Mainline Railways was a British model railway brand that operated between 1976 and 1983, introduced by Palitoy, the...
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What was the Mainline Railways company?Read more -
What is a Wickham Trolley?Read moreA Wickham Trolley is a small railway maintenance vehicle once widely used across Britain's railways. Built by D...
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What was the Bachmann 'Blue Riband' subbrand ?Read moreThe Blue Riband subbrand was a significant step in the evolution of Bachmann Branchline, the UK division of Bachmann...
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Do I need to apply a camber to a tight curve of track on my layout?Read moreApplying a camber to a tight curve of track on your model railway layout can help improve the realism and operation...
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Avoiding the "Toy Train Look": Realistic Track ArrangementsRead moreA well-designed model railway is more than just a collection of tracks and trains: it’s a miniature world that...
Why were the 'Prairie' steam locomotives used by Great Western Railways so named ?
Historically, this name was originally given to a series of steam locomotives designed to work on routes through the Mid-West Prairies of the United States. These locomotives adopted a distinctive 2-6-2 configuration according to the whyte notation. This means that they had two leading wheels, six driving wheels and two trailing wheels. The middle set of six driving wheels gave the locomotive a characteristic look.
Great Western Railways (GWR) adopted this wheel arrangement for some of their locomotives because it provided a good balance between power and flexibility. The leading and trailing wheels helped to guide the locomotive around curves, while the six driving wheels ensured that it had enough traction to haul heavy loads. This made the 'Prairie' locomotives well-suited for both freight and passenger services on the Great Western Railways network.
The 'Prairie' locomotives were a popular and successful design, not just for Great Western Railways but also on other railways around the world. They were known for their reliability, efficiency and versatility. The name 'Prairie' became synonymous with this particular wheel arrangement and is still used today to describe locomotives with a 2-6-2 configuration.
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