The Leopard class were four

broad gauge A broad-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge (the distance between the rails) broader than the used by standard-gauge railways. Broad gauge of , commonly known as Russian gauge, is the dominant track gauge in former Soviet Union (CIS ...

locomotives designed for passenger trains but were also used on goods trains when required. They were built by the

Avonside Engine Company The Avonside Engine Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Avon Street, St. Philip's, Bristol, England between 1864 and 1934. However the business originated with an earlier enterprise Henry Stothert and Company. Origins The firm was original ...

for the South Devon Railway, but also operated on its associated railways. Although designed for easy conversion to standard gauge this was never carried out. 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.

Locomotives

* ''Lance'' (1875 – 1892) GWR no. 2130 :It was one of two locomotives kept working at

Swindon Works Swindon railway works was opened by the Great Western Railway in 1843 in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. It served as the principal west England maintenance centre until closed in 1986. History In 1835 Parliament approved the construction of the ...

for shunting the broad gauge stock into the workshops for conversion or dismantling, until it was dismantled in June 1893. This was the second South Devon Railway locomotive to carry this name, it was previously carried by a Comet class locomotive. * ''Leopard'' (1872 – 1893) GWR no. 2128 :It was one of two locomotives kept working at Swindon Works for shunting the broad gauge stock into the workshops for conversion or dismantling, until it too was dismantled in June 1893. On 8 March 1891, ''Leopard'' was derailed in a blizzard near ,

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

whilst working a relief passenger train. * ''Osiris'' (1875 – 1892) GWR no. 2131 :Named after the ancient Egyptian god

Osiris Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wsjr'', cop, ⲟⲩⲥⲓⲣⲉ , ; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎𐤓, romanized: ʾsr) is the god of fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was ...

, this was the second South Devon Railway locomotive to carry this name, it was previously carried by a Comet class locomotive. * ''Stag'' (1872 – 1893) GWR no. 2129 :This locomotive is believed to have worked the last train on the St Ives branch on 20 May 1892 before this and all other lines were converted to standard gauge. It then took the empty coaches from there to Swindon Works where it was kept for shunting the broad gauge stock into the workshops for conversion or dismantling, until it too was dismantled in June 1893.

References

;Sources * * * * * Railway company records at

The National Archives National archives are central archives maintained by countries. This article contains a list of national archives. Among its more important tasks are to ensure the accessibility and preservation of the information produced by governments, both ...

{{SDR Locomotives Broad gauge (7 feet) railway locomotives 4-4-0ST locomotives

Leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus '' Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, a ...

Avonside locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 1872