Thomas Tredgold

Tredgold is the subject of a woefully inadequate entry in the ODNB by E.I. Carlyle, "revised" by B.P. Cronin which fails to make any reference to his studies of railways in spite of Ottley. Fortunately, Tredgold is far better served by L.G. Booth's well-researched study in Chrimes. Herein his literary output is clearly identified, and his passion for study and indifferent health are clearly portrayed (the portrait sketch which accompanies the article is highly indicative of the latter). Booth notes that Tredgold was "thirsty for knowledge" and concludes by noting: ""Perhaps he loved learning a bit too much". Chrimes: pp. 716-22. Tredgold was born at Brandon, near the city of Durham, on 22 August 1788 (if the ODNB can be trusted). and died, "exhausted by study" (clearly a condition unlikely to afflict an ODNB biographer), on 28 January 1829, and was buried in St John's Wood chapel cemetery.

The volumes normally ascribed to Thomas Tredgold are something of a problem as it/they began life as a part-work published monthly. The volumes seen by KPJ (and certainly by George Ottley) in the British Library Collection at St Pancras have been bound into three volumes (only the first of which relates to railways and locomotives). They are candidates for the book-carrying event in the Olympics and have a great deal of folding (linen-backed) illustrative material (engravings/diagrams (elevations & plans)). The titles of the fascicules vary between those used on the title pages of the volumes with those on the individual parts. Somebody has at some time corrected some of the pagination on the title pages in ink (a very long time ago!). In many cases the authorship of the parts is corporate: e.g. Robert Stephenson (and this also causes problems of identification. The following follows Ottley to save writing/typing, but with additional annotation reflecting life in the twenty first century. The work was seen on 23 November 2004 at the British Library in the Rare Books Reading Room (copies fetch very high prices) and subsequently in Edinburgh Public Library on 10 August 2005. Clearly, like the century-later Loco Profiles written by Brian Reed, Tredgold has had a vast effect upon the way locomotive history has been perceived and some developments, like the Samuel steam carriage, may have received undue emphasis. If the Norfolk Railway had used oxen nobody would have noticed.

Booth is also the author of several papers presented to the Newcomen Society about Tredgold:
Thomas Tredgold (1788-1829): some aspects of his work. Trans Newcomen Soc., 1979, 51, 57-94.
Thomas Tredgold (1789-1829): some further aspects of his life and work. Trans Newcomen Soc., 1997, 69, 237-48.

Sewell, J. A complete set of rules and regulations for the practical management of a locomotive engine, and for the guidance of engine drivers. London, 1848. 72 pp. First Paper
Ottley 4005: Qualifications, pay, and conditions of service; duties, including observations of signals; management of different kinds of trains under various conditions, etc., with 13 tables, and a glossary of terms. Based on practice on the GWR. As well as this the fascicule included description and detailed diagrams of Iron Duke (GWR) (includes plans, elevations and sections), Pyracmon (a GWR 0-6-0 goods engine, again very detailed diagrams) and perhaps surprisingly of the Crampton type.

Description of Mr Samuel's express carriage engine. 2 pp. Second paper.
As well as including a description of the light locomotive and its carriage, this issue also included a paper on the resistance of railway trains and a glossary which made the fascicule far longer than the two pages recorded. The very light locomotive and carriage could be described as a 2-2-0 or an 0-2-2: it had a vertical boiler..

Armstrong, R. On the dimensions of the locomotive engine boiler in relation to its evaporative power. Third paper. London, 1850. 12 pp. 13 plates.
Ottley 2946

Barlow, H.B. Description of the outside-cylinder tank engine constructed by Messrs. Sharp Brothers & Co. of Manchester with five elaborate engravings and numerous wood-cuts of details. [London,] 1848. 40 pp. plus 5 plates. Fourth paper.
Ottley 2947 Title-page misspells Sharp with a terminal "e". Locomotive built for the Manchester & Birmingham Railway and was a 2-2-2T of 1847.

Woods, Edward. Observations on the consumption of fuel and the evaporation of water in locomotive and other steam engines. London, 1850. 44 pp. plus 2 plates.5th paper.
Ottley 2953

Stephenson, R. Description of the patent locomotive steam engine made by Messrs. Robert Stephenson & Co., of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, for conveying the earth excavated in the construction of a line of railway. 1850. 68pp plus 4 plates. Sixth paper.
Ottley 2951: 2-2-2 "ballast engine"

Mr Tayleur's specification and duties of the passenger engine on the Caledonian Railway. 12pp. Seventh paper.
Ottley 5653 cites Tayleur as the author: the above reflects that used on the document. 6ft diameter driving wheels. 15in x 20 in cyliners. No. 15. (2-2-2) Results of running between Glasgow and Carlisle, and return, on 22, 25, 27 and 29 June 1849.

Messrs. Bury, Curtis, & Kennedy's description of the passenger locomotive engine 'Wrekin'. 1850. 8 pp. plus 4 plates. Eighth paper
Ottley 2949: constructed for Shrewsbury & Birmingham Railway

Messrs. R. & W. Hawthorn's description of the locomotive engine and tender 'Plews' made for speed. November 1849. Ninth paper. 16pp + 4 plates.
Ottley 2950: Ottley's title is very different from that quoted above and is less informative.

Mr Crampton's description of his patented locomotive engine, made to equal the duty of the Great Western Railway engines. Tenth paper. 4pp + 4 plates. 10th paper
Ottley 2948: the  Liverpool: interesting for the explicit claim in the title of being equivalent to the broad gauge in terms of performance

The steam engine...London: 1838. 2 volumes
Ottley 2929

2009-06-10