Bromsgrove railway works
Encyclopedia
Bromsgrove railway works was established in 1841 at Aston Fields
, near Bromsgrove
, Worcestershire
, England
as a maintenance facility for the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
. However, it was one of the first to actually build locomotives rather than simply maintaining those provided by other manufacturers.
engines were built by the railway's engineer James McConnell
in 1844, then he obtained the directors' permission to build a new locomotive for the Lickey Incline
.
This followed a series of accidents on the incline. One involved a demonstration locomotive by William Church, called, unfortunately "Surprise
". Its experimental boiler blew up, killing the enginemen, Thomas Scaife and Joseph Rutherford. Their monuments are in Bromsgrove churchyard, though the depiction of a locomotive on the tombstone is of one of the Norris Locomotives. Then a further boiler explosion on another loco killed William Creuze.
The company had been using American Norris
4-2-0
s, which in fact lasted until 1856. The Americans made much of the fact that they were showing the British how to build engines, and they were probably expensive to import. Edward Bury
had borrowed one of his engines from the London and Birmingham Railway
but it failed halfway up the bank. Another locomotive that had been tried was Ysabel a 2-4-0
built by Isaac Dodds
for the Isabel II Railway.
McConnell carried out a number of innovations, culminating in a locomotive specifically built for the incline, the "Great Britain" reputed to be the first saddle tank
.
It was a six coupled loco, weighing 30 tonnes, with outside cylinders and an oval boiler. Initially number 38, it was later renumbered 276, then rebuilt as a well tank
in 1853 and renumbered again as 300.
He continued to seek higher standards in railway engineering. In 1846 he met with George Stephenson
and Archibald Slate at Bromsgrove. It was at this meeting that the idea of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
came about.
, such work was concentrated at Derby
. However it became a well-respected wagon works, using components from Derby
, apart from laminated springs which it fabricated itself. In the same year, 1846, McConnell transferred to the newly formed London and North Western Railway
as superintendent of its southern headquarters at Wolverton
.
It became part of the LMS
and, during World War II
the Works Manager initiated a scheme for recovering timber and metal fittings for re-use as spares. After nationalisation in 1949 it remained busy with one of the highest productivity rates, but following a reorganisation of railway workshops, it closed in 1964, with the work being transferred to Derby.
Aston Fields
Aston Fields is a village in the district of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, United Kingdom. It is situated to the south of Bromsgrove and is the site of Bromsgrove railway station. It was the location of Bromsgrove railway works, established in 1841, which was a maintenance facility for the Birmingham...
, near Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove
Bromsgrove is a town in Worcestershire, England. The town is about north east of Worcester and south west of Birmingham city centre. It had a population of 29,237 in 2001 with a small ethnic minority and is in Bromsgrove District.- History :Bromsgrove is first documented in the early 9th century...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
as a maintenance facility for the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
The Birmingham and Gloucester Railway is a railway route linking Birmingham to Gloucester in England.It is one of the world's oldest main line railways and includes the famous Lickey Incline, a dead-straight stretch of track running up the 1-in-37 gradient of the Lickey Ridge...
. However, it was one of the first to actually build locomotives rather than simply maintaining those provided by other manufacturers.
Locomotive production
Two 2-2-22-2-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-2-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle two powered driving wheels on one axle, and two trailing wheels on one axle. The wheel arrangement both provided more stability and enabled a larger firebox...
engines were built by the railway's engineer James McConnell
James McConnell
James Edward McConnell was one of the first locomotive engineers of the London and North Western Railway . He was Locomotive Superintendent of the LNWR's Southern Division at Wolverton railway works from 1847 to 1862 and oversaw the design of the "Bloomer" and "Patent" locomotives...
in 1844, then he obtained the directors' permission to build a new locomotive for the Lickey Incline
Lickey Incline
The Lickey Incline is the steepest sustained main-line railway incline in Great Britain and is situated south of Birmingham, in England. The climb is a gradient of 1-in-37.7 for a continuous distance of two miles ....
.
This followed a series of accidents on the incline. One involved a demonstration locomotive by William Church, called, unfortunately "Surprise
Surprise locomotive
The Surprise was a nineteenth-century British railway locomotive. It achieved notoriety by killing its crew when its boiler exploded during unsuccessful trials in the early days of the Lickey Incline....
". Its experimental boiler blew up, killing the enginemen, Thomas Scaife and Joseph Rutherford. Their monuments are in Bromsgrove churchyard, though the depiction of a locomotive on the tombstone is of one of the Norris Locomotives. Then a further boiler explosion on another loco killed William Creuze.
The company had been using American Norris
Norris Locomotive Works
The Norris Locomotive Works was a steam locomotive manufacturing company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that produced about a thousand railroad engines between 1832 and 1866. It was the dominant American locomotive producer during most of that period, and even sold its popular 4-2-0 engines...
4-2-0
4-2-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-2-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, two powered and coupled driving wheels on one axle, and no trailing wheels...
s, which in fact lasted until 1856. The Americans made much of the fact that they were showing the British how to build engines, and they were probably expensive to import. Edward Bury
Bury, Curtis, and Kennedy
Bury, Curtis and Kennedy was a steam locomotive manufacturer in Liverpool, England.Edward Bury set up his works in 1826, under the name of Edward Bury and Company. He employed James Kennedy, who had gained experience of locomotive production under Robert Stephenson and Mather, Dixon and Company,...
had borrowed one of his engines from the London and Birmingham Railway
London and Birmingham Railway
The London and Birmingham Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway ....
but it failed halfway up the bank. Another locomotive that had been tried was Ysabel a 2-4-0
2-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels....
built by Isaac Dodds
Dodds, Isaac and Son
Isaac Dodds and Son was a locomotive manufacturer based in the Holmes district of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England.Isaac Dodds took over part of the works of Samuel Walker and Company in Rotherham sometime while he was Superintendent of the Sheffield and Rotherham Railway. It is likely,...
for the Isabel II Railway.
McConnell carried out a number of innovations, culminating in a locomotive specifically built for the incline, the "Great Britain" reputed to be the first saddle tank
Tank locomotive
A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon...
.
It was a six coupled loco, weighing 30 tonnes, with outside cylinders and an oval boiler. Initially number 38, it was later renumbered 276, then rebuilt as a well tank
Tank locomotive
A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon...
in 1853 and renumbered again as 300.
He continued to seek higher standards in railway engineering. In 1846 he met with George Stephenson
George Stephenson
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...
and Archibald Slate at Bromsgrove. It was at this meeting that the idea of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Institution of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is the British engineering society based in central London, representing mechanical engineering. It is licensed by the Engineering Council UK to assess candidates for inclusion on ECUK's Register of professional Engineers...
came about.
Later history
The works built very few locomotives since, after the merger with Midland RailwayMidland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
, such work was concentrated at Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
. However it became a well-respected wagon works, using components from Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, apart from laminated springs which it fabricated itself. In the same year, 1846, McConnell transferred to the newly formed London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
as superintendent of its southern headquarters at Wolverton
Wolverton railway works
Wolverton railway works was established in Wolverton, Buckinghamshire, by the London and Birmingham Railway Company in 1838 at the midpoint of the 112 mile-long route from London to Birmingham...
.
It became part of the LMS
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
and, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Works Manager initiated a scheme for recovering timber and metal fittings for re-use as spares. After nationalisation in 1949 it remained busy with one of the highest productivity rates, but following a reorganisation of railway workshops, it closed in 1964, with the work being transferred to Derby.
Source
- This is Worcestershire, Reaching for new standards, Wednesday 18 February 2004
- Lowe, J.W., (1989) British Steam Locomotive Builders, Guild Publishing