George Forrester and Company
Encyclopedia
George Forrester and Company was a British
locomotive
manufacturer at Vauxhall Foundry in Liverpool
.
The company had opened in 1827 as iron founders and commenced building locomotives in 1834.
The first to be produced were three 2-2-0
locomotives named Kingstown, Dublin and Vauxhall for the Dublin and Kingstown Railway
. Some others were produced for the London and Greenwich Railway
. In 1835 the Dublin and Kingstown ordered two tank locomotives, Victoria and Comet, being the first tank locomotives to be used in public service
They were groundbreaking in that for the first time horizontal cylinders were mounted at the front of the locomotive outside the frame. Also Forrester used four fixed eccentrics rather than two loose ones. A single linkage operated the whole arrangement at once, rather than having four for the driver to operate ,and the handles no longer rocked to and fro while the locomotive was in motion.
Forrester's engines were extremely successful for their time, but the outside cylinders and cranks caused the locomotives to sway so much that they were referred to as "Boxers." From 1834 an extra trailing axle was added for some for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
. The largest order was for fifteen 2-4-0
s in 1847 for the South Eastern Railway
. These were of the Stephenson "long boiler"
pattern.
The works manager was Alexander Allan
until 1840 when he left to take charge of the workshops of the Grand Junction Railway
at Edge Hill
.
Locomotive building finished around 1847, and the company closed in 1890
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
manufacturer at Vauxhall Foundry in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
.
The company had opened in 1827 as iron founders and commenced building locomotives in 1834.
The first to be produced were three 2-2-0
2-2-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-2-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, two powered driving wheels on one axle, and no trailing wheels...
locomotives named Kingstown, Dublin and Vauxhall for the Dublin and Kingstown Railway
Dublin and Kingstown Railway
The Dublin and Kingstown Railway , which opened in 1834, was Ireland’s first railway. It linked Westland Row in Dublin with Kingstown Harbour’s West Pier in County Dublin.-History:...
. Some others were produced for the London and Greenwich Railway
London and Greenwich Railway
The London and Greenwich Railway was opened in London between 1836 and 1838. It was the first steam railway to have a terminus in the capital, the first of any to be built specifically for passenger service, and the first example of an elevated railway....
. In 1835 the Dublin and Kingstown ordered two tank locomotives, Victoria and Comet, being the first tank locomotives to be used in public service
They were groundbreaking in that for the first time horizontal cylinders were mounted at the front of the locomotive outside the frame. Also Forrester used four fixed eccentrics rather than two loose ones. A single linkage operated the whole arrangement at once, rather than having four for the driver to operate ,and the handles no longer rocked to and fro while the locomotive was in motion.
Forrester's engines were extremely successful for their time, but the outside cylinders and cranks caused the locomotives to sway so much that they were referred to as "Boxers." From 1834 an extra trailing axle was added for some for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
Liverpool and Manchester Railway
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first inter-city passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and were hauled for most of the distance solely by steam locomotives. The line opened on 15 September 1830 and ran between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in North...
. The largest order was for fifteen 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....
s in 1847 for the South Eastern Railway
South Eastern Railway (UK)
The South Eastern Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1836 until 1922. The company was formed to construct a route from London to Dover. Branch lines were later opened to Tunbridge Wells, Hastings, Canterbury and other places in Kent...
. These were of the Stephenson "long boiler"
Long Boiler locomotive
The Long Boiler locomotive was the object of a patent by Robert Stephenson and the name became synonymous with the pattern.-History:It is generally perceived that it arose out of attempts to match the power of broad gauge locomotives within the limitations of the loading gauge of Stephenson railways...
pattern.
The works manager was Alexander Allan
Alexander Allan (locomotive engineer)
Alexander Allan was a Scottish mechanical engineer. He was born at Montrose, Angus, in 1809 and died on 2 June 1891.From 1843 to 1853 he was Works Manager at the Crewe Works of the Grand Junction Railway, later London and North Western Railway, under Francis Trevithick. Here he was responsible for...
until 1840 when he left to take charge of the workshops of the Grand Junction Railway
Grand Junction Railway
The Grand Junction Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846 when it was merged into the London and North Western Railway...
at Edge Hill
Edge Hill railway works
Edge Hill railway works was built by the Liverpool and Manchester Railway around 1830 at Edge Hill, Liverpool. A second was built in 1839 by the Grand Junction Railway adjacent to it...
.
Locomotive building finished around 1847, and the company closed in 1890