Talk:Fowler's Ghost

A fact from Fowler's Ghost appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 31 October 2011 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:

Did you know... that Fowler's Ghost was first seen on the London Metropolitan Railway in 1861, nearly exploded and was never seen again after 1895?

A record of the entry may be seen at Wikipedia:Recent additions/2011/October. The nomination discussion and review may be seen at Template:Did you know nominations/Fowler's Ghost.

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Another image?[edit]

Could this be Fowler's Ghost? I've been trying to identify it, but the only broad gauge locos with outside cylinders that I can find are two 2-4-0s Creedy & Dart, built by Canada Works in Birkenhead for the North Devon Railway - or Fowler's Ghost, which was in the right location at the right time. Andy Dingley (talk) 14:07, 23 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

How interesting, I must admit I know very little about early engines, but the profile of this locomotive certainly replicates that of the surviving photograph, (albeit apparently minus a tender and footplate visor). What with the lack of smoke and a general visual similarity, it could be that this is "Fowler's Ghost", or at least an artist's impression of what the eventual production version of the locomotive would look like. Are there any photographs/illustrations of the GWR Metropolitan Class? I note from that article that they were tank engines, which implies they would not have looked like this. Bob talk 18:00, 23 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

The Metropolitans were (like so many broad gauge locos) both tank and tender locos, as one was rebuilt into the other. However they had inside cylinders. AFAIK, as broad gauge locos had such wide frame spacing, they favoured two inside cylinders. The only exceptions I know with outside cylinders were Fowler's Ghost, the North Devon 2-4-0s above and the single compound loco 8, where I don't know how many cylinders it had or where they were. Also the spectacle plates (vizors) often changed over time. Andy Dingley (talk) 23:56, 23 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Ah, my mistake it is a Metropolitan after all. They were outside cylindered (and the other details match too). Sheppard's book describes them, doesn't describe the cylinders, but has a photo of an inside cylindered Hawthorn on the same page. Looking at Holcroft though, there's a line drawing of the outside cylindered loco. Andy Dingley (talk) 10:11, 24 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Even allowing for artistic licence, I'm sure this is a Metropolitan Class in its tank engine form. Firstly, it looks just like the surviving photographs of Locust. Secondly, the lines in the foreground are the Kensington branch which didn't open until 1868, long after the trials of 'Fowler's Ghost'. Geof Sheppard (talk) 12:47, 25 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Two other images?[edit]

This page https://machorne.wordpress.com/2013/05/05/metropolitan-railway-demonstration-and-trial-trips/ makes a credible case for two other images having a rear view of Fowler's Ghost hauling a demonstration train including William Gladstone amongst the passengers. 82.33.129.182 (talk) 15:58, 27 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]