Locomotives on minor British railways
The paradigm minor railways are those managed by Colonel Stephens. The great rarity on these lines was the acquisition of new motive power, and if such was acquired it had usually been intended for Uraguay or somewhere similar, and at the very best was a standard manufacturer's product. Most motive power came secondhand from the big neighbour, who also supplied locomotives on hire. Only standard gauge lines are considered herein: see also narrow gauge locomotives.
Alderney Railway
The Bideford, Westward Ho and Appledore Ry.
Channel Islands
Cockermouth, Keswick & Penrith Railway
Colne Valley & Halstead Railway
Derwent Valley Railway
East & West Yorkshire Union Railway
East Kent Railway
Edge Hill Light Railway
Felixstowe Railways & Docks
Garstang & Knott End Railway
Hundred of Manhood & Selsey
tramway
The Hythe & Sandgate Branch Line &Tramway
Isle of Wight Railways
Jersey Eastern Railway
Jersey Railway
Kent & East Sussex Railway
Knott End Railway
Lambourn Valley Railway
Liskeard & Caradon Railway
Mid-Suffolk Light Railway
Pensnett Railway
Sandy & Potton Railway
Shropshire & Montgomeryshire Railway
South Shields, Marsden & Whitburn Colliery
Railway
Stratford-upon-Avon & Midland Junction Railway
Wantage Tramway
West Lancashire Railway
Weston Clevedon & Portishead
Whittingham Hospital Light Railway
Wigtownshire Railway
Wrexham Mold & Connah's Quay Railway
George Woodcock. Minor railways of England and their locomotives
1900-1939. Norwich: Goose & Son' 192pp
Reviewed in Railway
Wld. 1970, 31, 560
Colonel Stephens railways
See also biographical
material.
Morgan, John Scott. The Colonel Stephens railways: a pictorial history. 1978. 96pp. Bibliog.
Alfred R. Bennett. The railways of the Channel Islands. 4.The Alderney Ry. Locomotive Mag., 1914, 20, 126-8. 3 illustrations
The Bideford, Westward Ho and Appledore
Ry.
Locomotive Mag., 1901, 6,
136-7. 2 illus.
Description of the route: 5½ miles from Bideford Bridge along
quay as a tramway, thence to Westward Ho, location of United Service College,
and on to terminate at Northaam. Appledore and Clovelly not reached. Three
locomotives supplied by Hunslet: 2-4-2T with outside cylinders (12in x 18in).
The coupled wheels were 3ft 3in in diameter. The total heating surface was
444ft2 and the boiler pressure was 140 psi. The photograph shows
the locomotive without its screens to the wheels and motion. The tramway
type passenger vehicles were supplied by Bristol Carriage & Wagon
Works.
Brampton Railway (Lord Carlisle's Railway)
The Barmpton Railway. Locomotive
Mag., 1903, 8, 283
Webb, Brian and Gordon, David A.
Lord Carlisle's railways.
1978. 127pp. + plates.
Cornwell, C.M. The History of the Calderstones Hospital Railway 1907-1953. Chorley: Author, 2010.. 136pp,
Channel Islands
World War II: German Occupation
Barnes, Robin. Strangers on the shore -the foreign steam locomotive
in Britain and Ireland. Part 3.
Backtrack, 1997, 11,
613-19.
Orenstein & koppel 0-4-0WT: many were supplied as contractor's
lcomotives and worked in unexpected locations, such as the Orkney Islands.
Similar locomotives were supplied by the Dutch firm, Ducroo & Brauns.
Both types were used in the construction of large housing estates, such as
that at Port Sunlight. Krauss supplied The Bug which still exists
on the RH&DR. There were many of these locomotives in Ireland: Comlucht
Suicre Eirann and the giant Shannon hydro-electric project used many: in
the case of the latter most returned to Germany at the end of the project.
The author cites J.W.P. Rouledge's The Irish steam loco. register (1993).
Fireless locomotives were supplied by Orenstein & Koppel and by Hohenzollern
of Düsseldorf-Grafenberg. The locomotives based upon the Hydrogen Company's
steam launch engine which could raise steam very quickly and use waste liquid
fuels are briefly mentioned but citations in the Ind. Rly Rec. are given.
The German occupation of Jersey and Guernsey led to locomotives being "imported"
from various parts of Europe to assist in construction defense works.
See also Alderney Railway, Guernsey Railway; Jersey Eastern Railway and Jersey Railway
Cheddleton Hospital
Railway
Near Leak in Staffordshire
Cornwell., R.B. The history of the Cheddleton Hospital Railway,
1895-1954 .Author 136pp,
Reviewed in Backtrack,
2014, 28, 126
The Cleobury Mortimer & Ditton Priors Light Railway
Richens, F.G. The Cleobury Mortimer & Ditton Priors Light Railway. Rly
Mag., 1938, 83, 427-31.
Light Railway Order granted 23 March 1901, but two extensions were
required. Main traffic was envisaged to be stone from Brown Clee Hill. Two
locomotives, Msanning Wardle 0-6-0Ts, were acquired and named Cleobury
and Burwarton. Secondhand passenger coaches were obtained from
the North London Railway. The line opened for freight on 1 July 1908, and
for passenger traffic on 19 November 1908, and closed to passenger traffic
on 24 September 1938.
Cockermouth, Keswick & Penrith
Railway
Conceived as an extension of the Stockton & Darlington Railway
Stainmore route opened in 1864. It was worked by the LNWR except for mineral
traffic worked by the Stockton & Darlington. The North Eastern Railway
continued to work the engineering trains, but this arrangement ceased in
XXXX and the company purchased its own locomotive: a Manning Wardle 0-6-0T
Strachan, but it never ran on the main line and was stored in the
carriage shed. Bowtell (below) states that it was an M class 0-6-0T (with
side tanks) supplied to T.A. Walker at Latchford for preparatory works for
the Manchester Ship Canal and was named Oldham. It was sold to a
contractor J. Strachan and possibly used on the Weaste branch contract, following
which it was sold to W. Grisenthwaite of Penrith.
Bowtell, Harold D. Rails through
Lakeland: illustrated history of the Workington, Cockermouth, Keswick, Penrith
Railway. Silver Link Books, 1989.
Western, R.G. The Cockermouth,
Keswick and Penrith Railway. 2001. (Oakwood Library of Railway History
No. 113)
Colne Valley & Halstead Railway
Halstead was the central point of a railway which acted as a loop-line
to the Great Eastern's Cambridge to Marks Tey cross-country route. There
were junctions with the larger company at Haverhill and Chappel & Wakes
Colne. Five locomotives passed to the LNER in 1923, although one an 0-4-2T
was derelict. There were three 2-4-2Ts (all Hawthorn Leslie: No. 2 Halstead
2079/1897 became LNER 8312; No. 3 Colne 2080/1897 became 8113
and 4 Headingham 2283/1894, not taken into LNER stock. The names were
in place in 1911 but removed before Grouping. No. 5 was an 0-6-2T (LNER class
N18) and was built by Hudswell Clark (836/1908). It became LNER 8314..
Allen, G.F. The Colne Valley & Halstead Railway. Trains ill.,
1953, 6, 104-9. 6 illus.
Davies, W.K.Colne Valley notebook. Rly Wld, 1962, 23,
139-42. 6 illus., 2 tables, map.
Incorporates notes by B. Woodcock and includes a stock
list.
Gairns, J.F. The Colne Valley and Halstead Railway. Rly Mag.,
1923, 53, 85-93. 10 illus,
(incl. port.), map.
Railway Correspondence & Travel
Society. Locomotives of the LNER. Part 7. Tank enginesclasses
A5 to H2. 1964.
Railway Correspondence & Travel
Society. Locomotives of the LNER. Part 8B. Tank enginesclasses
J71 to J94. 1983.
Whitehead, R.A.and Simpson, F.D.
The story of the Colne Valley. Brentwood (Essex), Francis Ridgway
Ltd., 1951. xii, 83 p.+ front.+ 23 plates. (incl. 1 folding plate). 57 illus.
(incl. 6 ports. & 2 line drawings s. els.), 9 plans, table. Map on end
papers. Bibliog.
0-6-0 tank/tender (ex-CMR)
Webster, V.R. Unusual lineage
the Cornwall Minerals engines and their Great Western descendants.
Rly Wld, 1984, 45, 17-20.
Includes fairly brief description of the Sharp Stewart 0-6-0Ts designed
by Francis Trevithick to operate back-to-back . No. 10 was used briefly on
the Colne Valley & Halstead Railway before passing to South Hetton
Colliery.
Rowatt, T. Railway brakes.Trans Newcomen Soc.,1927, 8, 19-32. According to A.M. Bushell (discussion on paper p. 29) Heberlein brake used on Maenclochog Railway in Wales, on the Highgate Hill Cable Tramway and on the Colne Valley & Halstead Railway.
Corringham Light Railway
This short light railway located on the Essex marshes initialy served the explosives industry at Kinnochtown. Its motive power was interesting as Kitson's tramway locomotives were used.
The Corringham Light Railway. Charles Phillips.
Br. Rly J. (31), 47-62.
The Corringham Light Railway was incorporated on 10 July 1899 and
opened to freight on 1 January and passenger on 22 June 1901. The main function
was to serve the explosives factory at Kynochtown. The railway was eventually
transferred to the Mobil Oil Company. Locomotives included Kynite (Kerr
Stuart 0-4-2T 692/1901) at Kynochtown on 16 June 1909; Cordite (Kitson
0-4-0WT T260/1893) pre-WW1; Avonside 0-6-0ST (1771/1917 or 1672/1914). Many
illustrations. Very extensive correspondence published in BRJ 42 page 128
et seq, beginning with addenda by Author: Essex
County Council promoted a light railway from Rainham to Stanford-le-Hope
in 1919 but this failed to reach fruition; the coaches were unlit and male
and female passengers were segregated after dark; the original Act stipulated
either steam or electric traction and diesel traction required specific
authorization.
Derwent Valley Light Railway.
Locomotive Mag., 1913,
19, 199
Informative paragraph: imcludes people involved and stopping
places
New 20-ton steam llocomotive, Derwent Valley Ry. Locomotive Mag., 1925, 31, 187.
East & West Yorkshire Union Railway
The railway was opened in 1891 to serve part of the Yorkshire coalfield,
south of Leeds/north of Wakefield between Lofthouse and Stourton, serving
Robin Hood. It was owned by J. & J. Charlesworth Ltd: the Charlesworth
family were associated with coal mining in the Wakefield area. Six locomotives
(industrial 0-6-0ST from Manning Wardle) were handed-over to the LNER
where they became classes J84 and J85 (beware: this classification was also
used for some very ancient NBR locomotives).There were also two 0-6-2Ts,
also from Manning Wardle. The single class J85" had been a further 0-6-2T
but was rebuilt by the builders as an 0-6-0ST. D.S. Hartmann was in charge
of locomotive stock.
EWYU | Builder's No. | LNER | ||
1 | 0-6-0ST | 1307/2895 | J84 | 3112 |
2 | 1308/1895 | J84 | 3113 | |
3 | 1489/1900 | |||
4 | * | 1398/1898 | J85 | 3114 |
5 | 0-6-2T | 1433/1898 | N19 | 3115 |
6 | 1434/1898 |
Mitchinson. H.W. Broken crank pins.
J. Instn Loco. Engrs, 1919, 9,
255-8. (Paper No. 72a)
This paper refers to an 0-6-0 with 4ft coupled wheels and an 0-6-2T
with 3ft 9in coupled wheels and traffic betwen Lofthouse, Robin Hood and
Stourton, so presumably Mitchinson was in charge of the locomotives on the
East & West Yorkshire Union Railway. Cited Brymbo Steel as being of superior
quality.
Deacon, Nick. Snapshots of the East & West Yorkshire Union
Railway. Backtrack, 2019,
33, 378-9
Two locomotives shown in LNER condition and one before LNER condition:
there is also a map. States that D.S. Hartmann was in charge of locomotives
and permanent way. See also above
The EAST & West Yorkshire Union Ry.and its locomotives. Loco. Rly
Carr. Wagon Rev., 1933, 39, 98-100; 129-31. 2 illus., map.
A modern mineral railway: the East and
West Yorkshire Union Railway. Rly Mag., 1900, 7, 113-18.
Map showing line from Stourton on MR to Lofhouse on GNR via Robin
Hood where engine shed situated. Illus. of locomotive No. 2.
Railway Correspondence & Travel
Society. Locomotives of the LNER. Part 8B. Tank enginesclasses
J71 to J94. 1983.
Railway Correspondence & Travel
Society. Locomotives of the LNER. Part 9A. Tank enginesclasses
L1 to N19. 1977. 170pp.
East Kent Railway
Built to serve new Kent coalfield: possibly its oddest feature
was Canterbury Road station where the railway ended in a
field.
East Kent Railway. Loco. Rly Carr.
Wagon Rev., 1917, 23, 133.4 illustrations, map
Written when all (except locomotives) was new and with assistance
of Mr H.F. Stephens, M.I.C.E., engineer and general manager. At that time
only Tilmanstone Colliery was open. Locomotive stock at that time was 0-6-0ST
No. 1 ex-GWR No. 1398, 0-8-0T Hecate (R. & W. Hawthorn WN 2587/1904)
and No. 3 Walton Park (Hudswell Clarke 1908) built for Weston, Clevedon
& Portishead.
EAST Kent Railway locomotives. Loco. Rly Carr. Wagon Rev., 1935,
41, 285-6. 2 illus.
Description of the overhaul of Nos. 4 (a Kerr Stuart 0-6-0T) and 6
(a Stirling S.E.R. 0-6-0) at Ashford Works.
Goods engine, East Kent Railway.
Loco. Rly Carr. Wagon Rev.,
1926, 32, 398. illustration
Beattie Ilfracombe Goods 0-6-0 No. 3. Also lists locomotive stock
at that time, .
KLAPPER, C.F. and DALSTON, H.F.G. The East Kent Light Railways. Rly
Mag., 1937, 80, 179-90. 23 illus., table, map.
TANK locomotive, East Kent Railway. Loco. Rly Carr. Wagon Rev., 1926,
32, 263. illus.
0-6-0ST acquired from the S.R. (a former L.S.W.R. Beattie locomotive:
E.K.R. No.7).
Tonks, E.S. The Edge Hill Light Railway.
Felixstowe Railways &
Docks
Opened 1 May 1877 from Westerfield on the Great Eastern to Felixstowe.
Colonel Tomline of Orwell
Park was the instigator. Three locomotives supplied by Yorkshire Engine
Co. (WN 328-30). No. 1 Felixstowe, No. 2 Orwell and No. 3 Tomline.
J.E. Medley was the Locomotive
Superintendent. Illustration of No. 2 on opening day
The Garstang & Knot(t) End Railway had a long and difficult development, enjoyed a brief prosperity, and a rapid decline. There were several speculative schemes including the development of St Bernard's on Sea (on a sandbank), and a venture to link Hull with Knot(t) End. On 30 June 1864 an Act was obtained for a Garstang and Knot End Railway. Progress was slow and at one point consideration was given to a narrow gauge line, but in December 1870 the seven miles from Garstang to Pilling were ready: these were inspected by Captain Tyler on 30 Nov 1870 and opended on 14 December. An 0-4-2ST Hebe was acquired from Black, Hawthorn & Stephenson in June 1870, but the boiler failed in 1872 and the owner repossesse his locomotive, following which the line became defunct until 1874, except for a little horse-drawn traffic. Union, a Manning Wardle 0-4-0St, built in 1865, was acquired on behalf of the railway in October 1874 but was sold back to the builders in 1875 as it was unsuitable. In September 1875 a new Engine Company was formed which purchased a Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST Farmer's Friend which was leased to the GKER. Another HC 0-6-0ST Hope was hired between November 1883 until 1897. Operation of the railway was far from orthodox and the line was in receivership from 1878 to 1908. In 1898 the Knott End Railway Company was formed with the aim of reaching the intended destination, but shortage of funds left the works derelict, but on 29 July 1908 Knott End was reached. Two HC 0-6-0STs (Jubilee Queen and New Century) were acquired at this time, and a Manning Wardle 0-6-0T Knott End was acquired in 1908. At Preesall a salt mine was reached over a long siding and provided a significant traffic in rock salt (over 30,000 tons in 1918). Peat traffic and increasing passenger traffic helped to provide a brief prosperity. In 1909 a Manning Wardle 2-6-0T Blackpool was obtained (see 10-40 for full account by Philip Atkins). The railway was absorbed by the LMS, but passenger serives were withdrawn on 30 March 1930, the section between Pilling and Knott End closed on 13 November 1950, and the line was closed completely on 31 July 1963. There are few remains. No citations.
Contemporary
Chisholm, A.J. The Garstang
& Knott End Ry. and its locomotives. Locomotive Mag., 1901,
6, 202. illus.
At the time the article was written the line terminated at Pilling
and the locomotive stock was limited to two Nos. 1 Jubilee Queen and 2 New
Century (latter illustrated). Latter was an outside cylinder 0-6-0ST built
by Hudswell Clarke & Co. in 1900. It had 15 x 20in cylinders and 3ft
6in coupled wheels. It was painted dark red lined black white and red. The
boiler pressure was 140 psi.
The Knott End Railway.
Locomotive Mag., 1915, 21,
275-7. 5 illustrations
Mainly the motive power
Rush, R.W. and Price,
M.R.C. The Garstang & Knott End Railway. Lingfield: Oakwood
Press, 1964. 70pp. (Locomotion papers
No.23)
See letter from J.P. Bardsley.
Railway Wld, 1964, 25, 351
J.I.C. Boyd. The Garstang & Knott End Railway.
Rly Wld. 1958, 19,
207-12.
Original Act 30 June 1864; slow progress in construction; list
of locomotives, map, plans of stations at Garstang (Town). Knott End and
Pilling.
Holland, H.L. The Lancaster Extension of the Knott End Railway.
Br. Rly J., 1989 (29), 299-306.
Act of 18 June 1908 authorised the reconstituted, but far from financially
secure, Knott End Railway to build a line from Pilling to Scotforth on the
outskirts of Lancaster via Galgate. It appears that work actually began on
this line, but was abandoned. Illus. Garstang & Knott End Rly 0-6-0T
Knott End (Manning Wardle 1732/1908); one of the eight Birmingham
Railway Carriage & Wagon open coaches on Wanlockhead branch (as LMS No.
17899) in 1937 (most appeared to end up at Slateford, Edinburgh); Jubilee
Queen (Hudswell Clark 484/1897) waiting at Garstang Town on 30 June 1912
and leaving Knott End in 1922; Cauliflower 0-6-0 No. 8525 on freight at Knott
End in1931; 0-6-0ST New Century (Hudswell Clark 559/1900) outside
shed at Garstang Town in July 1923.
Wells, Jeffrey. The Pig and Whistle
railway: a Lancashire backwater. Backtrack, 7,. 257-65.
Incorrect distances (Edgington
8-50). Illus. (b&w): KER Pilling station c1906; KER Preesall
station c 1908; KER Map of the branch, KER Map showing location of branch;
KER Preesall station c 1908; Nateby station c 1908, Newspaper advertisement
of the opening of the line.,Plan of Garstang station 1890; Plan of Knott
End station 1912; KER The 1910 and 1871 timetables, KER Garstang station
being rebuilt after the fire of 1910; KER Jubilee Queen at Garstang station
c 1906, KER Pilling station c 1908, Knott End yard with their largest loco
Blackpool, Knott End locomotive at Knott End station,
Guernsey Railway
Opened 20 February 1892; closed 9 June 1935.
Bennett. Alfred R. The railways of the Channel Islands. 3 The Guernsey Ry. Locomotive Mag., 1914, 20, 105-6.
Hellingly Hospital
Railway
Harding, Peter A. The Hellingly Hospital Railway. Woking: Author.
32pp. 1989.
Recent reprint with amendments
reviewed by Michael Blakemore in
Backtrack, 2015, 29,
62.
Hundred of Manhood & Selsey
tramway
Also known as West Sussex Railway: was based in Chichester
Lowe: Longbottom 0-6-0T built about 1847:
repaired at Swindon in 1861: worked on construction of Hundred of Manhood
& Selsey tramway where named as Chichester: converted to a proper
0-4-2ST by Avonside (it had worked as Chichester with rear driving
wheels uncoupled) and scrapped in 1913.
Cooksey, Laurie A. The Selsey Tramway. Wild Swan. 2007. 2v
(188pp/146pp).
Reviewed by Adrian Gray
J. Rly Canal Hist. Soc., 2008, (202) 116 (Volume 2 contains drawings
of locomotives and rolling stock).
West Sussex Railway. Locomotive
Mag., 1935, 41, 70
Siidlesham had been scrapped; Morous (ex
Shropshire & Montgomeryshire) and 2-4-2T Selsey had been condemned,
but 0-6-0T Ringing Rock looked sound
Hythe & Sandgate Branch Line
&Tramway
Harding, Peter A. The Hythe & Sandgate Branch Line
&Tramway. Knaphill: Author. 32pp.
Reviewed by DWM in
Backtrack, 2021, 35,
582
The Isle of Wight railways have generated a considerable literature which is still growing. Prior to the formation of the Southern Railway there were several separate railways. The RCTS with Bradley as its author provides an excellent introduction
Bradley, D[onald] L[aurence].
A locomotive history of the railways on the Isle of Wight. RCTS,
1982. 45pp.
Very much in the style of the other Bradley locomotive histories:
each of the independent railways is given its own chapter: Isle of Wight
Central Railway, Isle of Wight Railway, Ryde Pier & Tramway and Freshwater,
Yarmouth & Newport Railway, then there is a further chapter covering
activity by Southern Railway and British Railways down to a glimpse of the
"new" tube rolling stock.
Robbins, M. The Isle of Wight Railways. South Godstone (Surrey),
Oakwood Press, 1953. [ii] ,37 pp. + 16 plates. 41 illus., (incl. line
drawing : s. el) 12 tables, 2 maps. Bibliography. (Oakwood library of railway
history No.54). (Oakwood library of railway history
No.54).
Walker, P.C. The locomotives of the railways of the Isle of Wight.
8pp.
Ottley 1895 dimensions and full particulars of the locomotive stock
of the three railways
Freshwater, Yarmouth & Newport
Railway
Became indepedent from Isle of White Cental in 1913 and acquired its
own locomotives, general manager (W.H. Hunstone) and staion in Newport see
Locomotive Mag., 1913,
19, 199.
Rush Furness Railway notes that former Whitehaven & Furness Junction Railway Queen Mab (FR B4 class No. 46) 2-2-2T was acquired in 1876 where it became Newport.
Jersey Eastern Railway
Standard gauge railway opened on 6 August 1873 and closed 21 June
1929
Bonsor, N.R.P. The railways of the Channel Islands. v.2. The Jersey
Eastern Railway and German occupation lines. Lingfield (Surrey), Oakwood
Press, 1965. [ii ,pp. 92-142 (i.e. continued from v.1.) + 12 plates. 30 illus.
(incl. 5 thumb-nail sketches), 4 tables, 2 plans, 3 maps. (Oakwood library
of railway history, No. 58A).
Dalston, H.F.G. Railways of the Channel Islands. IIThe Jersey
Eastern Railway. Rly Mag., 1942, 88, 211-14. 7 illus., map.
Deane, M.E.J. Memories of the Jersey Railways.
Br. Rly J., 1994, 6,
(53) 143-54.
Jerrsey Railways & Tramways opened from St Helier to St Aubin
(3¾ miles) in 1870. It was originally standard gauge but was converted
to 3ft 6in in 1899 when extended to Corbiere. Four Sentinel railcars were
used. Includes memories of several attempts made by Sentinel railcar to climb
gradient on way to Corbiere. Illus.: Bagnall 2-4-0T No. 3 St Brelades
at Weighbridge station in St Helier; Manning Wardle 2-4-0T No. 1 St
Helier passing locomotive shed and on shed; No. 3 on shed; Andrew Barclay
(1907) 2-4-0T No. 5 La Moye on shed; trains at West Park and First
Tower (from comercial postcards by Louis Levy of Paris); Millbrook station;
No. 4 Corbiere; St Aubyn terminus with all-over roof; Corbiere terminus -
trains with Sentinel and with locomotive. Also includes notes on the Jersey
Eastern Railway, a standard gauge line opened in 1873 which linked St Helier
with Gorey Village until it closed on 26 June 1929. It had four Kitson's
0-4-2Ts: Caesarea, Calvados, Mount Orgueil and Carteret. It also owned two
Sentinel railcars: one car, Normandy, was regauged for the JR&T
and the other, Brittany, was used as a holiday bungalow. Illus.:
Calvados; Carteret at Gorey Pier; La Roque station; Gorey Village
station.
Ginns, M. and Osborne, E.N. Transport in Jersey : an historical
survey of public transport facilities by rail and road in the Island of Jersey,
1788-1961. London, Transport World, 1961. 64 p. + front. 63 illus., 3
maps. Bibliog.
Paye, Peter. The Jersey Eastern Railway. Oakwood.
Originally published by John Masters in
1999: "an excellent book" according
to Mel Holley, Editor Steam World.
Railmotors etc. Peter Erwood.
Backtrack,, 1989, 3,
238
See feature by Tom Middlemass page
106 of Volume 3: Sentinel railcars on Jersey Railway and Jersey Eastern
Railway.
Railcars in Jersey. P. Walton.
Backtrack, 1990, 4, 140.
See feature by Tom Middlemass page
106 of Volume 3:and above: Sentinel railcars on Jersey Railway
& Tramways and on Jersey Eastern Railway.
Jersey Railway
Opened in 1870 as standard gauge railway, but in 1884 converted to
narrow gauge and extended. Closed in 1936.
Bonsor, N.R.P. The railways of the Channel Islands. v.1. The Jersey
Railway (J.R. & T). [Lingfield (Surrey)]: Oakwood Press, 1962. [vi]
,87 p. + 16 plates. 37 illus., 5 tables, map. (Oakwood library of railway
history No. 58).
Boyd-Carpenter, V. Railways of the Channel Islands. 1 The Jersey
Railway. Rly Mag., 1938, 83, 29-34. 11 illus., diagr., map.
Deane, M.E.J. Memories of the Jersey Railways.
Br. Rly J., 1994, 6,
(53) 143-54.
Jerrsey Railways & Tramways opened from St Helier to St Aubin
(3¾ miles) in 1870. It was originally standard gauge but was converted
to 3ft 6in in 1899 when extended to Corbiere. Four Sentinel railcars were
used. Includes memories of several attempts made by Sentinel railcar to climb
gradient on way to Corbiere. Illus.: Bagnall 2-4-0T No. 3 St Brelades
at Weighbridge station in St Helier; Manning Wardle 2-4-0T No. 1 St
Helier passing locomotive shed and on shed; No. 3 on shed; Andrew Barclay
(1907) 2-4-0T No. 5 La Moye on shed; trains at West Park and First
Tower (from comercial postcards by Louis Levy of Paris); Millbrook station;
No. 4 Corbiere; St Aubyn terminus with all-over roof; Corbiere terminus -
trains with Sentinel and with locomotive. Also includes notes on the Jersey
Eastern Railway, a standard gauge line opened in 1873 which linked St Helier
with Gorey Village until it closed on 26 June 1929. It had four Kitson's
0-4-2Ts: Caesarea, Calvados, Mount Orgueil and Carteret. It also owned two
Sentinel railcars: one car, Normandy, was regauged for the JR&T
and the other, Brittany, was used as a holiday bungalow. Illus.:
Calvados; Carteret at Gorey Pier; La Roque station; Gorey Village
station.
Ginns, M. and Osborne, E.N. Transport in Jersey : an historical
survey of public transport facilities by rail and road in the Island of Jersey,
1788-1961. London, Transport World, 1961. 64 p. + front. 63 illus., 3
maps. Bibliog.
Railmotors etc. Peter Erwood.
Backtrack,, 1989, 3,
238
See feature by Tom Middlemass page
106 of Volume 3: Sentinel railcars on Jersey Railway and Jersey Eastern
Railway.
Railcars in Jersey. P. Walton.
Backtrack, 1990, 4, 140.
See feature by Tom Middlemass page
106 of Volume 3:and above: Sentinel railcars on Jersey Railway
& Tramways and on Jersey Eastern Railway.
Lambourn Valley Railway
The Lambourn Valley Railway which had struggled to climb up to the
Berkshire Downs operated its own locomotives until the line was bought for
a song by the GWR. The locomotives were then sold to the Cambrian Railways.
KPJ would be very grateful to know if the references, other than that in
the Railway Magazine contain photographs of the locomotives in service on
the LVR.
Price, M.R.C. The Lambourn
Valley Railway. Oakwood. 1962 (Locomotion Papers No. 32)
Presume that locomotives are mentioned
Roberts, C. Lambourne Valley
Railway. Rly Mag., 1902, 11. 47-50.
Opened 2 April 1898. It had its own locomotives, supplied by Chapman
& Furneaux: Ealhswith (illustrated) and Aelfred: both were
0-6-0T.
Robertson, Kevin and Simmonds, Roger. An illustrated history of
the Lambourn branch. Wild Swan. 1984. 164pp.
Ottley 17844
Liskeard & Caradon Railway
Taken over by GWR on 1 January 1909. Liskeard & Caradon Railway
opened from Moorswater (a mile west of Liskeard) north to the Caradon mines
in November, 1844. It was a mineral line worked by horses until 1862, although
locomotive power was considered as early as 1854. The railway from Moorswater
to Looe, constructed by the Liskeard & Looe Union Canal Co. (a much older
concern). was opened on. 27 December 1860 and worked by a locomotive hired
from a contractor. It was not known officially as the Liskeard & Looe
Railway until 1895. In March 1862 the Liskeard & Caradon undertook the
carrying of the whole of the traffic on both lines, the Looe Section being
made fit for passenger service in 1879. The mining industry deteriorated
so badly that in 1886 a receiver was appointed to manage the Caradon's affairs
and in 1901 the L. & L. took over the rolling stock and working. In 1901
a connection was made between Coombe Junction (Moorswater) and the G.W. station
at Liskeard ; the desirability of this had been recognised as early as 1865
by the Caradon Company. The GWR took over tworking on 1 January, 1909, when
the three existing locomotives were allotted the numbers 1308, 1311 and 1312.
The line north of Moorswater was closed in January, 1917 and the rails removed
but the Looe section continues to be worked as a branch line from Liskeard.
Liskeard was the first engine owned by the
Liskeard & Looe Co. It was hired from the contractor James Murphy of
the Railway Works, Newport in December 1860 and purchased in September 1861.
In turn, by the Agreement of March 1862, the L. & C. became the owning
Company but five months later, after the arrival of their own new engine
ordered from Gilkes, Wilson & Co., they were anxious to dispose of it.
However, it seems to have been patched up, being eventually bought back by
Mr. Murphy in August 1866. Of the locomotive itself nothing is known though
there is evidence to suggest that it was an 0·6-0 tank.
Caradon, the first new locomotive on the line,
was an 0-6-0 saddle tank by Gilkes, Wilson & Co. of Middlesbrough (WN
138/1862. The wheelsthe driving pair flangelesswere 4ft 0in,
outside cylinders 13 x 24in and the wheelbase approximately 6ft 4in + 5ft
2in. It is believed to have received a new firebox (and possibly boiler)
from the Avonside Engine Co. in 1878, is reported as again rebuilt in 1899
and was withdrawn in 1907 Caradon had not yet disappeared entirely
for its firebox still performed an indispensable office as many visitors
to Moorswater shed in recent years can testify.
Cheeseturing (GWR No. 1311) was a long boiler 0-6-0 saddle tank built
by Gilkes, Wilson & Co. (WN. 195/1864). The wheelbase was 4ft 4in + 4ft
4in, wheels 4ft 0in, outside cylinders 13in x 24in. The trailing pair of
wheels were the drivers and the middle pair flangeless. It is reported as
being rebuilt in 1890 with a boiler having a dome on the middle ring and
a tank of 700 gallons capacity over the barrel only. Thereafter its appearance
changed little though in December, 1907 it had a general overhaul at Swindon.
Cheesewring became GWR No. 1311 and finished its active life in the
London area where, during WW1 it was found a job of national importance and
became an object of curiosity at Old Oak Common until withdrawn in August,
1919.
Kilmar (GWR 1312) was a similar engine, by Hopkins,
Gilkes & Co. (successors to Gilkes, Wilson & Co.) in 1869 WN
264/1869believed to have been built to the same dimensions as
Cheesewring. It probably received a boiler from the Vulcan Foundry
in 1887 and was repaired at Bristol by the Avonside Engine Co. from September
1902 to March 1903, when the large closed in cab with which it ended its
days was most likely fitted. The dome was on the back ring, though the short
saddle tank between it and the smokebox gave it an appearance of being over
the firebox. In December 1908 it had a general overhaul at Swindon.
Looe, the next new engine to appear, was an 0-6-0ST
built by R. Stephenson & Co. WN 3050/1901. It had inside frames, wheelbase
8ft 0in, wheels 3ft 6in, outside cylinders 16 x 20in, pressure 130 psi. and
tank over the barrel holding 700 gallons. I t was purchased because of the
steep gradient of the extension line to Liskeard station but, proving unsuitable,
was sold in April 1902-after only a few months service to the London &
India Docks becoming their No. 11 and later the same number in the Port of
London Authority's list. As L. & I. Docks No. 11 it is illustrated in
the Locomotive Magazine,
1903,. 8, 43, whilst the illustration shews the engine at
Looe during its brief period of service in the west. It was scrapped in December
1950 ..
Lady Margaret (G WR 1308) was a 2-4-0 side
tank engine built by Andrew Barclay (WN 956/1902) to replace Looe.
It had inside frames, wheelbase 6ft 0in + 7ft 0in·, leading wheels 2ft
7½, coupled 4ft 0in, cylinders 14½ x 22in, grate area 11.6
ft2, pressure 160 psi., tank capacity 560 gallons,
overall cab and weighed 28tons. Until about 1920 Lady Margaret worked
in the West of England; from then till her withdrawal in May, 1948 she. was
stationed at Oswestry except for a short period immediately after rebuilding
in 1929, spent at Exeter working on the Culm Valley line.
RCTS Locomotives of the Great Western
Railway. Part 3 and Mike Fenton. "Have you seen Lady Margaret?".
Backtrack, 2020, 34,
385.
Nick Deacon. High endeavors: the story of the Liskeard & Caradon
Railway. Rly Archive, 2014
(42) 2-38
Alec Kendall. The lost years of the Liskeard and Caradon Railway;
with lain Rowe and Dave Ambler). Caradon Hill Area Heritage Project. 148pp.
AB***
Reviewed (very fully) by AB in
Backtrack, 2014, 28,
382
Michael Messenger. Caradon & Looe: the
canal, railways and mines. Chacewater: Twelveheads Press, 2001. 168pp.
Looe, built Robert Stephenson & Son in 1901 0-6-0ST acquired London
& India Docks. Locomotive Mag.,
1902, 7, 85
Liverpool Overhead Railway
KPJ very fortunate to have travelled on it (but not underground section
to Dingle. It had one steam locomotive descrribed in
Locomotive Mag., 1939,
45, 269
Hoole, Ken. Seaham to Sunderland:
the Londonderry Railway. Backtrack, 1988, 2, 32-8.
Lord Londonderry built a harbour at Seaham in 1831 to handle coal.
The first sod of the Seaham & Sunderland Railway was cut on 8 February
1853 and the line was partially opened in early 1854. The line originally
had its own terminus in Sunderland, but in 1868 passenger trains were routed
into the NER Station at Hendon, and into Sunderland Central from 4 August
1879. A new station was opened in Seaham in 1886. Some of the locomotives
were graced with a coronet to signify their aristocratic origins. The NER
purchased the railway on 21 May 1900 and a new company, Seaham Harbour Dock
Company took over the harbour which continued to operate locomotives. The
gradual decline of some of the railway is described, but some still forms
part of the coastal route from Sunderland to Hartlepool which used to convey
express trains. This line was opened in 1905. Extensive article; maps, plans,
diagrams of rolling stock, tables of rolling stock. illus.(b&w): LR.
No 17 a vertical boilered engine constructed by Head, Wrightson of
Stockton-on-Tees in 1873; No 2 purchased from the Lancashire and Yorkshire
Railway (139).view from the north end of the station platform at Seaham;
Hesledon bank; Track diagram - Londonderry railway; separate views of LR
locos, Nos. 3 (not acquired by NER), 5 an 0-6-0 built by LR which became
NER 2268, 20 another Seaham-built 0-6-0 (NER 1335) and 21 (an 0-4-4T built
at Seaham which went to the Isle of Wight Central Railway in 1909; Two views
of LR locos, nos,5 and 9; Seaham station c. 1900; LR Track diagram Seaham
station, locomotive works and carriage shed c.; Two views of LR. rolling
stock; LR. brake van 2 with birdcage 'look-out'; LR Diagram of brake 3rd
no 2941 and Ord. 3rd No 2942;
Hoole, K. An illustrated
history of NER locomotives. p. 64
Illustration of 2-4-0T No. 2, built at Seaham Harbour Engine Works
and withdrawn by NER as No. 1113 on 28 December 1906.
Lord Willoughby's Railway
This litttle railway connected Lord Willoughby's Estate with the GNR
at Little Bytham. Havilah (R.&W. Hawthorn 958/1856) was the line's
main steam motive power and for a time William
Stroudley looked after the line
Groves, Norman. Great Northern locomotive
history. V.1
Pp. 89-90 lists all the locomotives associated with the line: 2-2-0ST
Ophir sold in 1866 to I.W. Boulton, and then converted to 0-4-0ST;
and two Hawthorn 0-4-0Ts: Havilah (958/1855) and Columbia
(1047/1858). Former illustrated in Locomotive for November 1908. Notes
friendship of Lord Willoughby with Daniel Gooch.
Pearson, R.E. and Ruddock, J.G. Lord Willoughby's Railway: the Edenham
Branch. Grimsthorpe: Willoughby Memorial Trust, 1986.
Argues that Sroudley's role has been over-played.
Mid-Suffolk Light Railway
The line was intended to join Haughly with Halesworth with a branch
to Debenham, but due to lack of funds it failed to extend beyond Laxfield
in Suffolk. Three locomotives were inherited by the LNER in 1924. Locomotives
associated with the line included Manning
Wardle 1134/1890 originaly supplied to Logan & Hemingay as their
No. 11 and used by the Contractor , Jackson & Co. and was named Lady
Stevenson. This left the line after it opened by which time the Company
had acquired its own locomotives from Hudswell Clarke. These were painted
crimson lake according to Comfort and had copper-capped chimneys and
polished domes and safety valve covers. They were lettered "M.S.L.R." (and
could thus cause confusion). For their brief existence on the LNER they were
classified as J64 and are thus covered by the RCTS survey. Once they had
departed the LNER used GER-origin J65 and J15 to haul the limited services
provided. Comfort also mentions locomotives hired by the MSLR.
1 711/1904 14x20 inch cylinders; weight 29 tons 12 cwt. originally
named Haughley
2 723/1905 possibly named Kenton lighter than No. 1 (24 tons)
3 867/1908 possibly named Laxfield, as per No. 1
Contemporary.
The Mid-Suffolk Light
Ry.Locomotive Mag., 1907,
13, 84.
Comfort, N.A. The
Mid-Suffolk Light Railway. Oakwood Press, 1986. (Locomotion papers
No.22)
Digby, Nigel
Railway Correspondence &
Travel Society. Locomotives of the LNER. Part 8A. Tank
enginesclasses J50 to J70. 1983.
Vincent, R.E. The Mid-Suffolk Light Railway. Trains ill., 1952,
5, 374-7+. 6 illus.
Pentewan Railway
Lewis, M.J.T. The Pentewan Railway.
Truro: D.B. Barton, 1960.
Ottley 7174
Redruth & Chasewater Railway
Barton, D.B. The Redruth & Chasewater
Railway, 1824-1915. Truro: Truro Bookshop, 1960.
Ottley 7183: note not Chacewater which was not reached.
Rother Valley Railway/Kent & East Sussex Railway
These railways are thoroughly covered in Stephen Garrett's The Kent and East Sussex Railway (1987). The material which follows has been extracted from there.
Rother Valley Railway
Two 2-4-0T engines were supplied by Hawthorn Leslie in 1899: Works Numbers 2420 and 2421. These were numbered 1 and 2 and named Tenterden and Northiam. They originally had 3ft 2in driving wheels, but in 1904 No. 1 was fitted with 4ft wheels. The livery was royal blue lined with red. No. 2 passed to the East Kent Railway in 1912. From 1918 to 1921 it served on the Weston Clevedon & Portishead Railway, after which it returned to the EKR. It ended up as a star in Oh Mr Porter in 1937.
Whitechurch, Victor
L. The Rother Valley Railway. Rly Mag., 1900,
7, 53-7.
Describes the two original locomotives supplied by R. & H. Hawthorne
Leslie: outside-cylinder 2-4-0Ts named Tenterden and Northiam
painted in what is described as Great Eastern blue. The passenger rolling
stock was supplied by Hurst Nelson
In 1901 the RVR acquired a Terrier from the LBSCR: No. 70 Poplar became RVR No. 3 Bodiam. Remarkably this locomotive is extant. By 1911 its condensing apparatus pipes had been removed. In 1914 it was fitted with a Galloway Hills Patent furnace. In 1919 it was sent to Eastleigh for a service. By 1931 it was out of service, but it was revived with bits from other Terriers, was painted green, and worked until 1941. In 1943 it was fited with an A1X boiler at St Leonards. In 1947 it returned to Brighton works for an overhaul and emerged painted in a darker green. It became BR 32670 and now serves the KESR.
No. 4 Hecate was an 0-8-0T supplied by Hawthorn Leslie (2587/1904) and was similar to the 0-6-2Ts supplied to the Plymouth Devenport and South Western Junction Railway. It may have been intended for the propose Maidstone extension. It did very little work and eventually went to the Southern Railway in exchange for a Terrier. On the SR it became No. 949 in September 1933. According to contemporary source exchanged for Beattie 0-6-0ST No. 0335 see Locomotive Mag., 1933, 39, 219.
No. 5 Rolvenden was a further Terrier acquired in 1905. It had been LBSCR No. 71 of 1872. It was overhauled in 1917 and withdrawn in 1932 when bits were incorporated in Bodiam.
No. 6 was a highly interesting vehicle which receives little mention elsewhere. It was a four-wheel steam railbus with a vertical boiler suppled by R.Y. Pickering of Wishaw in 1905. It could seat 31 passengers. It mouldered away for many years.
No. 7 Rother was an ex-LSWR Ilfracombe Goods 0-6-0, built by Beyer Peacock (1208/1873). This was acquired in 1910, was overhauled at Ashford in 1919 when it was fitted with new cylinders and tyres. It was laid aside in the early 1930s.
No. 8 Hesparus was a Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST (630/1876). It had been supplied to the North Pembrokeshire & Fishguard Railway as Ringing Rock and in 1902 became GWR No. 1380. In 1912 it was sold to the Bute Works Supply Co. and was acquired by the KESR for £550 in 1914. It received an overhaul in 1935 when its name was removed. It was scrapped in 1941.
No. 9 Juno was another Ilfracombe Goods 0-6-0 acquired from the LSWR in 1914. It was Beyer Peacock 1210/1873 and had been LSWR No. 284. It was scrapped in 1940.
No. 4 was acquired from the SR in exchange for Hecate: it was an LSWR 0-6-0ST No. 0335. It was Beyer Peacock 1596/1876. It survived to be condemned by British Railways in 1948. No. 3334 was hired from the SR.
Latterly, more locomotives were hired: P class 1556 was hired in 1936/8. A1X 2655, 2659 and 2678 were hired in the late 1930s/WW1WW2. 0395 No. 3440 and O1 1373, 1426 and others were hired, and following WW2 P class 1325 and 1555 were used. During WW2 Dean Goods WD 195 (2531), 196 (2576) and 197 (2540) were used on the line in association with rail-mounted howitzers.
R.A.H. Weight. The Kent and East Sussex Railway in 1946. Locomotive Mag., 1946, 52, 185-6. 4 illustrations
Pensnett Railway
Also known as the Shut End Railway. Opened in 1829. Linked Lord Dudley's
colliery with the Ashwood basin of the Staffordshire & Worcestershire
Canal. Awdry
T.R. Perkins and G.M. Perkins. Earl of Dudley's Railway.
Locomotive Mag., 1910,
16, 146-8. 3 illustrations
New locomotives for the Earl of Dudley's Pesnnett Railway.
Locomotive
Mag., 1921, 27,
170
Supplied by Peckett: 0-6-0ST
Sandy & Potton Railway
Captain William Peel, landowner encouraged the Sandy & Potton
Railway which opened on 23 June 1857. Motive power was provided by George
England 0-4-0T Shannon. When the LNWR took over the line Shannon
was sent to Crewe where it remained until sold to the Wantage Tramway
in 1878
Clark, D.K. Railway locomotives.
1860.
Plate 44 illustrates an 0-4-0T supplied by George England.
Captain Peel's Railway.
Locomotive Mag., 1905,
11, 196-7. illustration, diagram (side elevation)
Simpson, Bill. Potton: recollections of a country
station. Railway Wld., 1987,
48, 262
Suggests may have been another locomotive: a 2-2-2
Jane
Shropshire & Montgomeryshire
Railway
Wandered westwards from Shrewsbury Abbey station and eventually found
rock at Llanymynech. It was taken over by the War Department during WW2 which
kept it alive. Covered in Rolt and
Whitehouse's Lines of character and in John
Scott-Morgan's The Colonel Stephens railways.
Inspection train, Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Railway.
Loco. Rly Carr. Wagon Rev., 1937,
43, 312. illus.
Photograph of No. 1 Gazelle at Shrewsbury Abbey Foregate station
with four-wheel coach: notes how built by Alfrred Dodman & Co. of King's
Lynn as a 2-2-2, rebuilt as 0-4-2 by Bagnall in 1911, and reconditioned at
Kinnerley by Mr Owen. Lists locomotive stock then available.
Kalla-Bishop, P.M.
Locomotives at war: army reminiscences of the Second World War. [1980].
Pp. 88-104.
Shropshire & Montgomeryshire became a military railway during
WW2 and Kalla-Bishop was involved with it then at which time the LNWR
Coal Engines were still at work on the residual civilian traffic. Gazelle
is mentioned on page 91..
A quaint passenger train, Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Ry.
Locomotive Mag., 1927,
33, 31
Gazelle on Criggion branch. Locomotive built
in 1896 by Dodman & Co, of King's Lynn for W. Burkitt, It was designed
by S. Stone of the GER. W,G, Bafgnall rebuilt it as an 0-4-2 in 1910/11.
The train in the photograph consisted of a former London County Council
horse-tramcar.
W.J. Thorne. A railway goes to war.
Rly Wld, 1960, 21,
305-8.
Writer had joined LSWR in 1913 and worked at Waterloo prior to WW2.
He swas a Sergeant Instructor at the LMS Staff College at Derby when sent
to the Shropshire & Montgomery Railway to experience a severe culture
shock with the decrepid locomotives and rolling stock which included LNWR
Coal Engines which only the civilian footplate crews could master;
Hesperus, a Beattie Ilfracombe Goods which one of the Sapper fitters
treated as a challenge to restore to working order; the King's Lynn built
2-2-2 Gazelle which was used to patrol lines from Kinnerley subjected
to sabotage by non-combatant troops stationed in the area. The pleasure of
working the Dean Goods and accommodation in former LMS camping coaches. Train
services appear to have been linked to access to beer consumption and pubs.
The last train from Shrewsbury Abbey was liable to stall on the steep gradient.
A former Royal carriage was used to convey Visiting Brass..
Tonks, Eric S. The Shropshire
& Montgomeryshire Railway. Industrial Railway Society
reprint
Slightly updated version of book published in 1972: excellently written
review in Steam Wld,
2008, (251) 65.
South Shields, Marsden & Whitburn Colliery
Railway
The Railway was only 2¾ miles long, but did operate a passenger
train service (the 'Rattler'), although its major task was to serve collieries.
There were forty locomotives, including several ex-NER C class 0-6-0s. The
steam locomotive stock consisted of the following ex-Whitburn Coal Co.: No.
1 (Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST scrapped in about 1896); No. 2 Black Hawthorn WN
504/1879 0-6-0ST scrapped in 1905; No. 3 Black Hawthorn WN 716/1882 0-6-0ST;
No. 4 Black Hawthorn WN 826/1884 0-6-0ST scrapped 1904; No. 5 Robert Stephenson
WN 2629/1887 0-6-0ST scrapped in 1922. Purchases made by Harton Coal Co.:
No. 7 (illustrated) Chapman & Furneaux WN 1158/1898 0-6-2T, sold
in 1912 to Robert Frazer & Sons who sold it to Pontop & Jarrow Railway
where it was scrapped in 1923; No. 8 Sharp Stewart WN 1501/1864 2-2-2WT
ex-Furness Railway B3 class No. 22A acquired
in 1899 and withdrawn in 1907; Nos. 9/10 0-6-0
ex-Blyth & Tyne Railway of 1862 (ex-NER
Nos. 2255 and 1712), scrapped in 1913/14; No. 6 Robert Stephenson WN 2160/1874
0-6-0 ex-NER 398 class No. 888 acquired in
1907 (via Frazer) and scrapped in 1912; No. 8 Robert Stephenson WN 1973/1870
0-6-0 ex-NER 708 class No. 718 (illustrated);
No. 11 Manning Wardle 0-4-0ST acquired in 1908 and scrapped in 1920 and Hatcher
states on p. 64 was used on armoured train during WW1; No. 6 Robert Stephenson
WN 2056/1872 0-6-0 ex-NER 398 class No. 786
acquired in 1912 (via Frazer) and scrapped in 1930; No. 10 R&W Hawthorn
WN 1564/1873 0-6-0 ex-NER 398 class No. 827 and
scrapped in 1931; No. 6 ex-NER No. 6, but No. 1453,
398 class built at Gateshead in 1882, acquired
from LNER in 1927, transferred to Boldon Colliery in 1930, and scrapped during
WW2; No. 5 ex-NER No. 396, 398 class built at Gateshead
in 1881, acquired from LNER in 1925, and not scrapped until 1953 (illustrated
as on 29 April 1952); No. 7 acquired from LNER in 1929 and scrapped in 1935
was ex-NER C class WN 38/1892 (Gateshead)
No. 1616 (it came fitted with Westinhouse brake and was used on the passenger
service; No. 6 acquired from LNER in 1929 and scrapped in 1935
was ex-NER 59 class 0-6-0 Robert Stephenson
WN 2587/1884; No. 8 was ex-NER C class WN 3/1889
(Gateshead) No. 869 acquired from the LNER in 1931 (this is stated to
have 'pride of the fleet' and lasted until 1954, includes side elevation
drawing); Laleham, an Andrew Barclay outside cylinder 0-6-0ST (WN
1639/1922) was acquired from George Cohen in 1929 and worked in Marsden Quarry
and was not scrapped until 1964 (it had been acquired by S. Pearson &
Son for construction work at the Sunbury reservoirs); Nos. 7 and 6 were both
acquired from the LNER in 1935 and were former
C class 0-6-0s Nos. 776 and 1509 built at Gateshead (WN 43/1889 and 23/1889).
They were scrapped in 1939 and 1951. No. 7 originated as LNER class J24 No.
1953 (Gateshead WN 631/1898) and was acquired in 1939 and lasted until 1946.
The National Coal Board inherited a collection of aged locomotives in poor
condition and most, but not all, of the newcomers were 0-6-0STs mainly of
the Austerity type. No. 9 (Hunslet WN 3191/1944) was ex-WD 75140 and was
acquired in 1949: it was fitted with a Giesl ejector in 1960 and nicknamed
the Funkenbanger. It lasted until 1969. No. 10 was a R. Stephenson, Hawthorn
0-6-0ST WN 7339/1947 was purchased for quarry shunting at Marsden but inspite
of a lack of continuous brakes sometimes worked the Rattler: scrapped 1970.
Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST WN 1513/1924 was accquired from the War Department
in 1947 (WD 70069). It never received a running number, but lasted until
1959. It had originated as a contrctor's locomotive (Robert McAlpine No.
42) and was used on road contracts in Glasgow and Birmingham then on construction
at Tilbury and Southampton docks. In 1940 it passsed to John Mowlem who used
it on military contracts at Bednall Wharf and Glynrhonwy Quarry. R. Stephenson,
Hawthorn 0-6-0ST WN 7132/1944 was ex WD 75182 having been delivered to the
Melbourne Military Railway; it was then registered with the GWR and worked
at Treforest and Maesmawr before arriving at Whitburn Colliery in 1948. In
1963 it was fitted with a Hunslet underfeed stoker and gas producer system
which was disliked by the footplate crews. It was scrapped at Wearmouth Colliery
in 1969. R. Stephenson, Hawthorn 0-6-0ST WN 7603/1949; 7695/1951 and 7749/1952
were specifically designed for the Marsden Railway and were based on similar
locomotives supplied to Dorman, Long & Co., but with the addition of
vacuum and air brakes. They were scrapped in 1972, 1970 and 1968 (several
illus.). R. Stephenson, Hawthorn 0-6-0ST WN 7811/1954 was similar to the
previous, bu lacked continuous brakes, it was scapped in 1968. R. Stephenson,
Hawthorn 0-6-0ST WN 7294/1945, former WD 71485 was purchased in 1947 for
use at Boldon Colliery, but moved to the Marsden Railway in 1959; it lasted
elsewhere until 1974. "No. 4" (the number was never carried) was
former LNER No. 5626 (J24) and was purchased
from British Railways in 1949 and was used at Boldon Colliery. It was transferred
to Whitburn Colliery in 1956, but was never used and was
scrapped.
Hatcher, William.
The South Shields, Marsden & Whitburn Colliery
Railway. Usk. 2002. 128pp. (Oakwood Library of Railway
History No. 120)
These railways are covered in Stanley Jenkins' Northampton & Banbury Junction Railway
This small railway had great ambitions for carrying ironstone from Northamptonshire to South Wales, but the 1866 economic crisis had extinguished all hopes of an immediate commencement of the extension schemes, and with only four miles of their line in operation, the disappointed Midland & South Wales Directors were obliged to focus greater attention on the short section of railway between Blisworth and Towcester. Initial thoughts of an arrangement with the LNWR had to be abandoned, and the Directors decided to purchase their own locomotives, and a contract was accordingly placed with Neilson & Co. of Glasgow for two 0-4-2Ts and two 0-4-2 tender engines.
In the meantime, there was an urgent need for motive power for use on the Towcester line, and as an interim measure the Directors hired at least one locomotive from I.W. Boulton. The locomotive involved in this deal was a typical Sharp Roberts 2-2-2 that Boulton had purchased from the LNWR for £240 in March 1866, but on arrival at Blisworth it was found to have a cracked cylinder. The 2-2-2 was returned to Boulton at Ashton-under-Lyne, and it appears that a replacement was provided by Boulton's friend Thomas Wheatley who had recently purchased a selection of locomotives from the Monkland & Kirkintilloch Railway near Glasgow. It is conceivable that one, or perhaps two, of these Scottish veterans found their way to Northamptonshire, but precise details remain elusive. It is known, however, that one of the first engines used on the line between Blisworth and Towoester was a decrepit antique known as The Owl, and this locomotive may have been a Wheatley supplied engine.
The opening of the line coincided with the collapse of Overend & Gurney and a resulting economic crisis, and this meant that the railway could not afford the Neilson engines and the railway had to hire motive power from the LNWR.
The East & West Junction services between Blisworth, Towcester and Stratford added further interest to the locomotive scene, and it would be useful, therefore, to make some mention of the kind of E&WJR engines seen on the eastern section of the N&BJR line.
In contrast to the Northampton & Banbury Junction, the E&WJR always worked its own train services, and for this purpose the company assembled a diverse collection of locomotives. The first engine used on the line was a Manning Wardle 0-6-0 saddle tank that had been purchased from Thomas Russell Crampton, the line's contractor. Of typical Manning Wardle design, this former contractor's locomotive dated from 1866, and became No. 1 Kineton in the East & West Junction locomotive list.
The E&WJR hoped to work its line with a fleet of six Beyer Peacock 0-6-0s (more correctly 3 0-6-0s and 3 2-4-0Ts), but although the engines concerned actually worked on the line for several months, the company found that it could not afford to pay for them, and these modern locomotives were subsequently sold to the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. Thereafter the East & West Junction line was operated by a strange assortment of hired or borrowed engines, among them two French-built locomotives obtained from Thomas Brassey & Company.
Both of the French engines appeared on the N&BJR line. Although precise details are scarce, it seems that these European locomotives had originally been obtained by Brassey in connection with a contract in the Savoy Region. Both are likely to have been purchased from Le Chemin de Fer de Rhone et Loire in 1858; No. 4A, an outside cylinder 2-4-0 tender engine, was used on passenger services between Blisworth and Stratford until 1879, when it was transferred to the Stratford to Broom line. The engine was apparently named Ceres. Its companion, an 0-6-0 tender engine, worked goods traffic between Blisworth and Stratford until about 1880, when it was rebuilt as a saddle tank and sold to the Bute Trustees for use at Cardiff Docks. The engine was numbered 5A in the E&WJR list, and may have retained its original name La Savoie in East & West Junction service.
The use of European engines must have added an exotic element to East & West Junction operations, and this exoticism was accentuated when, in 1876, the company purchased two Fairlie engines from the Yorkshire Engine Company. The Fairlie double-bogie concept was, at that time, still something of a novelty, but the E&WJR Directors may have hoped that a powerful 0-6-6-0 would have been able to handle the heavy ore traffic that was still confidently expected to materialise. No. 1 was a classic "double-ended" 0-6-6-0 , while No. 2 was,a single boiler Fairlie; it is of interest to note that the 0-6-6-0 was the first engine with Walschaerts valve gear to be used in the United Kingdom.
The Fairlies were sold in 1878, and thereafter the East & West Junction line was operated with the aid of further hired or borrowed engines of various types. In 1880 the company purchased an 0-6-0 goods engine from Beyer Peacock & Co. of Manchester, and this initial purchase heralded the start of a long association with this well-known manufacturer. The new engine became No. 2 in the East & West Junction list; it had 17 in. X 24 in. cylinders and 4 ft 6 in. wheels, together with a polished brass dome and other typical Beyer Peacock features.42
Further engines of the same general type were delivered at intervals between 1881 and the end of the century, and by 1900 the E&WJR was operating five similar 0-6-0s, together with two standard Beyer Peacock 2-4-OTs. There were, in addition, three former LNWR 'DX' class 0-6-0s that had been purchased in 1891/2 for use on the through MR goods trains between Olney, Towcester and Stratford. Two years earlier, in August 1888, the E&WJR had purchased a second-hand 2-4-0T from the Potteries, Shrewsbury & North Wales Railway, but this engine was later sold to the Cannock & Rugeley Collieries.
A full list of the East & West Junction locomotive fleet is given below and while this is not a complete list of all East & West Junction engines, it will at least give some indication of the classes used on E&WJR services between Blisworth, Towcester and Stratford-upon-Avon around 1895-1900.
East & West Junction Railway locomotives used on N&BJR c1896
E&WJB No | wheelbase | details | disposal | LMS |
1 | 0-6-0ST | Manning Wardle 1866 | sold 1910 | |
1 | 2-4-0T | Yorkshire Engine Co. | sold for colliery use 1895 | |
2 | 0-6-0 | Beyer Peacock 1880 | to LMS | 2300 |
3 | 0-6-0 | Beyer Peacock 1881 | to LMS | 2301 |
4 | 0-6-0 | Beyer Peacock 1885 | to LMS | 2302 |
5 | 2-4-0T | Beyer Peacock 1885 | sold to WD 1916 | |
6 | 2-4-0T | Beyer Peacock 1885 | sold to WD 1916 | |
7 | 0-6-0 | LNWR 1863 | withdrawn 1920 | |
8 | 0-6-0 | LNWR 1863 | sold c1910 | |
9 | 0-6-0 | LNWR 1866 | sold 1903 | |
10 | 0-6-0 | Beyer Peacock 1895 | to LMS | 2304 |
11 | 0-6-0 | Beyer Peacock 1896 | to LMS | 2305 |
12 | 0-6-0 | Beyer Peacock 1900 | to LMS | 2306 |
Further Beyer Peacock 0-6-0s acquired by the S&MJR between 1903 and 1908 also survived long enough to be numbered into LMS stock. as did a Beyer Peacock 2-4-0 No, 13 which became LMS No. 290. A secondhand 0-6-0 Jumbo from the LBSCR acquired in 1920 and numbered 7 was allocated LMS No. 2303. The last SM&JR locomotives were withdrawn in 1930 by which time the LMS was competing with the GWR for freight traffic from London to Bristol by using the S&MJR route.
The locomotives of the East and West Junction Ry.
Locomotive
Mag., 1902, 7, 77.
2 illustrations.
When first opened the Stratford-on-Avon, Towcester and Midland Junction
Railway was worked by the Midland Railway which ran freight trains between
London and Gloucester. In 1892 three Ramsbottom DX type 0-6-0 which had
originally been Nos. 648, 809 and 825, but when sold were 1891, 1945 and
1966. They became 7, 8 and 9. Fig. 4 shows one of the DX type. Fig. 5 shows
No. 10, one of three Beyer Peacock 0-6-0 tender locomotives: WN 3613/1894.
The others were No. 11 WN 3812/1896 and 12 WN 4126/1900. They were similar
to Nos. 3 and 4, but fitted with Wetinghouse and vacuum brakes.
Underwood, Colin. Good and faithful servant.
Backtrack, 2008, 22,
188.
Rutherford (Vol.21 page 752 et
seq) claimed that Stratford-upon-Avon-Midland Junction
Railway No.7 (ex-LBSCR No.428) was not renumbered by the LMSR: this engine
was painted No. 2303, in the first LMS goods engine livery with 'LMS' on
the cab panel and '2303' on the tender. W Leslie Good photographed this engine
in 1924, by which time it had acquired a Midland chimney in place of the
original copper-capped Brighton type. The picture is reproduced in LMS
in the West Midlands (OPC). This was the only locomotive purchased by
the SMJR. All the others came from the East and West Junction Railway following
the reorganisation of 1908 which created the SMJR; the 0-6-0s were all built
by Beyer Peacock. H.C. Casserley photographed 2303's tender at Derby on 5
June 1926, apparently untouched since withdrawal in 1924. In December 1926
Casserley photographed old No.4, now LMS No.2302, built 1885 (Works No.2626)
moving several tenders near the works. In 1927 it was renumbered 2397 to
clear the number sequence for new Fowler 2-6-4Ts, before being withdrawn
in 1929. The last of the E&W/SMJ locomotives went in 1930. This was No.12
of 1900 (Works No.4126), later LMS 2306 but changed in 1927 to 2399.
Wantage Tramway
Short roadside tramway connected Wantage Road station with the town
just over two miles away. Briefly worked by horse traction, but later acquired
some interesting steam tramway vehicles including what is claimed to have
been the first steam tram..
Fayle, H. The Wantage Steam Tramway.
Locomotive Mag., 1901, 6,
156-7. 4 illus.
Higgins, S.H. Pearce The Wantage
Tramway: a history of the first tramway to adopt mechanical traction.
Ottley 7421 includes a value judgement: "A very detailed
study"
Jenkins, Stanley C. The Wantage Tramway.
Rly Arch., 2010, (26)
2-32.
Meatcher, Jack. The Oil Depot at Wantage.
Br. Rly J., (68), 106-9.
Summers, L.A. The Wantage
Tramway. Backtrack, 2008, 22, 330
West Lancashire Railway
This railway connected Southport with Preston.. In addition the Liverpool,
Southport & Preston Junction Railway connected the Cheshire Lines Committee
route to Southport to the main Southport to Preston line and the MSLR toyed
with the prospects of establishing a circuitous route of its own to Preston
and possibly to Blackpool. Until absorbed into the L&YR in 1897 the lines
operated with an obscure collection of locomotives and rolling stock. There
are two retrospective sources: Cotterall who had the assistance of Rush and
Marshall.
Cotterall, J.E. The West Lancashire Railway, with additional notes
by R.W. Rush. Oakwood, 1982 (Oakwood
Library of Railway History No. 63)
Marshall, John.
Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway. Newton Abbot: David &
Charles. 3v.
Volume 3 Chapter 9 describes the locomotives of this obscure
line.
Former LBSCR Craven 0-6-0 No. 384 acquired in July 1885: Burtt. Locomotives of the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. 1903. pp. 71-2.
LYR loco miscellany. Michael Blakemore
and Barry Lane (captions). Backtrack, 1996, 10, 557-9.
Very lengthy caption to illustration of ex West Lancashire Railway
2-4-0 No 7 Blackburn [ex LBSCR Craven No 150];
Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Railway
See Rly Mag., 1901, 8, 524- for early description when motive power included 2-2-2Ts acquired from Furness Railway ans E,.R. Wintour was General Manager.
Household, H.G.W. Weston, Clevedon
and Portishead Ry. Loco. Rly Carr. Wagon Rev., 1929, 35,
180-2. 5 illus.
This part continued from page 161. The original
stock was described in
Locomotive, 1899,
4, 184.
Original locomotives: 0-6-0T Portishead built Robert Stephenson in
1887 ran as 2-4-0T and two 2-2-2T built Sharp Stewart in 1857 and 1866 for
Furness Railway. Colour was crimson lake lined vermilion and black. At that
time locomotives painted several shades of green. No. 2 Portishead
(illustrated)(Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST WN 1134/1890) delivered to Logan
& Hemingway (their No. 11, used in construction of Beighton and Chesterfield
section of MSLR; sold in 1898 to Naylor Bros who possibly used it on constructing
Buxton to Parsley Hay and Ashbourne to Parsley Hay lines. Sold in 1907 to
Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Railway. Subsequently resold for contract
work and replaced by a Terrier. Manning Wardle used by William Cowlin &
Son in construction of Portishead power station. A Hudswell Clarke (WN 823/1908)
outside-cylinder 0-6-ST named Walton Park, used on Shropshire &
Montgomreryshire Railway and from 1913 sold to East Kent Railway (see Locomotive,
1917, 23, 133; 176).
Locomotives in service in 1929: No. 1 Clevedon (illustrated)(Dubs
WN 1222/1879 supplied to Jersey Railway); rebuilt by Avonside in 1906 and
sent to Clevedon. No. 2 Portishead (illustrated)(A1X Stroudley Terrier
No. 643 Gipsy Hill) sold by Southern Railway in 1926. No. 3
Weston (illustrated): Manning Wardle inside-cylinder 0-6-0ST (WN
731/1881). Originally supplied to J.M. Smith of Bury and named
Resolute. Subsequently used by Burry Port & Gwendreath Valley
Railway, Yniscedwyn Colliery (South Wales Anthracite Colliery Co.) and Gabbutt
& Co. of Huddersfield. No. 4 Hesperus (illustrated) Sharp Stewart
2-4-0T WN 2578/1875 sold to Watlington and Princes Risborough Railway. Became
GWR No. 1384 and sold in about 1911. Locomotive 1911, 17, 230 stated
that reboilered in 1899. No. 5 was a Manning Wardle inside-cylinder 0-6-0ST
WN 1970/1919 (see also Locomotive,
1919, 25, 63). For a time Kent and East Sussex Railway outside-cylinder
2-4-0T No. 2 Northiam used on WC&PR:
see also Locomotive, 1919,
25, 63.
Maggs, Colin G. The Weston,
Clevedon & Portishead Light Railway. 1990. (Locomotion papers, No.
25).
Originally published by same author with slightly different title
in 1976 and 1979
Redwood, Christopher. The Weston,
Clevedon and Portishead Railway. Sequoia Publishing/Avon-Anglia.
183pp.
Reviewed Railway Wld.,
1982, 43, 152
Furness Railway 2-2-2T No. 12A (B2 class) acquired and B3 class No. 35A in 1898.
Whittingham Hospital Light
Railway
Interesting assortment of motive power which began with Andrew Barclay
0-4-0ST and 0-4-2T, moved onto Stroudley D1 0-4-2T and ended with Sentinel
ex-Bolton Gas Works.
Cornwell, R.B. The history of the Whittingham Hospital Railway,
1884-1957 (2009)
Flann, John L. The Longridge branch and the Whittingham Railway.
Backtrack, 2011, 25,
676.
Hindle, David. Victorian Preston and the Whittingham Hospital
Railway. Amberley Publishing. 128pp
Well reviewed in Backtrack,
2013, 27, 574 and by
Richard Coulthurst in J. Rly
Canal Hist. Soc., 2013 (217) 58.
Smith, David L. The Wigtownshire Railway and its locomotives. Loco. Rly Carr. Wagon Rev., 1943, 49, 27-9; 53-4; 85-7; 119-21; 149-51.
Wrexham Mold & Connah's Quay Railway
Must be unique amongst former independent railways in that managed to assemble/construct Great Britain's sole inside cylinder 2-6-0T. This had started life as a South Staffordshire Railway 0-6-0 No. 12 Pelsall. Another locomotive (variously 0-8-0ST/0-6-2ST No. 6 Queen appeared to originate as Manchester & Birmingham Railway 0-6-0 built by Sharp Bros in 1846. See Lowe
Dunn, J.M. The Wrexham,
Mold & Connah's Quay Railway. Lingfield: Oakwood Press, 1957. 32pp.
(Oakwood library of railway history, No. 14).
"The WM&CQR had as interesting a stock of locomotives as could
be found anywhere. Most of them were 'characters'". In the early days of
the railway most of the engines were known by their names only; then numbers
were added, and latterly the names were removed. When the line was opened
on 1 May 1866 an 0-6-0 tender engine named Chancellor, which afterwards
became the first No. 3, worked the trains. It had a four-wheeled tender,
and an ornamental dome-casing and chimney-cap; it was painted green. No
illustration of this engine is known to survive but there appears to be little
doubt that it was LNWR 1377, formerly St. Helens Railway 11 Tyne.
It was probably partially dismantled on delivery at Connah's Quay, or else
the track was lowered to allow it to pass under the low over-bridges and
then over the Buckley Railway to its destination on the new line, on which
it was used for ballasting. It was repaired at the Cambrian Railways' works
at Oswestry in June 1867, and was scrapped about 1874.
1 Wheatley and 2 Kenyon were 0-6-0STs without cabs and came
from the Buckley Railway. They were the first locomotives constructed by
Hudswell, Clarke & Rogers (WN 1/1861 and 2/1862). These were frequently
overloaded on the heavy gradients on the Buckley line: on 4 February 1868
Wheatley was overpowered by its train and pushed down the bank to
Connah's Quay where it collided with another engine. It later heroically
worked the passenger traffic for some days as a single-cylindered engine,
assistance in restarting being given by a pinch-bar when necessary. In 1879
Kenyon was provided with a full cab, but this was greatly disliked
by the enginemen.
4 Lord Richard (named after Lord Richard Grosvenor) Hudswell WN 64/1863
and 5 Sir Stephen (after Sir Stephen Glynne, Gladstone's father-in-law)
Hudswell WN 65/1863 were exactly the same as 1 and 2 except that the cylinders
were ½in larger in diameter. Lord Richard suffered various mishaps:in
1883 its trailing end was badly smashed in a collison and rebuilt as an 0-4-0
with side coal-bunkers, and in 1889 was converted to an 0-4-2 side tank.
In this latter condition Lord Richard had a comfortable and roomy
footplate and was a very quiet and smooth-riding engine.
Sir Stephen started to undergo heavy repairs in 1873, but progress
on the work was very slow, as it was continually having to be left so that
other engines could be attended to and kept in order. After the pieces had
been lying about for 10 years it was decided to scrap it, but the engine
was reprieved and turned out of Rhosddu works in 1884 as an 0-6-0 side tank.
In 1893 it was again rebuilt in the same shops as a very neat and smart 2-4-0
side tank with a copper-capped chimney, Willans' son, John Frederick, being
credited with the design. No. 5 as a 2-4-0 was the prettiest engine on the
line but in 1898 it was reconverted to 0-6-0, which was its final form.
An Extraordinary Engine
In the early part of June 1872 the railway appears to have gone bargain-hunting
and enquired about LNWR 0-6-0ST No. 1828, then for sale at Liverpool. This
was purchased on 22 June 1872, becoming 6 Queen on the WM&CQR.
In due course it was able to lay claim to being one of the most extraordinary
engines that ever existed. It began as a Sharp, Roberts 0-6-0 tender engine
in 1846, but was converted to an 0-6-0ST at Crewe in March 1858. After acquistion
by the WM&CQR it continued to work in this condition for eight years,
but in 1880 it was altered to an 0-8-0ST. For the next eight years it struggled
up and down the Buckley line in this condition, but the track was in poor
condition and the long, fixed wheel-base kept pushing the curves out of shape
so that derailments were frequent. In 1888, therefore, it was converted to
0-6-2ST, the trailing wheels coming from Chancellor's tender. On 1
August r8go it was badly damaged in an accident at Connah's Quay, and after
a lengthy stay in the works at Wrexham, it reappeared in 1892 with the wheel
arrangement unchanged but with increased tank and bunker capacity. In 1903
the long-suffering machine was turned into an 0-8-0 for the second time,
fitted with a new domeless boiler pressed at 170 psi and with increased lateral
play in the axle-boxes, all of which made it a much more successful engine
than it was in its previous 0-8-0 days. It carried a saddle tank through
all these transformations, and after becoming G.G.R. 400B was withdrawn from
service in October 1923 at the respectable age of 77 years.
On 5 March 1874, LNWR No. 1806, an 0-6-0ST was purchased. Like 6
Queen, it had a remarkable career, having been built in 1851 by Robert
Stephenson & Co. as an 0-6-0 tender engine for the South Staffordshire
Railway, on which it ran as 12 Pelsall. It was converted to a saddle
tank by the LNWR in 1865. It was first numbered 7 on the WM&CQR, but
soon became the second No. 3. In 1882 it was reconstructed as an 0-6-2, thus
using up the remaining pair of tender wheels from Chancellor. In 1899
it was converted almost out of recognition into a 2-6-0 side tank. It then
had the distinction of being one of the only two standard-gauge 2-6-0 tank
engines in Great Britain, and the only one with inside cylinders: the other
2-6-0T, which had outside cylinders, was the Garstang & Knott End Railway's
Blackpool. An engraving of the engine in this form appeared in The
Engineer for 21 November 1902, and it was described in The
Locomotive for March 1905. It never bore a name. In the rebuilding as
a 2-6-0T, coupled wheels smaller than the original set were used. The angle
of the cylinders was not altered, however, in relation to the height of the
crank axle above rail level (and also to the centre-line of the motion),
and this caused a great deal of trouble with the valve-spindles. When the
rebuilt engine was first put in service it was handled by Moses Edwards,
a conscientious driver who was careful to minimumise valve travel by working
with the gear notched up as far as possible, and managed to keep out of trouble,
but when given to another driver on the Wrexham and Seacombe service both
valve-spindles seized, and the right-hand connecting rod broke in two about
the middle of its length. The broken rod did not penetrate the boiler or
firebox, and nobody was hurt. The broken connecting road was repaired by
welding it under the steam hammer! This very dubious method of repairing
such a vital part seems to have been successful, and there is no record of
the rod breaking again, but the engine was afterwards kept on the lightest
of slow pick-up goods trains.
On 27 February 1878 a new 0-4-0ST was purchased from Hudswell, Clarke &
Rogers (WN 178) to replace horses working on Connah's Quay docks. This engine
became the second No. 7 Duke and it eventually passed into the hands
of the GCR. On 20 February 1880 an 0-6-0ST to the railway's specification
was ordered from Sharp, Stewart & Co (WN 2932). This became No. 8
Premier, and also passed to the GCR. A second-hand 0-4-0ST was bought
from Hudswell, Clarke on 28 October 1881 for work at Connah's Quay docks.
It was WN 119/1872 for Thomas Butlin & Co. of Wellingborough, who named
it David. It became No. 9 Dee and finally GCR 402B. No. 10
Emily was an 0-6-0ST (Beyer, Peacock WN 2157/1882) sold to the Broughton
and Plas Power Coal Co., but was sold to E.D. Till, from whom it was acquired
under a hire-purchase agreement. It became GCR No. 402. No. 11 was an 0-4-0ST:
Hudswell Clarke WN 278/1885. It was used on the Ffrwd and Vron branches.
It became GCR 403B and was scrapped in 1907.
In December 1884 two 0-6-2Ts built to drawings approved by Messrs. Cartwright
(general manager), Davies (engineer), and Willans (locomotive foreman or
superintendent) were ordered from Beyer, Peacock & Co: WN 2649/50 of
1885. These were mainly intended for working coal trains from Brymbo and
Wrexham to the LNWR at Hope Junction. These engines were supplied under a
hire-purchase agreement, and became Nos. 12 and 13 GCR 403/4, latterly with
B suffixes and 404B wass sold to Cefn Coed Colliery in 1922.
The first No. 14 was built as an 0-4-0T by Dodds of Rotherham in 1854 for
the Newport, Abergavenny & Hereford Railway; it was converted to an 0-4-2T
at Newport in 1860. In 1861 it became 92 on the West Midland Railway and
afterwards GWR 227. In 1870 it was sold to the Bishop's Castle Railway, who
named it Perseverance. In 1887 it was purchased by the WM&CQR,
which rebuilt it to work passenger trains between Wrexham and Buckley (Old).
It was withdrawn in 1895. The second No. 14 was an 0-6-0ST: Manning Wardle
1105/1889. It had been built for Johnson & Co., the contractors for the
North Wales & Liverpool Railway in 1889, and was bought from them in
1895, and mainly shunted the goods yard at Wrexham.
Nos. 15 and 16 (Beyer, Peacock WN 2962/3 of 1888) were similar to 12 and
13 but had larger saddle tanks.They became GCR 405/6 and were scrapped in
1922.
In 1896 two 0-6-2T were built by Beyer, Peacock (WN 3866/7) to designs prepared
by the locomotive superintendent of the MSLR and were very similar to that
company's engines of the same wheel arrangement. They became Nos. 17 and
18, GCR 409/410. Nos. 19, 20 and 23 were 0-6-2Ts of the same design: these
were in reality MSLR engines Nos. 754, 755, and 756, but had to be lettered
and numbered as WMCQ stock, as they could not otherwise have worked over
the Wirral Railway from Bidston (Dee Junction) to Seacombe as the GCR did
not obtain running powers over that line until 1898. These are also covered
in the RCTS Locomotives of the LNER
Part 9A (LNER N5)
Nos. 21, 22, 24, 25 and 26 were also MSLR locomotives disguised for the same
reason as the 0-6-2T. They were 2-4-0 tender engines 55, 56, 57, 59 and 153
and were returned to their owners in 1901.
In its early days the line was frequently short of workable locomotives,
and on one occasion at least the Cambrian Railways lent their 0-4-2 tender
goods engine No. 9 Volunteer. In 1867 an 0-6-0 tender engine
Hercules was purchased from Boulton's Siding, but for some reason
was taken back by Boulton and converted to an 0-6-0ST with 3 ft. 6 in. wheels.
Then in 1868 it was hired to Parry & Co. of London who seem to have sub-let
it to the WM&CQR who kept it for about two and half years. In September
1867 an engine (of which no details have been recorded) which had been on
hire from Hughes of Loughborough was returned because it was too light for
the work. Another unknown engine appears to have been hired from the LNWR
in February 1872; and in March the Metropolitan Railway offered to sell one
but it was declined, as it was considered too heavy for the Buckley line.
This was probably one of the St. John's Wood 0-6-0Ts, which were eventually
sold to the Taff Vale and Sirhowy Railways. In September 1873 one engine
was on hire from the LNWR and another from the LYR.
The early livery of the engines is uncertain: Chancellor was painted green, and some of the other engines were maroon with W.M. & C.Q. on the tanks. In 1901 the engines were painted Indian red picked out with black and a fine umber line. The inside of the main frames was a crushed-strawberry colour and the interior of the cabs a dark cream. In 1902 Nos. 9 and 16 were painted black picked out with Indian red and umber, and the other locomotives were unlined black. The buffer-planks were painted black, unlike the almost universal red.
See also narrow gauge railways
2018-04-25