Usines de locomotives - Grande Bretagne : livres (2/3)

The North British Locomotive Company

The North British Locomotive Company came into existence in 1903 as an amalgamation of three established Glasgow locomotive manufacturers: Dubs & Co., Sharp Stewart and Neilson Reid.
Each of these companies enjoyed an excellent reputation for its products both at home and abroad. The amalgamation that formed NBL created the largest locomotive builder in the British Empire, building on the worldwide renown of its predecessors and exporting its products all over the world to places as diverse as Palestine, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada.
Its locomotive output was as varied as its clients, with steam locomotives of every gauge, and ranging from tiny tank engines to massive Beyer-Garratts.
Moving with the times, North British entered the market for diesel and electric traction after the Second World War and its lack of success in this field ultimately brought the company to its knees.

Here, Colin Alexander and Alon Siton present a lavishly illustrated exploration of one of Britain's greatest locomotive companies, including the products of its three Victorian constituents and official works photographs, images of locos in service and some of the many preserved Dubs, Sharp Stewart, Neilson and North British locomotives on heritage railways and in museums around the world.

The Vulcan Foundry - 150 Years of Engineering

Founded by Charles Tayleur in 1830 as a factory to produce locomotives for the Liverpool & Manchester Railway, the Vulcan Foundry at Newton-le-Willows grew rapidly both in reputation and capacity.
From 1832, Tayleur was partnered by the great Robert Stephenson, and over the next 138 years the factory would go on to manufacture steam, diesel, gas-turbine and electric locomotives for railways all over the world. The factory would also turn its hand to producing vital armaments during wartime.

Vulcan's products could be seen all over the British Empire and beyond, in locations as diverse as Argentina, Borneo and Egypt. By the 1950s the company had become English Electric, and manufacture of locomotives ceased in 1970.
Iconic Vulcan Foundry locomotives for Great Britain include the legendary Deltics, Black Fives for the LMSR, and AL6 electrics for the West Coast Main Line.

This book illustrates Vulcan's role in equipping the world's railways, with its astonishingly varied output from narrow gauge to broad gauge, and from humble shunters to express passenger thoroughbreds.

English Electric Diesel Locomotives

English Electric built their first diesel loco in 1936 and, before the company closed in 1968, built thousands of diesel and electric locos that saw service all over the world. They were among the companies chosen by BR to build prototype diesel locos for the Modernisation Scheme of 1955, which would see the replacement of steam traction by diesels and electrics.
Locos were built to suit a wide variety of duties, some remaining in everyday service fifty years later.

This book of mostly unpublished colour photographs from the collection of George Woods shows them in service all over the BR system from 1966 to 2019 working a wide variety of trains, both passenger and freight, in the great variety of liveries they wore both during their BR service and in later years under private ownership.

Hunslet Locomotives Preserved

A 64 page softback illustrated album showcasing a selection of the products of this famous Leeds locomotive builder.

Robinson Eight-coupled Locomotives

Commencing in 1902 with three 0-8-0 locomotives for the Great Central Railway, J G Robinson's robust freight locomotive fleet expanded rapidly, a pivotal component of General Manager Sam Fay's initiative to rectify the company's financial struggles. Upon the Grouping, the GCR transferred 241 well-crafted, potent, and efficient eight-coupled locomotives to the newly established London & North Eastern Railway.
Simultaneously, the Robinson 2-8-0 became the standard type for the Railway Operating Division of the Royal Engineers in 1917. Over 500 were manufactured, with 300 deployed to support British forces in France during World War I.

Post-war, these locomotives experienced diverse destinies, including short-term loans to nine railway companies, sales to UK and international operators, notably in China and Australia. In 1941, 92 were requisitioned for military service in the Middle East, with an additional five sent to Egypt in 1952.

This comprehensive study explores the intricate history of the Robinson locomotive family, which served on four continents from 1902 to the early 1970s. Encompassing notable types such as the 2-8-0s, original 0-8-0s, unique 0-8-4Ts, 2-8-2T derivatives, and the 'might-have-been' Garratt, the work details modifications and rebuildings undertaken by Gresley and Thompson.

The Yorkshire Engine Co - Sheffield's Locomotive Manufacturer

Drivers leaving the M1 at the Tinsley viaduct can still pass the buildings where the Yorkshire Engine Company constructed and repaired locomotives for a hundred years. Founded in 1865, the company outlived many of its competitors and dispatched its last locomotives in 1965.

Established by a group of local businessmen, technical expertise was provided by Archibald Sturrock, Locomotive Engineer of the Great Northern Railway, and Charles Sacre, Engineer of the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway. As the initial orders from UK and Indian railways fell away, the company was forced to take orders from Russia, where payment was not always forthcoming.
The company became a leading manufacturer of Fairlie locomotives and undertook financially disastrous experiments with the building of marine engines and tramway locomotives. By 1880, in spite of new orders from Indian railways, the business was put into liquidation and a new company formed.

This book gives a history of the financial fortunes and experiments of the company and the men who ran it.