Drewry 04 shunters

[Nicktoix]

While nominally made by Drewry Car Co. the locos were mainly built by Vulcan and Stephensons.

Does any one know who built what batch?

Did they supply the basic chassis and Drewry complete the body work. ?

 

Any help or references gratefully received

 

Nick

[pete_mcfarlane]

Did they supply the basic chassis and Drewry complete the body work. ?

Drewry were basically just salesmen, and outsourced all of their manufacturing to other firms. 

[stewartingram]

Drewry were basically just salesmen, and outsourced all of their manufacturing to other firms. 

Nowadays they would be known as Hornby then?

 

Stewart

Edited December 9, 2017 by stewartingram

[PenrithBeacon]

Drewry were basically just salesmen, and outsourced all of their manufacturing to other firms.

I thought they were a design office as well as a sales company.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drewry_Car_Co.

[EddieB]

The class 04 were based on a demonstrator trialled by the LNER, but eventually hired by BR (Southern Region) becoming DS1173 and later D2341.  Construction of the prototype was carried out by Vulcan Foundry (their works no. D46/1947) and Drewry (2217).

 

For the production series, nos. 11100-11160 (later D2200-D2241) were also constructed by VF.  The remainder were built by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns.

[Nicktoix]

The class 04 were based on a demonstrator trialled by the LNER, but eventually hired by BR (Southern Region) becoming DS1173 and later D2341.  Construction of the prototype was carried out by Vulcan Foundry (their works no. D46/1947) and Drewry (2217).

 

For the production series, nos. 11100-11160 (later D2200-D2241) were also constructed by VF.  The remainder were built by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns.

Thank you . That's just what I wanted to know.

Sorting out the slight differences in the batches should be easier.

 

Nick

[pete_mcfarlane]

I thought they were a design office as well as a sales company.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drewry_Car_Co.

You're right. The Wikipedia article seems a bit vague on that, but identical locos coming from multiple builders must mean that Drewry had control of the designs.

[steves17]

On 07/12/2017 at 14:37, Nicktoix said:

While nominally made by Drewry Car Co. the locos were mainly built by Vulcan and Stephensons.

Does any one know who built what batch?

Did they supply the basic chassis and Drewry complete the body work. ?

 

Any help or references gratefully received

 

Nick

I was going to suggest the BR database but checking the fleet list it just lists Drewry instead of Vulcan, Stephenson and Hawthorns   From what little I understand Drewry designed the class and presumably handled the orders but then passed them onto those builders and that Vulcan solely handled the batches up to 1960/1, after which point Robert Stephenson & Co and then Hawthorn took over.

Speaking of the design does anyone know of a list concerning the similar industrial version built for private companies? I know Works No.2252 (commonly known as preserved 11104) is one of these but have never heard anything about about the rest and am trying to work out when the last was built.

Edited July 21, 2020 by steves17

[Steamport Southport]

17 hours ago, steves17 said:

I was going to suggest the BR database but checking the fleet list it just lists Drewry instead of Vulcan, Stephenson and Hawthorns   From what little I understand Drewry designed the class and presumably handled the orders but then passed them onto those builders and that Vulcan solely handled the earlier ones.

Speaking of the design does anyone know of a list concerning the similar industrial version built for private companies? I know Works No.2252 (commonly known as preserved 11104) is one of these but have never heard anything about about the rest and am trying to work out when the last was built.

 

I don't think BR Database was going when the thread started....

 

Or it was in it's infancy.

 

You do realise it's just one person doing it all himself, so I think the "rolling eyes" is a bit much.

 

 

Jason

[steves17]

3 hours ago, Steamport Southport said:

Jason

No I didn't realise the ongoing site was a one man operation, quite a feat in that case! Given how well some of the BR classes have been covered i'm surprised by how difficult it is to research the fairly numerous 04s, as about the best source other than Wiki seems to be this concurrent thread that's also been collecting dust.

To try and keep the momentum going do you or anyone reading this have any publications to recommend? The W&U ones are dandy for those relevant skirted engines but haven't found the more general publications such as 'Diesel Shunters: The Unsung Heroes of Britain's Railways', 'British Diesel Locomotives', 'British Rail Flet Survey : 7 Diesel Shunters' etc to be of much aid, the latter does have some useful footnotes though.

 

Steve

Edited July 19, 2020 by steves17

[The Johnster]

BR database is a very useful resource and has helped me identify suitable locos for my own BLT, the parameters being 'allocated to Tondu between 1948 and 1958'.  I am very grateful to it's compiler.

 

Drewry can be regarded as 'commissioners' of locomotives that they have designed in-house, in very much the same way that Hornby and Bachmann 'produce' or 'manufacture' models; we still describe them as 'manufacturers', which they have not been for many years.  Contractors, sub-contractors, and sub-sub-contractors, and probably more, make the models and further sub-contractors assemble and package them, all organised by a factor.  Drewry did something fairly similar.  Firms such as RSH and Vulcan were used to operating in this way alongside producing their own stuff

[steves17]

Okay a member on Twitter has informed me of 'Drax' on the Aln Valley Railway. Works No.8199 was built at Darlington in 1963 for the Central Electricity Generating Board and put to work at the Aberthaw power station. Later it became a static piece in Yorkshire but in 2009 was donated by Drax Power Ltd. From what I now understand this third industrial variant was the last 04 built as Works No.2573 and preserved Works No.2574 were built in 1957.

https://spotlog.org/locolist/class/UK70/04

 

[PenrithBeacon]

I thought railway workshops were only allowed, by law, to build for the railway?

[The Johnster]

I think this loco was built for the CEGB at RSH’s works in Darlington, not BR’s.  It was not ever AFAIK owned by BR though it is almost identical to the BR owned 04s. 

[Butler Henderson]

Yes as stated in the text below the photo on Flickr, click on the photo above, Built at Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns of Darlington as Works No 8199 in 1963.