Керр, Стюарт и Компания: История британского локомотивостроения

Defunct British locomotive manufacturer

Kerr, Stuart and Company Ltd was a locomotive manufacturer in Stoke on Trent, England.

It was founded in 1881 by James Kerr as "James Kerr & Company", and became "Kerr, Stuart & Company" from 1883 when John Stuart was taken on as a partner. The business started in Glasgow, Scotland, but during this time they were only acting as agents ordering locomotives from established manufacturers, among them Falcon, John Fowler & Co. and Hartley, Arnoux and Fanning. They bought the last named company in 1892 and moved into the California Works in Stoke to begin building all their own locomotives. Hartley, Arnoux and Fanning had also been building railway and tramway plant. This side of their business was sold to Dick, Kerr and Co. in Preston.

R. J. Mitchell, Premium Apprentice, later to design the Supermarine Spitfire aircraft. L. T. C. Rolt, Premium Apprentice, later to be an author and canal/railway preservation pioneer. T. C. B. Coleman, Premium Apprentice, later Chief Locomotive Draughtsman of the London Midland & Scottish Railway during the 1930s

Kerr, Stuart were known for producing a number of standard designs with many engines being built for stock and sold 'off the shelf' to customers. The names of these locomotive types were often derived from the purchaser of the first of that type or from the name it was given. The Kerr, Stuart designs are typified by having a single trailing truck (allowing a large firebox to be placed behind the driving wheels) and/or having a saddle tank. Several designs of side tank locomotive were produced that shared a chassis and boiler with a saddle tank design and it is not unknown for a standard chassis from one design to be used with a different design's standard boiler to produce a locomotive to suit a customer's special requirements.

NameImageWheel arrangement (Whyte)Weight (long tons)NotesHuxley16 TonsWitch16 TonsMoss Bay29 Tonsnamed after Moss Bay Haematite Iron & Steel Co Ltd, WorkingtonRugeley31 TonsPriestley25.5 TonsNo 3063 (1918) initially supplied to the National Shipyard in Beachley was purchased by W & R Parker in 1980. It was restored to working order at The Flour Mill in Bream, Gloucestershire in 2012 and is informally known as 'Willy the Well Tank". was at the Barry Tourist Railway in summer 2021. Now on loan to the Swindon and Cricklade Railway for the 2024 season. This is essentially a Borrows design from the 1860s. Argentina34 TonsVictoryLa ManadaLocomotive number 1327 of 1913 is preserved in Ferro Club Villa Lynch (Argentina)

NameImageWheel arrangement (Whyte notation)Weight (working order)NotesWren3.4 tons (4.2 tons)Pixie one of 27 of the Wren class ordered for a sewer contract in Essex, sold to Devon County Council in 1929. Purchased by the Industrial Locomotive Society in 1957, it entered service at Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway in 1969. Works number 3114 was part of the same batch of Wrens on the sewer contract. Its history beyond this is uncertain but it is believed that it worked on the dismantling of the Ashover Light Railway. After that it worked on the Bala Lake Railway as "Dryw Bach", and is now owned by the Vale of Rheidol Railway. Peter Pan worked with Pixie in Devon. It was purchased in 1972 by Graham Hall who found the locomotive in a back garden in Bromsgrove and sometimes operates at the Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway. Lorna Doone is now preserved by the Birmingham City Museum and Art Gallery and is currently at the Amerton Railway, operational. Also at the Amerton Railway is new build Wren "Jennie", built by the Hunslet Engine Company in 2008. In 2010, the Hunslet Engine Company completed the last Wren "Thomas Wicksteed" for the Kew Bridge Steam Museum in London. Two worked on the Camber Railway in the Falkland IslandsSirdar6.5 tons Two of three locomotives being built for Allan Alderson and Company of Cairo for use during the Nile Barrage construction in Egypt were diverted to the British War Office in November 1899, for use by the Royal Engineers in a siege park in the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek during the Second Boer War. Of the 58 of this class built only 2 are known to survive. No 1158 of 1917 "Diana" privately owned in the UK, and returned to working order in 2015, after 65 years out of use. The second is 652 "Hope", a modified Sirdar, which is classed as a National Monument in Namibia. Tattoo6.5 tons (8.5 tons)Three examples exist in the UK, all operational: Stanhope (1917) on the Apedale Valley Light Railway; Talyllyn Railway No.4 Edward Thomas (1921); and Corris Railway No.7 (2005); at least two survive out of service in Namtu, Burma at the Burma Mines Railway. The class was built with either outside frames (such as Stanhope) or inside frames (such as Edward Thomas). Darwin8.8 tons (10.9 tons)HuxleyAt least one survives in working order on the Burma Mines Railway. Joan on the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway has a Huxley boiler carried on a modified Matary/Barreto chassis. Skylark10 tonsFormerly used on Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway and Snailbeach District Railways. A few survive at a sugar mill in Mauritius. Lukee operates at a tourist railway in Red Cliffs, Australia. Joffre8.5 tons (10.5 tons)named after Joseph Joffre; the Joffre class of 70 locomotives was a French Decauville design built by KS under contract during the Great War. Six of the class are known to have survived, one in Africa and five re imported into the UK; these include Axe on the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway and ones being restored for the Teifi Valley Railway, West Lancashire Light Railway, and the Apedale Valley Light Railway. Haig8.5 tons (10.5 tons)named after Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig; the Haig class was developed from the Joffre as a result of parts being left unused at the end of the Great War. Two examples survive in New Zealand (one at Ocean Beach Railway in Dunedin, the other at MOTAT in Auckland) and one – Sergeant Murphy – on the Teifi Valley RailwayBrazil10.6 tons (13.6 tons)Several examples survive, including Excelsior on the Great Whipsnade Railway and three locos (Premier, Leader & Melior) of the Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light RailwayWaterloo15 TonsMatary or Barreto (both names used)13 tons (17 tons)At least one original example survives, Superior on the Great Whipsnade Railway. Joan on the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway has a modified Matary/Barreto chassis and a Huxley boiler.

In addition to the company's standard designs the company accepted many orders to build to the customers' own designs in all gauges. The most impressive example for this certainly are the legendary 0 4 0LB locobreaks from 1900, strong and heavy tank engines designed to secure the trains through a cable claw on SPR (São Paulo Railway) and later EFSJ (Estrada de Ferro Santos a Jundiaí)'s 5ft3in gauge mountain cable incline between Paranapiacaba and Piaçagüera. Six of them are preserved. An example of a narrow gauge 0 4 0 tank engine, number 652 built in 1899, worked in the docks at Walvis Bay, Namibia, until the 1950s and is now preserved in a purpose built glass windowed display hut in the forecourt of Walvis Bay station. The California works produced in 1903/4 a 4 6 0 design for several Irish 3ft gauge lines including a 4 6 2T version for the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway. For Chile a very large 3ft6in gauge double six coupled bogie Meyer followed in 1904 by five American style bar framed 2 8 0 tender engines for the 3ft gauge Interocianic and Mexican Eastern Railways. In May 1910 they built a 2ft gauge "modified Fairlie" for service in Madras. This was not a Fairlie but just two 0 4 2T engines permanently coupled back to back, the only articulation being between the two complete engines. They received a repeat order for this combination. A truly remarkable standard gauge build of 1910 was a class of four handsome 4 2 2 express passenger locomotives to the design of E. J. Dunstan for the Shanghai Nanking Railway. The order was received on 19 April 1910 and the novel design required the production of totally new drawings and patterns for all parts. Even so, the first engine was steamed just seven weeks later on 8 June 1910. In service these engines, probably the last, and the biggest, single driver engines ever built, proved to be fast (60 mph), smooth running, and very economical on fuel when compared with similar 4 4 0 engines on the same line. From the 2ft gauge Gwalior Light Railway in India, the company received several orders for locomotives and a wide variety of rolling stock over the years, culminating in the construction of four large 2 8 2 tender engines in 1928. Six very powerful superheated 4 8 0 mixed traffic locomotives built in 1929 were the last of a series of 4 4 0 and 4 6 0 machines built for the Buenos Aires Central Railway of Argentina. In common with most British locomotive builders, in the postwar era Kerr, Stuart received a number of large orders from the mainline companies who were seeking to replace obsolete inherited equipment with their own standard designs. In 1920 the Metropolitan Railway ordered eight superheated 4 4 4 passenger tank engines for the Aylesbury service. Between 1925 and 1927 the Stoke works built fifty standard class 4F 0 6 0 goods engines for the London Midland and Scottish Railway and in 1929 and 1930 a batch of 25 GWR 5700 Class 0 6 0PTs were built for the Great Western Railway.

In the late 1920s a number of diesel locomotives were built. These were available with two or three axles for various track gauges. The engines were by McLaren Benz in 2 cylinder (30 hp), 4 cylinder (60 hp) or 6 cylinder (90 hp) form. Transmission was mechanical and final drive was by roller chains. They were very successful even though technology moved on quickly. Further development was stopped when Kerr, Stuart's went into receivership, but the Hunslet range of diesel locomotives was based on these. At least 3 Kerr, Stuart diesel locomotives have survived into preservation but none is in original condition having been given different engines.

On 17 April 1930 a petition calling for the company to be wound up compulsorily was presented in the High Court (Chancery Division) by the Midland Bank. At a hearing held on 8 May 1930 this petition was withdrawn on settlement of an £8,000 guarantee. However, the sale of the works to George Cohen, Sons & Co Ltd was announced in August 1930; a skeleton staff was employed to complete contracts in progress. Another winding up petition was presented on 10 September 1930 and an order was made on 14 October. At the creditors' meeting held on 14 November Herbert Langham Reed, the company's chairman and managing director, attributed the failure of the company to the locking up of capital in the Peninsular Locomotive Company, registered in India 1921 to build locomotives (Kerr, Stuart held 80% of the capital and loaned £78,000), the [April] winding up petition, which had resulted in a loss of confidence in the company, and 'to liabilities incurred by the company in supporting other companies'. Company funds had, apparently, been used to finance a company called Evos Sliding Doorways. This company's failure had triggered the Midland Bank petition. In LTC Rolt's autobiography "The Landscape Trilogy" it is also alleged that the company secretary was discovered to have committed suicide in Kerr, Stuart's London offices, and a large quantity of papers was found to have been burnt in the fireplace. The firm's goodwill (designs, spare parts, etc.) was bought by the Hunslet Engine Company. Some locomotives were built by W. G. Bagnall to Kerr, Stuart designs, a result of the chief Kerr, Stuart draughtsman, F. H. B. Harris, and a number of other Kerr, Stuart staff being employed by Bagnall's. These locomotives include examples of the Haig and Matary classes. The last steam locomotive built in Britain for industrial use, was a Hunslet built Brazil class engine in 1971. This locomotive is now running on the private Statfold Barn Railway. The Corris Railway commissioned a new locomotive based on the "Tattoo" design of its original No.4 (KS 4047 of 1921) and this was privately built over a ten year period and went into service in 2005 as No.7.

Wilbert Awdry based the character of Peter Sam on a Kerr Stuart Tattoo in The Railway Series.

OwnerClassNameSerial No. ImageBuilt DateWhyte NotationGaugeNotesApedale Valley Light RailwayTattooStanhope239519170 4 2ST2ftex Penrhyn Quarry RailwayAmerton RailwayWrenLorna Doone425019220 4 0ST2ftPurchased by RH Neal and sold to Devon County Council. Restoration to working order completed in 2018. JennieHunslet 390520080 4 0STBuilt by the Hunslet Engine Company in 2008 to the Kerr, Stuart Wren design, bought privately and housed at the Amerton Railway. SirdarDiana115819170 4 0T2ftex Kerry Tramway Oakeley Quarry and Pen yr Orsedd QuarryMuseum of Antigua and BarbudaBrazilMarion117819110 4 2ST2ft6inBuckinghamshire Railway CentreGWR 57000 6 0PTussg90 hp DieselRedlandK442819294wDMHeavily rebuiltCavan & Leitrim RailwayDromad302419160 4 2T3ftRebuilt using a hotel boiler and parts from several other Irish locomotivesCorris RailwayTattooNo. 720050 4 2ST2ft3inDesign based on the railway's original Tattoo (KS 4047)Foxfield RailwayWitch43880 4 0STussg90 hp DieselRom River442119296wDMex R&ER, re engined 1959Great Whipsnade RailwayBrazilExcelsior104919080 4 2ST2ft6inex Bowaters Paper RailwayBarrettoSuperior403419200 6 2STLeighton Buzzard RailwayWrenPixie426019220 4 0ST2ftLynton and Barnstaple RailwayJoffreAxe245119150 6 0STex Gloddfa Ganol. Heavily rebuilt, but retaining many original parts, Axe Returned to Steam on 11 November 2008 at Woody Bay for a dedication ceremony to honour the fallen railwaymen of the First World WarOwned by Graham MorrisWrenPeter Pan425619220 4 0STWest Lancashire Light RailwayJoffre"Joffre"240519150 6 0WT+Tex Carriers de la Valee Meureuse et Haut Bain Hydrequent, Pas de Calais, FranceMoseley Railway TrustJoffre301419160 6 0WT+T2ftex Gloddfa GanolBeamish Museum7210 4 0WT2ftex Dundee GasworksOcean Beach Railway Dunedin, New ZealandHaig418519290 6 0T3ft6inBuilt for Kempthorne Prosser. Regularly operated on passenger trainsMOTAT Auckland, New ZealandHaig418319290 6 0T3ft6inThis locomotive spent its entire working life with Kempthorne Prosser Ltd. at their Westfield (Auckland, N. Z.) fertiliser works. Retired in 1966, it was donated to MOTAT and operated there for a short time until boiler repairs were required. After a period on static display, the locomotive was dismantled during the 1970s for restoration. Ultimately the dismantled locomotive was leased to McDonald's Restaurants, and following restoration was on static display at their Paraparaumu establishment from 1987 to 2008, before being returned to MOTAT where it remains in the locomotive shed awaiting restoration to working order. Privately owned by Peter Rampton, Surrey, England440819280 6 4T2ft6inPhilippine National RailwaysCabanatuanCabanatuan77719050 6 0T 3ft6inThis was originally built for the British owned Manila Railway Company and was the lead locomotive of its class. It is now on static display in front of Tutuban station. CaviteDagupan10071907This saddle tank locomotive was built for Manila Railway and was rebuilt from the original Cavite locomotive. Like Cabanatuan, it is now on static display in front of Tutuban station. One of its parts were damaged. Red Cliffs Historical Steam Railway, Victoria, AustraliaSkylarkLukee74219010 4 2T2ftThe Red Cliffs Historical Steam Railway was formed in 1994 under the auspices of the Red Cliffs Rotary Club to operate the restored 'Lukee', that had formerly operated between Red Cliffs railway station and the Red Cliffs pumping station. A two kilometre section of the former 1600mm gauge Red Cliffs – Morkalla branch line has been converted to 610mm gauge for tourist train operation. The train normally operates on the first Sunday of each month from 11am to 4.00pm and on Easter Saturday and the Sundays of the Labour Day and Queens Birthday long weekends. The Train does not operate in January or February because of the fire danger. Sandstone Steam Railway, Ficksburg, South AfricaWrenLittle Bess403119190 4 0ST2ft406319240 4 2PT134419134 6 2TSittingbourne & Kemsley Light RailwayBrazilLeader92619060 4 2ST2ft6inPremier8861905Melior42191924Severn Valley RailwayGWR 5700 No. 7714444919300 6 0PTussgOperational as of October 2018. Statfold Barn RailwayBrazilTrangkil No.4390219710 4 2ST2ftThe last industrial steam locomotive built in Britain, regauged from 2ft6in gauge. Talyllyn Railwaymodified TattooEdward Thomas404719210 4 2ST2ft3inex Corris Railway No.4; carried same number under CR, GWR, BR & TR ownershipTeifi Valley RailwayHaigSgt. Murphy0 6 2ST2ftex Penrhyn Quarry Railway, Heavily rebuiltPrivately Preserved, KentJoffre244219150 6 0WT+Tex Gloddfa GanolVale of Rheidol RailwayWren311419180 4 0STFormerly carried names Brockamin or Dryw BachWelsh Highland Railway60 hp Diesel41156wDMOne of the earliest diesel locomotives in existenceWelshpool and Llanfair Light Railwaymodified Matary with Huxley boilerJoan19270 6 2ST2ft6inOriginally operated in Antigua, overhauled with a new boiler of revised design. Statfold Barn RailwayJoffre301019160 6 0WT+T2ftex Gloddfa Ganol, formerly stored at the Yaxham Light RailwaySanta Cruz do Rio Pardo, SP (Brazil)Sinhá Moça (ex Maceió) No. 1928July 19070 4 2T3' 3⅜" (1,000 m)operational (weekend and holiday tourist services); most authors still believe her to be static at Usina Serra Grande in São José da Laje, ALUsina Serra Grande in São José da Laje, AL (Brazil)No. 21244January 19120 4 2T3' 3⅜" (1,000 m)staticUsina Serra Grande in São José da Laje, AL (Brazil)Mestre Borges (ex Nesita Forges) No. 44193September 19270 6 2T3' 3⅜" (1,000 m)operational (tourist services)Fives Lille in Maceió, AL (Brazil)unknown4389March 19270 4 2T1' 11½" (0,597 m)static (former Usina Cansanção do Sinimbu locomotive)Usina Central Olho d'Água in Camutanga, PE (Brazil)unknown4302June 19260 4 2T2' 5½" (0,750 m)staticUsina Catende in Catende, PE (Brazil)No. 11281December 19120 4 2T3' 3⅜" (1,000 m)staticFazenda Guaritá in Rio das Flores, RJ (Brazil)Wrennone1248said to be 19140 4 0ST1' 11½" (0,597 m)operational1st Railway Battalion of the Brazilian Army in Lages, SC (Brazil)WrenJaguarizinho No. 31194June 19120 4 0ST1' 11½" (0,597 m)staticFazenda Angélica in Dourado, SP (Brazil)No. 1673June 19120 6 2ST1' 11½" (0,597 m)staticentrance of Paranapiacaba, SP (Brazil)No. 866819000 4 0LB5ft3instaticMuseu Ferroviário de Paranapiacaba, Paranapiacaba, BrazilWrenNo. 11015December 19070 4 0ST1' 11½" (0,597 m)static (in operational condition)noneNo. 767119000 4 0LB5ft3instatic (in operational condition)Fazenda Vassoural in Pontal, BrazilWrenNo. 1119519120 4 0ST1' 11½" (0,597 m)staticLocomotive Depot at Estação da Luz in São Paulo, BrazilNo. 266219000 4 0LB5ft3instaticABPF Regional São Paulo in São Paulo, BrazilnoneNo. 466419000 4 0LB5ft3instatic (in operational condition)No. 966919000 4 0LB5ft3inawaiting restorationNo. 1166719000 4 0LB5ft3inawaiting restorationSt. Kitts Sugar CorpBrazilNo. 5131419160 4 2STderelict