Tulk & Lay, Lowca Works, Whitehaven

Firm was founded in 1763 but locomotive construction did not begin until 1840. Many of the early locomotives for the Maryport & Carlisle Railway were supplied. This included one of eight Cramptons manufactured (six 4-2-0 and two 2-2-2). Two were built for the Namur & Liege Railway. One ran trials on the LNWR and both one further were sold to SER. They had separate regulators for each cylinder, were found to be rough riding and were withdrawn in 1860s. A Crampton Kinnaird was supplied to the Dundee, Perth & Aberdeen Junction Railway. A larger locomotive of this type was supplied to the LNWR No. 200 London (WN 12/1847). The two 2-2-2 Cramptons were built for the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne & Manchester Railway. Only twenty locomotives had been built in eighteen years. 1846 Built the locomotive Lowther for the Whitehaven Junction Railway. In 1857 the firm was taken over by Fletcher Jennings and between 1857 and 1884 the works were owned by H.E. Fletcher who patented a design in which the rear axle was brought as close as possible to the front of the firebox which maximized the wheelbase which Lowe noted was contrary to the requirements of an industrial environment. See Zerah Colburn Plate 22. The output had reached 171 by 1884. The name changed to Lowca Engineering and in 1905 to New Lowca Engineering. 245 locomotives was the total output at the Lowca Works under all owners. Kyle, I. Steam from Lowca. Author, 1974 (via Atkins)
Alan Earnshaw. The Lowca Locomotive Works. BackTrack, 1990, 4. 107-10.
The works were founded by Adam Heslop & Partners in 1763 as a general foundry with an output which included ships' cannons and steam engines for which Heslop held a Patent (1760). In 1808 the works were taken over by Messrs Millward & Co and by Tulk & Ley in 1830 with Mathewson as Engineer. In 1840 the firm built its first locomotive, a 2-2-2 for the Maryport & Carlisle Railway. In 1857 the firm was taken over by Fletcher, Jennings & Co. Following the death of Henry Allason Fletcher the company was reformed as the Lowca Engineering Co. Ltd.. The works finaaly closed in 1921. Illus.: 2-4-0WT (22/1861) Liver for Pearson, Knowles & Co., Ince Colliery, Wigan; 0-4-0ST (27/1862) for Aberdare Iron Co; 0-4-0ST (28/1862) narrow gauge (2ft 8in) also for Aberdare Iron; 0-4-0WT (48/1865) for Brassey & Co at Ampthill for MR London Extension; 0-4-0WT (82/1865) Will o'the Wisp for Ebbw Vale Iron Co.; 0-4-0ST rebuilt from Fletcher Jennings 1874 locomotive by Andrew Barclay in 1912 and sold to Kircaldy Corporation; 0-4-0ST (194/1886) Jubilee for Earl of Lonsdale Whitehaven Colliery; Lowca Locomotive Works c1895 with Harrington Colliery in backgrounf; class N 0-6-0T (260/1921) for L. Mitchell & Co for work in Africa (last locomotive built); 0-4-2ST Tal-y-Llyn (Lowca/1864) at Dolgoch in 1923.

2021-03-25