James W. Lowe's British steam locomotive builders
British steam locomotive builders. Cambridge: Goose, 1975.
705pp.[reprinted by Pen & Sword without Supplement in
2014]
Ottley 10510: "A comprehensive work embodying
great detail." Includes both "company builders" (such as Robert Stephenson,
and many obscure companies which must have been difficult to trace) and railway
builders, such as the Midland Railway. The author had been a premium apprentice
at the Wolverhampton Works of the GWR. The main arrangement is by company,
but location might have been better, and some entries are under individuals
(such as Hedley). There is a great deal of difference in the depth of detail
between individual entries: some are relatively concise, others list the
entire output. In some cases one suspects that Lowe incorporates all of the
probably very limited information which is still available. Lowe clearly
states where there is doubt about a company's output, but failed to state
how the knowledge of a specific works had arisen. There are several excellent
indexes and the illustrations had been chosen either beacuse of their historical
interest or to illustrate some of the more unusual products of a specific
works.. List of companies included.
Bibliography was reasonably good, although Steam locomotive development
is not there. Macnair (Backtrack,
2017, 31, 710) notes significant errors in entry for Neath Abbey
(although his own work contains a major error).
The Aknowledgements (page 12) lists:
Individuals
R. Abbott, Oxford;
The late G. Alliez;
G. E. Baddeley, Croydon;
M. Billington, Nuneaton;
Rev. E. Boston, Cadeby;
R. E. Bowen, Dinas Powis;
V. Bradley, Wirral;
R. Brown, Kilmarnock;
L. G. Charlton, Newcastle;
R. H. Clark, Norwich;
R. N. Clements, Co. Kildare;
E. Craven, London W1;
W. J. F. Davenport, Tollerton;
S. R. Devlin, London SE1;
G. Dow, Audlem;
A. G. Dunbar, Glasgow;
J. M. Fleming, Gosforth;
S. H. P. Higgins, Wolverhampton;
Dr. R. L. Hills, Manchester;
K. Hoole, Scarborough;
G. Horsman, Headingley;
J. Houston, Co. Antrim;
F. Jones, Loughton;
O. Jones, Tredegar;
S. A. Leleux, Keighley;
W. E. Loveridge, Whitby;
J. J. W. Lowe, Offenham;
A. Mackenzie, Edinburgh;
J. F. McEwan, Glasgow;
D. Martin, Kirkintilloch;
G. Moore, Beckenham;
J. Morley, Rayleigh;
J. M. Mowat, Glasgow;
W. G. Pearson, Liverpool;
J. D. Petty, Middlesboro';
A. R. Phillips, Leics;
K. Plant, Sheffield;
B. Radford, Derby;
R. N. Redman, Horsforth;
D. L. Smith, Ayr;
J. J. Smith, Airdrie;
W. A. Smyth, Birmingham;
D. H. Stuart, Glasgow;
C. H. Warrington, Dilhorne;
C. R. Weaver, Kenilworth;
R. Wear, Wellingborough;
B. Webb, Scarborough;
E. M. S. Wood, Ormskirk.
Libraries, Museums etc. Belfast Transport Museum Birkenhead - Williamson Museum Birmingham - City Museum and Art Gallery Bradford - City Art Gallery and Museum Cardiff - County Record Office Dublin - National Library of Ireland Dundee Museum and Art Gallery Eccles Central Library Edinburgh - Scottish Record Office Glasgow - Mitchell Library, Museum of Transport Leicester - City and University Libraries
The book is not faultless: Douglas Earle Marsh did not die in 1911 (page 396) but in 1933, and the Marsh Atlantics largely remained un-named until given names by Southern Railway.
British steam locomotive builders. Supplement
Hickley: TEE publishing. 1984. 56pp.
Described as "rare" by some avaricious booksellers: personal copy
cost £2.50 (secondhand).
Building Britain's locomotives, Moorland.
Review in Rly Wld, 1980, 41, 36: "worthwhile book and
one that is highly recommended".
Biography
Educated King Edward VI Grammar School, Birmingham and became a premium
apprentice at GWR Wolverhampton Works in 1928, but was transferred to Swindon
after two years. In 1935 he joined British Timken and later became an Inspector
for the South African Railways & Harbours. Just prior to WW2 he joined
Rolls Royce Aero Division at Derby.
2019-02-01