The Decapod locomotive was a massive machine built by the Great Eastern Railway in 1903. It was designed to haul heavy goods trains and was initially intended for use on the company’s mainline between London and Norwich.
The locomotive was given the classification “S69” by the Great Eastern Railway and was numbered 800. It was a tank engine, which means that its water and fuel were carried in tanks mounted on the locomotive itself, rather than in a separate tender. The Decapod had ten driving wheels arranged in a “0-10-0” configuration, which means that it had no leading or trailing wheels, and all of its weight was carried by its ten driving wheels.
Contrary to the myths and misconceptions that have grown up around it, the Decapod was not a failure or a disaster. In fact, it was a highly successful locomotive that performed well in service for many years. It was capable of hauling trains of up to 1,500 tons, and it was used extensively on the Great Eastern Railway’s mainline and branch lines.
The Decapod’s nickname, which means “ten feet” in Greek, refers to its ten driving wheels. It is sometimes said that the nickname was given because the locomotive’s wheels were so large that they could crush a man’s head, but this is almost certainly a myth.
In 1923, the Great Eastern Railway was absorbed into the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), and the Decapod was renumbered 9560. It continued to serve on the LNER until it was withdrawn from service in 1946. Sadly, the locomotive was scrapped in 1947, and no examples of the Decapod have survived to the present day
