[]

  • Hercules is one of the most famous of the locomotives in the RH&DR fleet due to being used as the armored train during world war II by the army.

Gallery[]

Bibliography[]

Romney, Hythe & Dymchurh Railway (RH&DR) Locomotives
Serviceable Fleet No.1 Green GoddessNo.2 Northern ChiefNo.3 Southern MaidNo.4 The BugNo.5 HerculesNo.6 SamsonNo.7 TyphoonNo.8 HurricaneNo.9 Winston ChurchillNo.10 Dr. SynNo.11 Black PrinceNo.12 J. B. SnellNo.14 Captain HoweyPW1 SimplexPW2 ScooterPW3 Red Gauntlet
Non-Serviceable Fleet Coronation Class
Withdrawn Fleet Theakston FordsonSuper-Scooter"War Dept."No.4 BluebottleNo.3007 Firefly"Motor Cycle Scooter"Royal Anchor
Visiting Locomotives R&ER No.7 Shelagh of EskdaleR&ER No.3 River IrtR&ER No.6 KatieRMR Railway QueenSHR SynoldaWFR Red DragonWFR Duke of EdinburghWFR Princess AnneB&WR No.21 LizR&ER No.9 River MiteR&ER No.11 Bonnie DundeeEVLR Prince WilliamB&WR No.712