18" Gauge in Horwich Loco Works

[rogerfarnworth]

For a number of years in the 1920s and possibly also the 1930s my grandfather worked as a blacksmith in Horwich Loco Works. The works have always, as a result, had a specific interest for me. It has been somewhat saddening over the years to see their gradual deterioration and eventual closure.

 

In November 2019 I finished reading Issue No. 27 of the Railway Archive Journal published by Black Dwarf Lightmoor Press of Lydney, Gloucestershire.

 

I enjoyed reading Jeff Wells article in the journal about the Manchester Exhibition of 1887. [1] The article highlights a number of railway exhibits on display at the exhibition. Among these exhibits was 'Dot' a Beyer Peacock 1ft 6 inch gauge 0-4-0T engine. 'According to the official catalogue, Dot was 'specifically built for working on tramways in yards and workshops, and also adopted for tail-rope shunting of ordinary wagons'. After the exhibition, Dot found work at the L&YR's Horwich Works, joining two other Beyer, Peacock 18 in engines, Wren and Robin, which had arrived in April 1887. Such engines were considered necessary to convey materials around the seven miles of internal works' railway.'

 

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2019/11/30/horwich-loco-works-18-gauge-railway-part-1

 

Horwich Locomotive Works "was the last major British railway works to be established on a green field site.  There were traditionally very strong links between the Lancashire & Yorkshire and London & North Western railways, and John Ramsbottom, late of the LNWR was in 1883 appointed consultant to the LYR regarding the planning of Horwich Works.  He advocated an 18in gauge internal transport system similar to that he had earlier installed at Crewe. Originally extending to 7½ miles, this enjoyed a longer life as the last surviving locomotive built for it, 'Wren', was not retired until 1962. The system was used for moving components around the works."

[Marshall5]

As you may already be aware Beyer Peacock built 2 similar 18"g. locos under the same order number (6868) in 1887 and both named Dot.  To this day this has caused a degree of confusion.   The first Dot, works no. 2817,  was kept as the BP works shunter - this is the loco now in the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum in Towyn.  BP then built a batch of 3 similar locos., works nos. 2823-5, for the L&Y at Horwich works and these were later fitted with saddle tanks. The sole survivor of this batch was Wren (BP 2825/1887) and is at the NRM so the 2nd Dot must have been BP 2823 or 4.

Does Jeff Wells' article re the 1887 Manchester Exhibition actually say that the Dot on display was the Horwich one as my suspicion is that it was more likely to have been the BP works shunter Dot being the first of the class and staying in Manchester at Gorton works?  Just a thought.

Regards,

Ray.

[EddieB]

Joe Lloyd, in his multi-volume work on BP locomotives quotes entries in BP's records that it was the second "DOT" (w/n 2823) that was "shown first as company-owned [i.e. BP] and sent to exhibition 4/4/1887, and then to L&YR 11/1887".  The first "DOT" (w/n 2817, aka "No. 3 Yard Engine") was employed at Gorton Foundry from the start.

 

These four were preceded by BP 2783/1886, a similar locomotive constructed in accordance with the patent cylinders of a Mr Parnell.  It is shown in the order book as being for BP & Co. itself, but with a later record that it was sent to the same Parnell on 23/11/1986.  Apart from two rough sketches (one reproduced in Lloyd's book) and an undated pencilled note suggesting "alterations" there seems to be no further information about Parnell, his patent or other illustrations of this locomotive.  (Just a thought - was this Parnell an Irishman, and may the subsequent history of his locomotive lie across the sea from Manchester?)