List of early British private locomotive manufacturers

This is a list of early British private locomotive manufacturers in chronological order. Many listed manufacturers have changed their names, have been taken over or merged. Some began with other products, such as textile or mining machinery. Some later made only industrial or specialised locomotives, often for export.

: 1785 R.B.Longridge and Company Bedlington "First loco built 1837. Closed 1855": 1790 William and Alfred Kitching, Darlington "First loco 1832. Bought by Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1862. Closed 1886.": 1790 Benjamin Outram and Company, Butterley, Derbyshire "Civil engineering firm, but had a strong interest in railways. Became Butterley Company in 1805": 1795 Fenton, Murray and Wood, The Round Foundry Leeds, "First loco 1812. Became Fenton, Murray and Jackson in 1826.": 1805 Butterley Company, Butterley, Derbyshire "Built locos for its own use plus two for the Midland Counties Railway. Closed in 1965, though the Butterley Engineering Company remained until c1983" : 1810 Haigh Foundry, Wigan "First loco 1835. Closed 1856.": 1810 J and C Carmichael, Ward Foundry Dundee "Two locos only in 1833. Became James Carmichael in 1853. Limited liability in 1894. Closed 1929." : 1816 William Fairbairn & Sons Manchester "First loco 1839. Loco business bought by Sharp Stewart in 1863." : 1817 R and W Hawthorn Ltd, Newcastle "Became Hawthorn Leslie in 1884.": 1819 Foster, Rastrick and Company, Stourbridge, "Four locomomotives in 1829, including first in USA. Closed 1831.": 1823 Robert Stephenson and Company Newcastle "Became R.Stephenson & Hawthorn in 1937.": 1823 Edward Bury and Company, Liverpool "Became Bury, Curtis and Kennedy in 1842": 1824 G and J Rennie, Blackfriars "see George and John Rennie": 1826 Fenton, Murray and Jackson, The Round Foundry Leeds "Closed 1843. Fenton took over Shepherd and Todd's Railway Foundry in 1846.": 1826 Mather, Dixon and Company, Liverpool "Moved to Bootle in 1839. Closed 1843.": 1828 Sharp, Roberts and Company, Manchester "First loco 1833. Became Sharp Bros. in 1843.": 1830 Rothwell, Hick and Rothwell, Bolton "Became Rothwell and Company1832": 1830 Charles Tayleur and Company, (Vulcan Foundry) Warrington "Became Vulcan Foundry in 1847": 1830 Tulk and Ley, Whitehaven. "Taken over by Fletcher Jennings Ltd. in 1857": 1832 Rothwell and Company, Bolton "Closed approx 1864": 1833 Benjamin Hick and Sons, Bolton "Last locos 1850. Became Hick, Hargreaves and Company, acquiring limited liability in 1889.": 1834 George Forrester and Company, Liverpool, "Closed 1890. Last locomotive circa 1847.": 1834 Day, Summers and Company, Southampton, "First loco 1837, became Summers, Day and Baldock in 1847.": 1835 James Kitson, Airedale Foundry, Leeds, "Became Todd, Kitson & Laird in 1838": 1835 John Coulthard And Son, Gateshead, "Became R. Coulthard and Company in 1853": 1836 Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company, Patricroft "Became James Nasmyth in 1850": 1837 Jones, Turner and Evans, Newton-le-Willows "became Jones & Potts in 1844": 1837 Henry Stothert and Company, Bristol, "Became Stothert, Slaughter and Company in 1841.": 1837 Kerr, Mitchell and Neilson, Glasgow "Became Kerr, Neilson and Company in 1840": 1838 Shepherd and Todd, the Railway Foundry. Leeds, "Became Fenton, Craven and Company in 1846": 1838 Todd, Kitson & Laird, Leeds "Also known as Kitson and Laird, also Laird and Kitson. Became Kitson, Thompson and Hewitson in 1842": c1839 Thompson & Cole, Little Bolton "Built five locos including two for the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway": c1839 Stark and Fulton, Glasgow "Built locos between 1839 and 1849": c1840 Isaac Dodds and Son, Rotherham, "First locomotive 1849 though possible previous work for the Sheffield and Rotherham Railway. Closed 1868 ": 1840 Andrew Barclay, Sons and Company Kilmarnock "First steam loco 1859. Began building diesels in 1935. Merged with Hunslet Group 1972. Still in business as Hunslet-Barclay)": 1840 Kerr, Neilson and Company, Glasgow, "First locos 1843. Became Neilson and Mitchell in 1845": 1841 Stothert, Slaughter and Company, Bristol, "Became Slaughter, Gruning and Company in 1856" : 1842 Bury, Curtis, and Kennedy, Liverpool "Wound up 1851": 1842 Kitson, Thompson and Hewitson, Leeds "Later Kitson and Hewitson, then Kitson and Company in 1863" : 1843 W.B.Adams, Fairfield Works, Bow, "Steam powered carriage 1847. Locos from 1849. Adams radial axle box. Closed circa 1872.": 1843 Sharp Brothers, Manchester "Became Sharp Stewart & Co. in 1852": 1843 Gilkes Wilson and Company Middlesbrough "First locomotives built 1847. Became Hopkins Gilkes and Company in 1865": 1844 Charles Todd, Leeds "Closed 1858. Taken over by Carrett, Marshall and Company": 1844 Jones and Potts, Newton-le-Willows "Closed 1852. Jones then opened a company in Liverpool.": 1845 Neilson and Mitchell, Glasgow, "Became Neilson and Company in 1855": 1846 Hawthorns and Company, Leith "Set up by R and W Hawthorn Ltd. to provide engines for Scotland. Closed circa 1872": 1846 Fenton, Craven and Company. Leeds "Became E.B.Wilson in 1846": 1846 E.B.Wilson and Company, Leeds "Built Jenny Lind Closed 1858": 1847 W.G.Armstrong and Company, Newcastle on Tyne "Became Armstrong Whitworth in 1897.": 1847 Vulcan Foundry, Warrington, "Limited liability in 1864. In 1955 became part of English Electric. Last locomotive 1970. Works closed 2002": 1847 Summers, Day and Baldock, Southampton "No locomotives built after 1839. Later became Day, Summers and Company": 1850 John Fowler & Co., Leeds "First locos 1866. Limited liability in 1886. Locomotive acttivies ended 1968": 1850 James Nasmyth, Patricroft "Became Patricroft Ironworks in 1857": 1852 John Jones and Son, Liverpool "Closed 1863": 1853 Sharp Stewart and Company, Manchester, later Glasgow, "Limited liability in 1864. Took over Clyde Locomotive Company in 1888. Merged into North British Locomotive Company in 1903": 1853 R.Coulthard and Company Gateshead "Closed 1865. Passed to Black, Hawthorn & Co" : 1854 Beyer, Peacock and Company, Gorton, Manchester, "Limited liability 1902. Famous for Garratt locos. Reorganised for diesel-hydraulic in 1961. Closed 1966": 1854 Brassey and Company, Canada Works Birkenhead "Subsidiary of Brassey,Jackson, Betts abnd Company. Last loco circa 1875": 1855 Neilson and Company, Glasgow, "Became Neilson, Reid and Company in 1898": 1856 Slaughter, Gruning and Company, Bristol "Became Avonside Engine Company in 1866": 1857 Patricroft Ironworks, Patricroft "Became Nasmyth Wilson and Company in 1867": 1857 Ruston, Proctor and Company Lincoln "Locomotives built from 1866. Became Ruston & Hornsby in 1918.": 1857 Fletcher Jennings Ltd, Whitehaven. "Became Lowca Engineering Co. Ltd. in 1884": 1858 Manning Wardle Leeds, "Closed 1927": 1860 Hudswell and Clarke, Leeds, "Became Hudswell, Clarke and Rogers in 1870": 1863 Dübs and Company, Glasgow "Joined North British Locomotive Company in 1903": 1863 Kitson & Co., Leeds "Closed 1938": 1864 Hunslet Engine Company, Leeds, "Limited liability in 1902. Moved into diesels around 1930. Still occasionally built steam engines. Closed 1995, but the Barclay works remains as Hunslet-Barclay": 1864 Fox Walker, Bristol, "Became Peckett and Sons in 1880": 1865 Yorkshire Engine Company, Sheffield "Acquired in 1948 by United Steel. Diesl units produced from 1949. Taken over by Rolls-Royce in 1965 and worked transferred to Sentinel of Shrewsbury.": 1865 Henry Hughes and Company, Loughborough, "Became Falcon Railway Plant Works in 1883": 1865 Black, Hawthorn & Co, Gateshead, "Became Chapman and Furneaux in 1896": 1866 Avonside Engine Company, Bristol "Closed 1934": 1865 Hopkins Gilkes and Company Middlesbrough " Became Tees-side Iron and Engine Works Company Limited in 1875": 1867 Nasmyth Wilson and Company, Patricroft "Limited liability in 1882. Became Patricroft Royal Ordnance Factory in 1939" : 1870 Hudswell, Clarke and Rogers, Leeds, "Became Hudswell Clarke and Company in 1881": 1872 Barclays and Company, Kilmarnock, "Merged with Andrew Barclay and Company in 1888": 1874 Sir Arthur P. Heywood, Duffield "Pioneered convert|15|in|mm|sing=on gauge, see Duffield Bank Railway": 1875 W.G.Bagnall, Stafford, "Limited liability in 1887. In 1951 taken over by Brush as Brush-Bagnall Traction Ltd.": 1875 Tees-side Iron and Engine Works Company Limited Middlesbrough "Closed 1880": 1877 Hartley, Arnoux and Fanning, Stoke, "Taken over by Kerr-Stuart in 1893": 1880 Peckett and Sons, Atlas Works, Bristol, "Last steam loco 1958. Taken over by Reed Crane and Hoist Co until this also closed, but name carried on by Peckett and Sons of Ongar": 1881 James Kerr and Company, Glasgow "Sub contracted loco building, then became Kerr Stuart and Company at Stoke in 1893": 1881 Hudswell Clarke and Company, The Railway Foundry, Leeds "Limited liability in 1899. Began building diesels approx 1920. Taken over by Hunslet Engineering": 1883 Falcon Railway Plant Works, Loughborough, "Became Brush Electrical Engineering Company in 1889": 1883 Dick, Kerr & Co., Kilmarnock, "Locomotive production moved to Preston in 1919.": 1884 Clyde Locomotive Company Ltd., Atlas Works, Springburn "Bought by Sharp Stewart in 1888": 1884 Hawthorn Leslie and Company Ltd.,, Newcastle upon Tyne, "Was R&W Hawthorne. Became R.Stephenson & Hawthorn in 1937": 1884 Lowca Engineering Co. Ltd., Whitehaven. "Became New Lowca Engineering Co. Ltd. in 1905": 1886 Clyde Locomotive Company, Glasgow1886-1888 "taken over by Sharp, Stewart": 1889 Brush Electrical Engineering Company, Loughborough, "Last steam 1914. Still in business producing diesel-electric locos.": 1893 Kerr Stuart and Company Ltd., Stoke, "Closed 1930": 1896 Chapman and Furneaux Gateshead "Took over Black Hawthorne & Co. Closed 1902" : 1897 Armstrong Whitworth, Newcastle "Last locos approx 1937." : 1898 Neilson Reid and Company, Glasgow "Amalgamated into the North British Locomotive Company in 1903": 1903 North British Locomotive Company, Glasgow, "Closed 1962": 1905 New Lowca Engineering Co. Ltd., Whitehaven. "Closed 1912": 1911 E.E.Baguley Ltd. Burton upon Trent "Now Baguley-Drewry Ltd.": 1918 English Electric, "Taken over by GEC in 1960": 1918 Ruston and Hornsby Lincoln "Last locomotives c1967. Now specialises in gas turbines." : 1937 Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns, Ltd Darlington and Newcastle on Tyne, "Became English Electric in 1962"

ee also

* List of locomotive builders
* List of British railway-owned locomotive builders

References

* Lowe, J.W., (1989) "British Steam Locomotive Builders," Guild Publishing