Tag Archives: Bagnall

North Kent’s Cement and Other Industrial Railways – Part 1 – The Thames Estuary

Part 1 – The Thames Estuary

This article looks at a number of the industrial sites on the southern banks of the River Thames Estuary. Industry along the River Medway will be covered in a future article or articles, as will industries in and around Chatham and to the East of Cliffe, Higham and Chatham.

It must also be noted that the details included in this article are much expanded on and probably also corrected in Robin Waywell’s book, ‘Industrial Railways and Locomotives of Kent‘ which came into my possession after this article had been completed. [61]

Before looking at the works described by Stoyel & Kidner and others, it is worth at least a glance at Erith situated further West along the River Thames. …

J. Parish & Co. Ltd

J. Parish & Co. was a historical industrial firm based in Erith, Kent, best known for operating the local Erith Loam Quarries and Ballast Wharf on Fraser Road. Established in the early 19th century (around 1805), the company supplied specialized moulding sands, silica sands, and high-quality natural loams to the British foundry and metal-casting industries.

It ran deep loam and sand pits off Fraser Road in Erith, utilizing industrial (4ft 0in) narrow-gauge locomotives to move ballast and sand. Its products (often marketed as the “Erith Range of Sands”) were widely utilized across UK metal foundries for core-making and casting. [8][9]

Hatherill & Hatherill tell us that, “Around 1800 sailing ships brought coal to London from the north east of England and, in 1805, John Parish started supplying ballast to the returning ships. The sand they supplied was quickly recognised in the north east as a rich loamy sand which was very suitable for foundry work. At first it was loaded from a wharf opposite the site of the first railway station, which was opened in 1849 but, in 1842, a new wharf was built which could, in later years, deal with ships of up to 650 tons.” [10: p11]

Horses handled the traffic at the start as the first locomotive, No. 1, did not arrive until 1864, built by Gilles, Wilson & Co., Works No. 185. It was an 0-4-0T with 6 inch cylinders. [10: p11]

Records show two further locomotives in use by Parish. These were: No. 2, an 0-4-0ST, built in 1881 by R. & W. Hawthorn, Works No. 1864 with 10″ cylinders; and No IV, another 0-4-0ST built in 1903 by Hawthorn, Leslie & Co., Works No.2565, with 12″ cylinders. These two locomotives served the quarries for decades, although only No. IV survived until the advent of road-motor vehicle haulage at the Works in 1957. [4, photo No. 75][10: p11]

Parish’s locomotive ‘No. IV’ stands outside the engine shed in the wharf yard. Note the typical primitive end-tip wagons used on the network and beyond them the level-crossing box. (G. A. Bartlett – 1952) © Public Domain. [10: p12]

Parish No. 3 was utilised for a steam excavator built by Grafton of Bedford which was used to remove the overburden from the underlying loam. [10: p11]

This 6″ Ordnance Survey map extract from the early 20th century shows Parish’s rail network connecting the Loam and Ballast Pits (bottom-left) with the Wharf on the River Thames (top-right). West Street can be seen running parallel to the River Bank with just some relatively narrow buildings in between. [11]

West Street level-crossing allowed both Parish’s narrow-gauge line and Frazer & Chalmers’ standard-gauge line to access the wharves on the river bank.

Hatherill & Hatherill tell us that, “the crossing was also across the Erith Council Tramway system which ran along the road. There was a level crossing with four gates and a crossing cabin from which the gates were worked. When a train came down from the quarries a ship’s bell on the corner of the cabin was rung and the gates were wound across the road. When, in 1957, the railway was replaced by a fleet of lorries, Parish’s continued to use their level crossing. When the gates were closed across the road lorries went past along the route of the railway. As they were travelling along a private right of way they did not need to be licensed!” [10: p13]

West Street Level-crossing as shown on the early 29th century 6″ Ordnance Survey mapping provided by the NLS. The council’s tramway does not appear on this extract. [11]

The level-crossing on West Street, Erith © Public Domain. [13]

Over the 20th century, as industrial quarrying scaled down and local demands shifted, parts of their former quarry properties and surrounding land transitioned into residential and factory developments.

Stone Court Chalk, Land & Pier Co. Ltd

The Stone Court Chalk, Land & Pier Co. Ltd. was a 19th- and 20th-century mineral extraction and industrial company based in Stone, Kent, operating roughly from 1885 until the mid-20th century. It supplied raw Upper Chalk (Seaford Chalk Formation) to nearby cement plants, including works at Greenhithe, Albion, and the Kent Cement Works. These cement works are covered in detail below.

Dylan Moore tells us that “A chalk pit was already in existence at Stone Court Lodge in 1827. The Stone Court estate began shipping chalk from their wharf in 1864. In 1873, the Stone Court Chalk Quarries Company extended the wharf to deep water, and commenced shipping ballast, while looking for cement companies that might use their chalk. In 1879 the Williams Fry and Co. Ltd Albion plant was set up to the west of the wharf, and in 1880, Wilders & Cary’s Shield plant was set up to the east. In 1885 the company was re-launched as the Stone Court Land & Pier Co. Ltd. The Gillingham Portland Cement Co. Ltd set up the Greenhithe plant to the east of Shield in 1889, and in 1890 Rosher & East set up the Artillery plant inland between the quarries and the wharf. By this time, supply to the cement plants was the bulk of its trade, and chalk ceased to be shipped after 1894.” [44]

Dylan Moore provides maps of the various Chalk Pits in North Kent and the Stone Court Land & Pier Co. Ltd map shows two main quarry complexes: [44]

Lodge Quarry south of Elizabeth Street, including Johnson’s Hole – these workings were abandoned completely by 1964; and
A set of pits to the west on either side of Cotton Lane and to the South of the North Kent railway line – these pits were worked out by 1956.

These two map extracts show the areas eventually exploited by the Stone Court Chalk, Land & Pier Co. Ltd. Both show the area to the South of the North Kent main line.

The first extract is from the 6″ Ordnance Survey of 1895, Lodge Quarry was being expoited at this date. It’s workings would eventually extend South of London Road into what became known as Johnson’s Hole. [45]

Dylan Moore’s map showing the extent of the two quarry areas can be found here. [47]

The area of the Cotton Lane Chalk Pits as it appears on the 25″ 1895 Ordnance Survey published in 1897. At this time only the Lodge Quarry Works are being exploited. The Cotton Lane Pits would sit either side of the lane. which can be seen at the third point in this extract. [46]

British Industrial Callender’s Cables Ltd (BICC Ltd).

BICC Ltd. used a 3ft 6in gauge railway at their cable works at Belvedere, near Erith. The steam locomotives were converted to run on oil fuel.The line was in use by 1900 when the first locomotive arrived. The railway’s purpose was “was to bring pig lead and other materials from their wharf on the River Thames at Belvedere into the works and to move drums of finished cable around the works and yard. From the wharf, cable was exported all over the world.

BICC purchased three new Bagnall 0-4-0ST locomotives: [4: photos No. 91, 92 & 93]

Mighty Atom – built in 1900 by Bagnall, Works No. 1630, had 6″ cylinders

Woto – built in 1924 by Bagnall, Works No. 2133, had 7″ cylinders. Photos 91 and 92 show this locomotive.

Sir Tom – built in 1925 by Bagnall, Works No. 2135, also had 7″ cylinders. Photo No. 93 shows this locomotive which cost £1127 when new.

After the purchase of ‘Mighty Atom’ a second-hand Hunslet 0-4-0ST was purchased and a new 0-4-0ST from the Yorkshire Engine Co. before the last two Bagnalls were bought. [10: p13]

“Both Woto and Sir Tom worked until 1968 when the railway closed, having outlasted by several years … two Ruston diesels! The former were acquired for preservation and are now [1984] stored in Romford.” [4: photo No. 93]

The two Rushton & Hornsby diesel locomotives had been purchased in 1934. [10: p13]

This extract from the 6″ Ordnance Survey of 1931, published 1934 shows BICCs Works at Belvedere. [14]

The same area in the 21st century. [Google Maps, August 2026]

British Oil & Cake Mills (BOCM) Ltd

Was sited close to the BICC Works and had its own standard-gauge rail network which employed a number of steam and diesel locomotives over time.

These locomotives are sitting on standard-gauge metals at the BOCM Works at Belvedere. The two 0-4-0WTG Aveling & Porter locomotives are ‘Sydenham’, built in 1895, Works No. 3567, and ‘Sir Vincent’, built in 1917, Works No. 1917. Behind them is ‘Crabtree’, an 0-4-0 Ruston & Hornsby diesel locomotive. (Hugh Davies) © Public Domain. [4: photo No. 94]

Crabtree Trust Sidings

The Crabtree Trust exchange sidings were alongside the North Kent Line between Belvedere and Erith. They were on the down side of the line near the former Crabtree Crossing signal box. They once fed a network of industrial lines serving riverside factories and works along what is now Crabtree Manorway These industrial concerns included the BICC Cable Works, the BOCM site, Hercules Powder Co., Doulton’s Pipe Works and British Gypsum’s Works. By the 1980s, the entire complex was disused, overgrown, and eventually cleared.

These sidings consisted of three parallel reception sidings operated on behalf of local industry by BOCM. The locomotives shown on the image above would have been found at work in the sidings. [10: p18]

The Crabtree Trust Sidings are shown on these two extracts from the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1931, published in 1933. [15][16]

Further details about this location can be found here. [17]

British Gypsum (Erith Works)

British Plaster Board Ltd. originally opened the waterfront works at Church Manorway, Erith in 1934 to process imported gypsum. Rebranded as British Gypsum in 1964, the historic manufacturing site eventually transitioned into the Saint-Gobain Build Better Academy, operating as its longest-serving training facility for plaster and drywall systems since 1966.

A number of 0-4-0 diesel locomotives were employed at this location at different times, including:

Crabtree – built in 1953 by Ruston & Hornsby, Works No. 338416 (Class 88Ds). [18]

Princess Margaret – built in 1948 by Barclay, Works No. 376. [18][4: photo No. 58]

Possibly also:

Taurus – built in 1951 by Fowler (VF D139, DC 2273)

Prium – built in 1955 by Fowler (VF D293, DC 2566)

The British Plaster Board works which were to become British Gypsum’s Works at Erith. The Crabtree Trust Sidings are off the West side of this 25″ OS map extract from the 1930s. [16]

Dartford Cement Works Ltd. [1: p11]

A short line ran from a wharf on Dartford Creek to a small works which opened in around 1891 and South to a pit close to the North Kent main line. Stoyel & Kidner indicate that the line was horse-worked and closed in 1911.

Artillery & Albion Cement Co. Ltd. [1: p11]

This was a 19th/early-20th century cement manufacturer located at Stone Court (Stone Marshes). Its operations combined chalk quarried by the Stone Court company and Medway clay, shipping goods via Stone Court pier before eventually being absorbed into a larger cartel operation. Stoyel & Kidner tell us that both Artillery & Albion were adjacent works which were absorbed into the British Portland Cement Manufacturers (BPCM) in 1910 but probably closed by 1913.

A series of works cluster at the top-right of this 6″ map extract, a tramway/railway runs Southwest to Artillery Works and Whiting Works centre-left and chalk pits to the South of the main line. These are all mentioned below. [3]

Three 0-4-0ST locomotives were associated with Artillery and Albion Works:

Stonecourt – had outside cylinders and was sold in about 1915. Nothing else is known about this locomotive.

Artillery – built in 1896 by Falcon, Works No. 240. It had outside cylinders and was transferred by APCM to Hilton Works at Halling when the works at Stone closed.

Albion – built in 1901 by Peckett, Works No. 915. It also had outside cylinders and was also transferred by APCM to Hilton Works at Halling when the works at Stone closed.

Shield Works, Greenhithe Works. [1: p11]

The Shield Works were only a short distance to the East of the Albion Works. Greenhithe Works were a little further East.

Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers (APCM), took control of Shield Works in 1900. Greenhithe Works was acquired by J.B. White in 1893.

Stone Court Chalk Land & Pier Co. Ltd. [1: p11]

Although not a cement producer, this company was later taken over by APCM. In 1885, this company took over a pier and tramway on Stone March close to the works covered above. Stoyel & Kidner tell us that “All [those works] were served by a railway of standard gauge, which also ran south, under the SER and Cotton Lane, to a chalk pit. Just north of the tunnel under the SER there was a whiting works. In 1908, the branch line to the Artillery Works was extended to an exchange siding with the SER North Kent Line When the Kent Works was built to the east, a cutting was made parallel to the SER and south of it, with a connection to the Stone Court line just north of Cotton Lane tunnel, so that material could be worked from the pit to the new works. At about the same time, a further cutting was made south of the SER to enable Stone Court trains to run to new pits to the west. Since this line had to tunnel under Cotton Lane twice and also under Moody’s Lane, at great depth, there were in effect three pits in line. Some chalk from here went to Kent Works; however the layout at Cotton Lane tunnel was such that these trains had to run into the whiting works, reverse into the pit, and then reverse out again to hand the train over to a Kent Works engine. Some time before the last War this was altered so that trains could run straight through. However, a company called the Atlas Stone Company had established itself by 1928 at the bottom of the original pit, being served by Stone Court trains with materials. In 1935, Stone Court Ballast Co. was working gravel pits near the river shore, using high-sided wagons, unlike the small chalk tippers. Much of this went to Atlas Stone, and in the latter years when a square crossing had been laid at Cotton Lane tunnel, this meant that trains from the gravel pits to Atlas Stone crossed the path of chalk trains from the pits to Kent Works, and it is said that ‘traffic lights’ were installed to control the crossing.” [1: p12]

The Company had ten locomotives all of which had outside cylinders, Stoyel & Kidner list them as:

Adamant – an 0-4-0ST built in 1877 by Manning Wardle, Works No. 649, 8″ x 14″ cylinders and 2′ 8″ wheels.

Bulldog – an 0-4-0ST built in 1860 by Manning Wardle, Works No. 13, 8″ x 14″ cylinders and ???? wheels.

Sundridge – an 0-4-0ST built in ???? by Hughes, Works No. ????, 11″ x ??” cylinders and ???? wheels.

James Godwin – an 0-4-0ST built in 1870 by Shanks, Works No. ????, 10″ x 20″ cylinders and 3′ 1″ wheels.

Quarrier – an 0-4-0ST built in 1891 by Falcon, Works No. 203, 11″ x 18″ cylinders and 3′ 0″ wheels.

Longreach – an 0-4-0ST built in 1896 by Falcon, Works No. 236, 11″ x 18″ cylinders and 3′ 0″ wheels.

Flintfield – an 0-4-0ST built in 1898 by Brush, Works No. 277, 12″ x 20″ cylinders and 3′ 0″ wheels.

W.H. Liversidge – an 0-4-0ST built in 1899 by Brush, Works No. 286, 11″ x 18″ cylinders and 3′ 0″ wheels.

Lion – an 0-4-0ST built in 1891 by Falcon, Works No. 205, 11″ x 18″ cylinders and 3′ 0″ wheels.

Iota – an 0-4-0T built in 1892 by Falcon, Works No. 211, 11″ x 18″ cylinders and 3′ 0″ wheels.

‘Longreach’ at the Stone Works on 10th October 1946. (B. D. Stoyel), © Public Domain. [1: p13]

Stoyel & Kidner tell us that, “Sundridge, Quarrier, Longreach, Flintfield and W.H. Liver sidge were supplied new. There is some suggestion that Sundridge was a vertical-boilered locomotive which was scrapped just before the turn of the century, but no confirmation has been found for this. Adamant had previously belonged to the Britannia London Portland Cement Co. at Seacombe, Birkenhead. James Godwin was originally built for the Southampton Dock Co. but came to Stone from the London & St Katherine Dock Co. (their No. 16) some time before 1896. Bulldog and Lion came from the APCM’s Tolhurst Works at Northfleet and lota from their Gibb’s Works at West Thurrock in about 1925. lota was a side-tank with dropped footplate and low vertical clearance.” [1: p14]

“Locomotive Adamant was said to have been scrapped in 1918 and Bulldog at an unknown date. Quarrier, Longreach and W.H. Liversidge were scrapped in 1949 after the railway had been abandoned. Flintfield was lent to the APCM Works at Stone in 1947-1948 and was then sold to the Atlas Stone Co. Ltd for use on their adjoining premises. There is some suggestion that James Godwin was sold to a firm at Portland. Lion was transferred in 1946 to the APCM’s Swanscombe Works and was sold in 1948 to the Atlas Stone Co. Ltd. Iota was loaned to Alpha Cement Ltd, West Thurrock, from 1945 until 1946 when it was sold to the BPCM Works at Penarth, in South Wales.” [1: p14]

‘Iota’ at Stone Court Whiting Works in September 1933. (R. W. Kidner), © Public Domain. [1: p15]

The company’s chalk operations ceased in 1949, its engines were either scrapped or sold to Atlas stone to serve gravel traffic. The company remained in existence until 1974 when its assets were transferred to APCM.

APCM Ltd Kent Works, Stone, Dartford. [1: p 14]

These works are covered in a separate article which can be found here. [2]

I.C. Johnson & Co. Ltd., Greenhithe. [1: p26-36]

Please see the article dedicated to this Works which can be found here. [5]

John Tilden & Co., Greenhithe. [1: p36]

A short-lived firm which operated in the 1860s out of Lamb Wharf Chalk Works at Greenhithe. When constructed, the enlarged Johnson’s Wharf covered the area of the old Lamb Wharf.

Stoyel & Kidner say that two locomotives were known to have operated at these Works. Both were Aveling & Porter locomotives, supplied new, chain-driven and recorded at work in November 1865:

Works No. 48, built in 1862, one cylinder (probably 8.5″ x 10″)

Works No. 132, built in 1864, one cylinder (9.25″ x 12″)

Globe Portland Cement & Whiting Co. Ltd., Swanscombe. [1: p37]

C. G. Down tells us that a William Tingley sublet some land to John Cubit Gostling who formed the Globe Portland Cement & Whiting Co. Ltd. Gostling was also owner of a Thames-side Cement Works. Later, in 1895, the works was purchased by John Bazely White & Bros. Ltd., owners of the Swanscombe Works on the Thames. Due to the recession in the industry though, the works was not used much subsequently, and was bought by APCM on 24th August 1900. [6]

Stoyel & Kidner’s research tells a different story. They say that in 1899 the company became the New Globe Cement Chalk & Whiting Co. and then moved to a different site further East. It then became part of BPCM. [1: p37]

It seems as though there is some uncertainty over what happened beyond those dates. It appears to be clear that the site of the Works was closed by the 1920s with the wharf being used for oil storage.

Stoyel & Kidner record five locomotives being used at the site: [1: p37]

Globe (?) – 0-4-0WTG built by Aveling & Paorter

Globe No. 2 – 0-4-0T built in 1897 by Kerr Stuart, Works No. 124.

Globe No. 3 – 0-4-0ST built in 1901 by Peckett, Works No. 925.

Globe No. 4 – 0-4-0ST built in 1902 by Peckett, Works No. 967.

New Globe – 0-4-0ST built in 1901 by Peckett, Works No. 889.

The Aveling & Porter locomotive came second-hand, the others were purchased new. It is unclear what happened to the Aveling & Porter. Globe No. 2 may have seen service in France from 1916. Globe and Globe No. 2 may have been transferred to the APCM Works at Grays, Essex. [1: p37]

Though the Works closed in the 1920s, three of the locomotives were seen standing derelict at the site in 1929. Subsequently they were transferred to other Works: Globe No. 3 to BPCM, Greenhithe; Globe No. 4 to APCM, Northfleet (becoming No.5); and New Globe to BPCM, Greenhithe. [1: p37]

J.B. White & Bros Ltd., Swanscombe. [1: p38-49]

These works are covered in a separate article which can be found here. [7]

APCM Ltd, Alkerden Clay Pits, Swanscombe. [1: p49]

Operated by the Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers (APCM) Ltd, the Alkerden Clay Pits in Swanscombe, Kent, opened in 1909 to supply London clay for local cement works like Bevans and Kent. The clay was slurried on-site and pumped to main washmills. The Clay Pits closed in 1943.

A 2ft 8.5in narrow-gauge line served the Clay Pits. The railway gauge may have been dictated by the availability of locomotives, rolling stock and track panels from the Northfleet Works of Knight, Bevan & Sturge which operated on the same gauge. But, the Northfleet Works were not converted to standard-gauge until around 1926.

The pits sat between Watling Street and Alkerden Manor Farm near Swanscombe Wood. But were not deep level excavations, rather they spread over a relatively large area which led to the narrow-gauge rail network wandering over quite a large area and to the need to carry the railway over the line of the A2 on a long girder viaduct.

Stoyel & Kidner indicate that eight locomotives were used on this network of lines: [1: p51]

Swift – 0-4-0TV, built by Knight, Bevan & Sturge (?)

Rapid – 0-4-0TV, built by Knight Bevan & Sturge (?)

Alert – 0-4-0TV, built by Knight Bevan & Sturge (?)

Clinker – 0-4-0ST, built in 1917 by Bagnall, Works No. 2068, outside cylinders (8″ x 12″) with 2′ 0.5″ wheels.

‘Clinker’ at Alkerden Clay Pits in 1934: the track is sinking and the fireman is looking at a wagon ahead of the locomotive which has just jumped the track. (L. T. Catchpole), © Public Domain. [1: p50]

Clinker’s sister locomotive ‘Peter’ (Bagnall Works No. 2067) at work in preservation at Amberley. ‘Peter’ was built as 3 ft (914 mm) gauge locomotive and converted to 2 ft (610 mm) in 1919. Its current boiler certificate expires in 2032, © Peter Skuce and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 4.0). [19]

Meteor – 0-4-0ST, built in 1893 by Black Hawthorn, Works No. 1085, outside cylinders (8.5″ x 16″) with 2′ 6″ wheels.

Planet – 0-4-0ST, built in 1902 by Hudswell Clarke, Works No. 631, outside cylinders (8.5″ x 16″) with 2′ 6″ wheels.

Comet – 0-4-0ST, built in 1921 by Hawthorn Leslie, Works No. 3506, outside cylinders (8.5″ x 16″) with 2′ 6″ wheels.

Rocket – 0-4-0ST, built in 1930 by Hawthorn Leslie, Works No. 3788, outside cylinders (8.5″ x 16″) with 2′ 6″ wheels.

Stoyel & Kidner tells us, “Very little is known about the three vertical boiler locomotives, all of which had been scrapped by 1931. … The Bagnall was obtained from C.J. Wills, Grimsby probably in 1921 when it was converted from 2ft 6 in. gauge. … Meteor, Planet and Comet were transferred in 1928 from Bevan’s Works, Northfleet. Planet was ordered from Chapman & Furneaux and carried their works plates (No. 1215, 1902) but this was the period when the firm was in difficulties, leading to its acquisition by Hawthorn, Leslie & Co. Ltd, and evidently the order was sub-contracted to Hudswell Clarke & Co. Ltd. Rocket was delivered new to the Alkerden pits. Clinker had gone by March 1943 and the remaining four, which were basically of the same design, were scrapped during 1943. The railway was superseded at about that time. Whites obtained clay from Cliffe from 1937.” [1: 51]

The area of Alkerden Clay Pits in the 21st century. The area to the West of the B255 is now occupied by Bluewater Shopping Centre. [Google Maps, August 2026]

Onward Cement Co. Ltd., Northfleet. Tower Cement Co. Ltd., Northfleet. Maceroy & Holt (Britannia Works). [1: p51]

These three concerns clustered together on the Northwest side of Robin’s Creek.

The three Cement Works, highlighted above, all appear in this map extract. Robin’s Creek is the Creek shown in the bottom-right corner of the extract. Northfleet Paper Mills was rail served as well. It sat just to the West of the Britannia Cement Works and just off the left edge of this extract. A line serving the Paper Mills can be seen leaving the left edge of this extract a little to the North of London Road. [33]

A similar area in the 21st century. The whole area has been redeveloped and even the major roads have been realigned and renamed. [Google Maps, August 2026]

Stoyel & Kidner say that all the Works were originally supplied with chalk from pits close to the Works but when that option was exhausted land across London Road was exploited. Northfleet Coal & Ballast Co. Ltd. held the wharf on the Thames and handled the transport for all of the companies. The first of those pits were only just the other side of London Road, in fact, just off the bottom corner of the map extract above. [1: p51]

London Road is at the top of this next extract, the tramway from the cement works and the river wharf enters the extract at the top-right. It passes under London Road. The branch leaving the extract on the right runs parallel to the North Kent line on a 1 in 40 gradient to a transhipment point in the sidings at Northfleet Railway Station , the remaining lines serve the chalk pits, one of which tunnels under the main line railway. [33]

On the right side of this extract an engine house sits next to a tramway that served other concerns to the East.

Stoyel & Kidner note that the 1 in 40 gradient between the Works and Chalk Pits and the railway station sidings required double-heading for trains as short as 4 or 5 wagons. [1: p52]

The Northfleet quarries were worked out by 1920 and sold in 1921. [1: p52]

Stoyel & Kidner express surprise at the size of the locomotive fleet that served this series of concerns. They mention that there were two or three different owning companies, but provide a single list of the locomotives used:

Peveril – possibly built in the 1840s at the Edge Hill works of the Grand Junction Railway – purchased second-hand from E. W. Goodenough, Northfleet. Scrapped circa. 1900. [1: p53,54]

Fly – an 0-4-0ST probably built in 1864 by Manning Wardle, Works No. 111 – it had outside cylinders. If correct, this locomotive was sent on test to Ryde Pier Tramway on the Isle of Wight in 1864. Appears to have disappeared in 1919! [1: p53,54]

Fox – an 0-4-0ST built in 1871 by Henry Hughes and purchased new – it had outside cylinders (11″ x 18″), the wheel size is not given. Scrapped in 1930. [1: p53,54]

Loughborough – an 0-4-0ST built in ???? by Henry Hughes and purchased new – it had outside cylinders (9″ x 15″), the wheel size is not given. Transferred to West Thurrock circa. 1913. [1: p53,54]

Northfleet – an 0-4-0ST built in ???? by Henry Hughes and purchased new – it had outside cylinders (11″ x 18″), the wheel size is not given. Transferred to West Thurrock circa. 1902/1903.

Kilmarnock – an 0-4-0ST built in 1886 by Barclay, Works No. 282 and purchased new – it had outside cylinders (11″ x 18″) and 3′ 3″ wheels. Transferred to West Thurrock circa. 1913.

Swanscombe – an 0-4-0ST built in 1891 by Barclay, Works No. 699 and purchased new – it had outside cylinders (11″ x 18″) and 3′ 5″ wheels. Transferred to West Thurrock circa. 1913 (later entered preservation at Quainton Road).

W. H. Davies – an 0-4-0ST built in 1899 by Brush, Works No. 282 and purchased new – it had outside cylinders (??” x ??”) the wheel size is not given. Scrapped in 1957.

Torpedo – an 0-4-0ST built in 1886 by Peckett, Works No. 449, purchased second-hand in 1920 from A. R. Adams, Newport, Monmouthshire – it had outside cylinders (10″ x 14″) and 2′ 6″ wheels. This locomotive was previously used in the construction of GWR Wootton Bassett to Patchway line. Scrapped in 1930.

Denis – an 0-6-0ST built in 1902 by Manning Wardle, Works No. 1561, was purchased second-hand from G. Shellabear, Park Royal – it had inside cylinders (12″ x 17″) and 3′ 0″ wheels. It had been used by D. Shanks (contractor) with whom it carried the name of Coronation. Scrapped circa. 1945.

Dolphin – another 0-6-0ST built in 1879 by Manning Wardle, Works No. 725, was purchased in 1925 from the Southern Railway at Folkestone Harbour (No. A752), previously it had been rebuilt at the SE&CR’s Ashford Works in 1911 – it had inside cylinders (12″ x 17″) and 3′ 0″ wheels. Scrapped circa. 1945.

Bradley – an 0-4-0ST built in 1950 by Peckett, Works No. 1938 and purchased new – it had outside cylinders (12″ x 20″) and 3′ 0.5″ wheels. Scrapped circa. 1945.

Victory – an 0-4-0ST built in ???? by Dick & Stevenson Works No. ???, was another second-hand locomotive which came on loan from the Ministry of Supply in 1942 (their No. P234) it had outside cylinders (14″ x ??”) and the wheel size is not given. Prior to coming to Northfleet, it served at MoD Kinnerley. It only remained in Kent until 1943 before moving on to an unknown destination in Yorkshire. [1: p53,54]

Northfleet – another 0-4-0ST built in 1946 by Peckett, Works No. 2080 and purchased new – it had outside cylinders (12″ x 20″) and 3′ 0.5″ wheels. Scrapped in 1967.

The New Northfleet Cement Works

This new Works was not constructed until the end of the 1960s and became operational in the 1970s. It was predominantly built on brownfield land which included the sites of: Bevan’s Cement Works (Northfleet); the Crown Portland Cement Plant; and the London Portland Cement Plant.

This plant and the associated sidings is covered in another article about which can be found here. [33]

Knight, Bevan & Sturge Ltd., Northfleet. [1: p54-62]

These Works are covered in a separate article which can be found here. [34]

London Portland Cement Co. Ltd., Northfleet [1: p62] and Crown Portland Cement Co. Ltd., Northfleet. [1: p62]

London Portland Cement Works were opened in 1868 just to the East of the Bevan Cement Works. There was a short tramway to pits north of the High Street. In 1900 these Works became part of APCM but were closed in 1908.his was one of the constituents of the APCM on the formation of the latter in 1900, but it soon became redundant and was closed in 1908, by which time the tramway had been extended through a tunnel under Granby Road to pits and a brickworks at Calleybank. Stoyel & Kidner state that “Latterly the system seems to have been integrated with that of the Crown Portland Cement Works lying just north-west. When the line serving Bevan’s Works was opened in 1929 to the exchange sidings on the ex-LC&DR near Rosherville, it used part of this old line including the tunnel under Granby Road, as well as part of the route of another earlier tramway which ran from a point just north of the crossing of the LC&D over the SER, via a whiting works and a white lead works, to Red Lion Wharf.” [1: p62]

More details of these Works can be found here [37] and here. [38]

Stoyel & Kidner note two standard gauge locomotives that they are sure were employed in conveying chalk to the works:

These two extracts from different 25″ Ordnance Survey sheets show the full extent of the lines associated with these two works before the turn of the 20th century. [35][36]

Locomotives

Vulcan built by Falcon in 1884, no more is known about this locomotive.

Unnamed – An 0-4-0ST built in 1877 by Manning Wardle, Works No. 651. It had outside cylinders (9″ x 14″) and 2′ 9″ wheels.

Of these two locomotives Stoyel & Kidner say that, “It is probable that Vulcan was supplied new but the Manning Wardle had originally seen service with the contractor William Moss in constructing the line between Peterborough and Seaton for the Midland Railway, at which time it carried the name Stafford. Its ultimate fate is unknown, but the boiler of Vulcan exploded in 1895 and it is likely that it was then scrapped.” [1: p62]

Red Lion Chalk & Whiting Co. Ltd., Northfleet. [1: p63] and Tolhurst & Sons Ltd., Gravesend. [1: p63]

Dylan Moore tells us that the Red Lion Wharf “was named after the local pub long before the Tolhursts arrived. Tolhurst’s initial business, from 1891, was export of chalk, and cement manufacture did not begin before 1896. There were initially 14 chamber kilns (output 406 tons/week) expanded to 19 around 1901 and to 38 (output 1100 tons/week) in 1907. In 1909, … After 1911 the plant was amalgamated with the Imperial plant. The rating in 1920 was 1000 tons/week. The remaining plant was described in the APCM 1924 schedule. There was no rail link, and all product was despatched by barge. After closure, the site remained derelict for many years before absorption into the Northfleet power station, now also cleared.” [39]

This indistinct extract from the 25″ 1895 Ordnance Survey, published in 1897, shows the Red Lion Wharf, the British White Lead Works, the Red Lion Chalk & Whiting Co. Ltd., and the associated chalk pits. The tunnel under London Road is just below the centre of the image. [36]

The Whiting Works and the tunnel under London Road. [36]

The Red Lion Cement Works in 1907 – 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1907, published in 1909. The Imperial Cement Works are on the left. [41]

Details of the locomotives used on the internal industrial railway serving this and the Imperial Works can be found under the Imperial Cement Works below.

Stoyel & Kidner tell us that, a tramway was laid in “about 1860 from Red Lion Wharf, Northfleet, to some limekilns near London Road, east of Woodfield Lodge: by 1870 a tunnel had been built under London Road and the tramway was exploiting the chalk land between there and Old London Road.” [1: p63]

Early ownership of the tramway is uncertain, but “in 1896 Tolhurst & Sons Ltd registered the Red Lion Chalk & Whiting Co. Ltd to take over his line, engines, works, etc. The railway was pushed further south-east and linked to the London Chatham & Dover Railway at Perry Street Siding. In 1898 land was sold for the erection of the Imperial Cement Co. Ltd mills, which by agreement had to take its chalk from Tolhurst. This was built partly on land formerly owned by a white lead works. All these works were serviced by Tolhurst’s standard gauge railway. The Red Lion Works was taken over by APCM in 1908 and closed in 1919; however part of the railway was used a few years later for a new entry to Bevans Works. The Imperial Works joined APCM in 1900 and closed in 1908, leading to litigation over the chalk agreement with Tolhurst which did not expire until 1948, ” [1: p63]

Imperial Cement Works

Stoyel & Kidner inform us that Tolhurst sold land “for the erection of the Imperial Cement Co. Ltd mills, which by agreement had to take its chalk from Tolhurst. This was built partly on land formerly owned by a white lead works. All these works were serviced by Tolhurst’s standard gauge railway.” [1: p63] It is clear that the Imperial Works were beholden to Tolhurst for their supply of chalk which Tolhurst’s rail network and locomotive provided first to the Imperial Cement Works and later to APCM/BPCM.

Dylan Moore tells us that there “were initially nine chamber kilns, output 205 t/week. A further 25 kilns were installed in the period 1899-1907 in 4 sets: two sets of 5 each of capacity 150 tons/week, 9 (260 tons/week) and 6 (175 tons/week), giving a final capacity of 940 tons/week. There was no rail link, and all product was despatched by barge. The plant’s operations were amalgamated with those of Red Lion from 1912, and re-assigned to APCM. The plant was described in detail in the APCM 1924 schedule. The kilns were demolished in 1923, and the site remained derelict for many years before absorption into the Northfleet power station, now also cleared.” [40]

Locomotives used across the Red Lion, Tolhurst and Imperial sites

Bulldog – an 0-4-0ST built in 1860 by Manning Wardle, Works No. 13. It had outside cylinders (8″ x 14″). Its wheel size is not quoted. By 1871 this locomotive was in the ownership of j. Durden of Northfleet. It went to Stone Court Chalk, Land & Pier Co. Ltd.

Wolf – an 0-4-0ST built in 1890 by Falcon, Works No. 120. It had outside cylinders (??” x ??”). No wheel size is quoted, was transferred to Swanscombe Works.

Lion – another 0-4-0ST built in 1891 by Falcon, Works No. 205. It had outside cylinders (11″ x 18″) and 3′ 0″ wheels. It went to Stone Court Chalk, Land & Pier Co. Ltd.

Leopard – another 0-4-0ST built in 1896 by Falcon, Works No. 239. It had outside cylinders (11″ x 18″) and 3′ 0″ wheels. It was transferred to Crown & Quarry Works, Frindsbury.

Elephant – an 0-4-0ST Brush (Flacon/Henry Hughes), Works No. 287, built in 1899, it had outside cylinders (10′ x 18″) and 3′ 0″ wheels. After service at Tolhurst Works the locomotive was transferred to Kent Cement Works, Stone.

Kent Works’ No. 2, Brush Electrical Engineering 0-4-0ST locomotive ‘Elephant’, originally worked at Tolhurst’s cement works in Northfleet before moving to the Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers (APCM) Kent Works at Stone, photographer F. Jones © Public Domain. [2: photo No. 22]

Tolhurst & Sons Ltd., Gravesend

Stoyel & Kidner also tells us that Tolhurst “had an extensive railway serving its Gravesend works, of 3ft 6 in. gauge, laid down in the 1860s or before; it ran from a wharf between Rosherville Pier and Clifton Marine almost as far as what was later West Street. There were three kilns at various points on the system. It was not extended very much, but when the LCDR arrived in 1886 it had to build four bridges near West Street station over branches of the tramway. The site of the works and quarries was later used by the Imperial Paper Mills. One locomotive was said to have been named Diamond and to have been sold to the Imperial Paper Mills in 1948.” [1: p63]

The site of Tolhurst’s Works at Gravesend as it appears on the 6″ Ordnance Survey of 1895, published 1897. [42]

The same site as it is shown on the 25″ Ordnance Survey of the same date. [43]

This site later became home to the Imperial Paper Mills in 1911. The Imperial Paper Mills are covered further below.

Empire Paper Mills, Greenhithe

The Empire Paper Mills, Greenhithe seem from the air in 1927. The plant was established in the early 20th century alongside the River Thames. It operated for decades before closing in 1992, © Historic England (Britain From Above). [20]

The Empire Paper Mills site and railway network as shown on the 6″ Ordnance Survey of 1938 to 1940, published in 1950. The line leaving this extract in the bottom left connected to the North Kent mainline to the East of Greenhithe Railway Station. The line leaving the extract bottom-right connected to the company’s paper store which sat alongside the A226. [21]

The Empire Paper Mills were owned by the Associated Press (later part of the Reed Paper Group network) as Empire Paper Mills Ltd in 1922. The main line connection to the works was severed in 1965 but the internal network operated until 1990. [23] The plant was sold to Norske Skog in 1991 before its final closure in 1922.

Details of this site can be found here. [25]

David Glasspool tells us that “From the outset the paper mill possessed a 24-inch gauge electrically-powered endless cable railway. This was double-track, linked the main jetty with the mill’s paper store, and upon it ran a fleet of wagons with removable tops. The latter allowed the tops of the wagons to be lowered into the holds of docked ships, filled with materials, and then hoisted back onto the chassis for onward travel within the mill. A series of sidings spurred off this network so static wagons could take refuge and not block the main tracks between the jetty and store. … A second railway network, again comprising a narrow gauge double-track line, ran from the jetty to the mill. This was elevated upon a steel structure and was dedicated to the transportation of coal from ships to the mill’s boiler house. It used a rake of wagons on an electrically-driven cable system, which took coal from a 100-foot-high unloading tower on the jetty and subsequently dumped this into hoppers. ” [25] Both these small networks ceased operating in the 1920s.

The standard-gauge network on the site hosted a number of different locomotives and rolling stock over time. There were three different standard-gauge locomotive ‘eras’ at the works. The line connecting to the paper store was constructed in the late 1920s. It was the last new length added to a network that was fist used in 1906/1907.

Glasspool tells us that in addition to a series of standard-gauge locomotives, “six rail-mounted steam cranes which ran on the standard gauge tracks … were used on the main jetty to unload materials from ships and could also be found handling goods within the main mill complex.

The three different standard-gauge ‘eras’ were:

A. The fireless era 1906-1971

No. 1 – an 0-4-0F (fireless) locomotive built in 1907(listed as 1906 in some sources) by Orenstein & Koppel, Works No. 2499 me this was one of the first O&K fireless engines imported into Britain. In Reed ownership the locomotive carried the fleet number S/10.

No.2 – also an 0-4-0F locomotive, built in 1917 by Andrew Barclay Sons & Co., Works No. 1561. This locomotive was purchased second-hand from the Royal Ordnance Factories. In Reed ownership the locomotive carried the fleet number S/11.

Two fireless locomotives at Empire Mills, Greenhithe. The fireless O&K (S/10) sits at the centre of the image and a Barclay 0-4-0F locomotive sits behind it (this is probably locomotive S/11), © Public Domain (Wikipedia Commons). [24]

Andrew Barclay No. 1471 – another 0-4-0F locomotive, originally built in 1916 for Vickers Ltd to work at the National Filling Factory at Morecambe. It was one of three such locomotives supplied by Andrew Barclay to Vickers to work at Morecambe – Works Nos 1471-3 of which 1472 and 1473 have been preserved. 1471 appears to have operated at the Empire Paper Mills later in its life. [26]

Andrew Barclay No. 1471 on site at Empire Paper Mills, Greenhithe in 1968, (c) N. L. Cadge – this low quality image is made available for record/research purposes. [27]

B. Transitional Steam

Nelson – an 0-4-0ST built by Peckett in 1935, Works No. 1880. [4: photo No. 104]. This locomotive was purchased from Aylesford Paper Mill in 1967. Its tenure at Empire Paper Mills was brief. It was scrapped in 1969.

A photograph of this locomotive at Empire Paper Mills can also be seen here. [28]

C. Dieselisation 1968-1971

Diesel traction started to creep onto the scene at Empire Paper Mills in 1968:

No.3 – was a conversion of an Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST locomotive, Works No. 2167 which was built in 1946. The conversion was undertaken in 1963 and the locomotive arrived at Empire Paper Mills in 1968. It was found to be unreliable and was scrapped in 1971. [29]

Purchase of three further diesel locomotives was to follow:

Paxman – an 0-4-0 diesel-electric built in 1958 by Ruston & Hornsby, ‘200DE’ Class, Works No. 412718 was purchased from a Darwen paper mill in Lancashire in March 1970. The loco was subsequently acquired by the North Downs Steam Railway at Dartford in September 1990, but it has since been scrapped. [23]

Airman – also an 0-4-0 diesel-electric built in 1958 by Ruston & Hornsby, ‘200DE’ Class, Works No. 412716 was purchased from New Northfleet Paper Mills when that works closed in 1971. [29] Although these details are worth further checking as this locomotive appears not to have been based at the New Northfleet Paper Mills. [32]

Batman – another 0-4-0 diesel-electric built in 1958 by Ruston & Hornsby, ‘200DE’ Class, Works No. 412717 was purchased from New Northfleet Paper Mills when that works closed in 1971. [29] David Glasspool suggests that this locomotive was, in fact, a ‘Class 88DS’. [32]

These three Rustons continued to work the yard well into the 1970s after the fireless fleet went. The connection to the North Kent Line was lifted around 1958 and the internal system finally closed with the mill in 1992. [29]

New Northfleet Paper Mills (Bowater’s Thames Mills)

Details of these Mills can be found here. [31]

The standard-gauge railway network at the Northfleet/Thames paper mills utilized fireless 0-4-0 steam locomotives and later diesel shunters to prevent fire hazards from sparks near flammable paper products. The most prominent locomotive associated with the site is an Andrew Barclay 0-4-0F fireless engine built in 1925.

David Glasspool tells us that “A pre-war boom in newspaper circulation saw [W. V. Bowater & Sons] purchase, in May 1914, the site of a redundant dockyard, where it proposed establishing its first paper mill for the production of newsprint. The site was previously known as “Northfleet Dockyard”, this having originally been commissioned in 1788 by one Thomas Pitcher. … The outbreak of war in July 1914 stalled Bowater’s plans for a mill at Northfleet and construction work did not commence until 1924. As part of the scheme, a new company by the name of “Bowater’s Paper Mills Limited” was formed in the previous year. ” [31]

Glasspool continues: “the extensive railway system commissioned at Thames Mills, Northfleet, … was linked to the Southern Railway’s branch line to Gravesend West Street by a ¾-mile-long single track, a junction being formed at Rosherville Sidings. The connection with Thames Mills reused a tunnel through the chalk ridge underneath London Road, originally bored for the railway network of the defunct Red Lion Cement Works. In addition to Thames Mills, the single track also linked the Gravesend West Street branch with the London Portland Cement Works. The latter had been commissioned in 1868 under the name “Messrs. J. C. Gostling & Co”, becoming the “London Portland Cement Company” in 1876 after a takeover. The works were situated on a large site just west of Thames Mills, the two being separated by allotment gardens.” [31]

Fireless locomotives were used here as in the other papermills on the Thames estuary.

New Northfleet Paper Mills in 1946 as it appears on the 6″ Ordnance Survey of 1946, published in 1951. The line leaving the map extract in the bottom-right corner linked the site to the Gravesend Branch to the West of Rosherville Halt at Rosherville Sidings. [30]

As already noted, the mills were built on the site of Northfleet Dockyard which covered an area of 18 acres and ran along the southern edge of the Thames for 960-feet. The first ship launched from here in 1789 and the site grew to incorporate seven shipbuilding slips and a dry dock. The dockyard ceased operations in 1860. The shell of the dockyard, complete with building slips, was still in existence at the time of Bowater’s purchase in 1914. [31]

No. 1 – was Andrew Barclay No. 1876, it was the first locomotive to work on the site. It was an 0-4-0F locomotive built in 1925, arriving at the Works in September 1925. With a hiatus for WW2, when newsprint production ceased in favour of the manufacture of munitions, supplies of pulpwood from Canada and Scandinavia, were unloaded from ships onto the deep water jetty on the Thames. From there, the raw material was conveyed to the mills via the internal railway system. [32]

No. 2 – was also an Andrew Barclay locomotive, Works No. 1962, built in 1928. It too was an 0-4-0F locomotive.

In 1957 as part of significant expansion plans, two newly-built diesel locomotives arrived at Northfleet, both having been manufactured by ‘Ruston & Hornsby’ : Class 165DE; Works No. 416209; and Class 88DS; Works No. 412427. These became, respectively, No. 3 and No. 4. [32]

The Imperial Paper Mills, Gravesend

Details of the site can be found here. [22]

Because of a concern about fire risks, the Imperial Paper Mills ordered two fireless locomotives from German company “Orenstein & Koppel”, the first (Works No. 4708) arriving in time for the mills’ opening in 1911, the second (Works No. 5900) coming in the following year. David Glasspool says that, “These were distinctive locomotives, not only for the fact that they possessed a reservoir and not a boiler, but also given that their pistons were rear-mounted underneath the cab. The latter gave the impression that the chassis had been constructed back-to-front. Orenstein & Koppel had earlier produced a fireless locomotive in 1906 for the Empire Paper Mills, Greenhithe, situated 2¾-miles to the west.” [22]

David Glasspool continues: “The first British manufacturer of fireless locomotives was Andrew Barclay Sons & Company, Ltd of Kilmarnock, Scotland, which started producing these engines in 1912. The company built several of these locomotives during World War I when, of course, it was no longer possible to source them from Germany. The Imperial Paper Mills initially ordered two of these from Andrew Barclay, the first (Works No. 1471) arriving in Gravesend in 1916 and the second (Works No. 1496) being delivered in 1917. These engines possessed cylinders of 15-inch diameter, had an 18-inch stroke, and their reservoirs were charged with steam to a pressure of 160lbs per square inch from a static boiler of 165lbs per square inch pressure. The arrangement was of the 0-4-0 type, the wheels being 3-feet in diameter and the wheelbase extending to 6-foot 6-inches.” [22]

NB: Other authorities suggest that No. 1471 was not supplied to Imperial Paper Mills but rather came directly to the Empire Paper Mills after service in Morecambe. Some notes are provided in the section relating to the Empire Paper Mills above.

A final fireless locomotive purchased for the Imperial Paper Mills was Imperial No. 1, an 0-4-0F built in 1956 by Andrew Barclay, Works No 2373. It cost £6,790.

Imperial Paper Mills were sited between the River Thames and the Southern Railway’s Gravesend Branch. These are the Mills as they were mapped in 1946 on the 6″ Ordnance Survey of 1946, published in 1951. As can be seen, the internal railways were extensive. [30]

Francis & Co. Ltd., Cliffe. [1: p64]

Francis & Co. Ltd., was a 19th- and early 20th-century cement manufacturing firm that operated works and quarries in Cliffe (Cliffe-at-Hoo), Kent. The company operated their original Nine Elms plant near Vauxhall Bridge in central London until it was taken over by the South Western Railway in 1867, when the plant at Cliffe was established. The company also took land at Cliffe Creek and Cliffe Quarry. Dylan Moore tells us that production of cement continued through to the APCM takeover of the company in 1900. “Cement manufacture formally ceased with the … takeover. … The plant continued making whiting, and remained the despatch point for cement. Cement activities ceased in 1921, but whiting manufacture continued into the 1930s. The plant had no landward communications except for the quarry tramway, and all transport was by barge. The wharf continued in use until the 1960s in connection with the supply of clay from the marshes to the Thames plants.” [48]

This old photograph shows the original bottle kilns, connected to a common steel stack, some time after closure, viewed from the Thames. The stack was installed in 1879, following complaints from the neighbouring Cliffe Fort, that the unpleasant fumes were “injurious to the health of the soldiers stationed in the fort”. Rawmix high in salt produced dense white fumes during the middle stage of the burn, (Blue Circle Archive) (c) Public Domain. [48]

The 6″ Ordnance Survey of 1895, published 1898, shows the original works a little further inland than the later works below. [51]

The Cement Works fall immediately adjacent to the edge on the 25″ Ordnance Survey (Essex) of 1895, published 1897. The Kent sheet of that date is unavailable on the NLS website. … Until 1900, the Works was producing Cement. After the turn of the century the Works functioned as a Whiting works. [50]

Creek Whiting Works in 1907 – 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1907, published in 1908. [49]

Cliffe Quarry sits in a location a little further inland. [52]

Cliffe Works circa. 1920., (Medway Archive Centre) (c) Public Domain. [53]

Initially the quarry and works were served by a canal which was replaced circa. 1871 by a 3ft 8.5in railway. Initially trains were steam-hauled. [55] there was no rail link to the wider rail network in Kent, all the product from the Works and Quarry was despatched by river barge. The Works were acquired by APCM in 1900 and closed in 1920.

Motive power was predominantly provided by Aveling & Porter engines. Although the first locomotive used on site was an 0-4-0TV (vertical boiler) built in 1867 by Chaplin, Works No. 985. This locomotive was supplied through the agency of Wilmshurst & Co., London but was stated as being of 3ft 7.5in. Minor regauging was probably necessary! [1: p64]

Six Aveling & Porter locomotives were used during the life of the Works. Stoyel & Kidner list these as: [1: p64]

an 0-4-0WTG Aveling & Porter built in 1873, Works No. 915, one cylinder (8″ x 10″) geared steam locomotive with 3′ 0″ wheels. Believed scrapped on site.
a 2-2-0WTG Aveling & Porter built in 1880, Works No. 1594, one cylinder (8″ x 12″) geared locomotive with 5′ 0″ wheels. Believed scrapped on site.
an 0-4-0WTG Aveling & Porter built in 1887, Works No. 2229, two cylinders (5.5″ x 10″) geared locomotive with 3’0″ wheels. This locomotive was not completely new. It arrived on site in 1890. Stoyel & Kidner say that It “had an interesting background. It had been designed and built for work on the Brighton Tramways, but was found unsuitable and was returned to the makers, who rebuilt it in more conventional form. It retained its two high pressure cylinders, however, and in this respect was probably unique amongst Aveling & Porter’s railway locomotives.” [1: p66] Believed scrapped on site.
a 2-2-0WTG Aveling & Porter built in 1880, Works No. 2428, one cylinder (8″ x 12″) geared locomotive with 5′ 0″ wheels. This locomotive was still on site in 1938, standing abandoned in the shed and may have been used for target practice for anti-tank weapons.
No. 3, an 0-4-0WTG Aveling & Porter built in 1899, Works No. 4360 compound cylinder (8.875″ x 14.125″ x 14″) geared locomotive with 4′ 0″ wheels. This locomotive was sent to Albert Batchelor Ltd. at Halling.
an 0-4-0WTG Aveling & Porter built in 1900, Works No. 4537, compound cylinder (8.875″ x 14.125″ x 14″) geared locomotive with 3′ 6″ wheels. This locomotive was sent to the BPCM Works at Greenhithe.

And after closure, one of the wagons was adapted by William Herbert Slater circa. 1935. He fitted sails to create a sail-powered mail/supply trolley (“Land Ship”) used for the marshes.

William Slater’s ‘Land Ship’. It was used, according to Stoyel & Kidner to access the shore among other things to dig for worms and inspect the sea defences. Constructed out of a standard 2-foot narrow-gauge ‘Vee’ side-tipping skip wagon. The heavy bucket was removed, but the remaining frame and triangular metal side struts made an ideal foundation to securely brace makeshift wooden masts. [1: p64][56]

This extract from the mapping provided by railmaponline.com shows all of the lines in the immediate area of the Cliffe works and quarry. The railways associated with Francis & Co. Ltd’s operations (above) are the most northerly group of green lines. These were 3ft 8.5in-gauge lines. The later narrow-gauge railways of the Alpha/Thames Works are also shown green. Brown is used to designate the later standard-gauge branch line. [57]

Alpha Cement Co. Ltd., Cliffe. [1: p65]

Dylan Moore writes that “Alpha called [this plant] Thames Works, but confusingly also referred to it as Rochester Works. In common with all the other Alpha plants, after 1934 it was called Alpha Works by the locals. The company was launched by builders’ merchants Broad and Co., as with British Standard, to escape the dictatorship of the Blue Circle monopoly. Although undoubtedly a very shaky operation, it escaped takeover by Red Triangle, but was bought by Alpha, who, as at other plants, installed calcinators which were subsequently removed by Blue Circle. There was for most of the plant’s history no rail link, and the plant relied largely on river transport. The plant was originally connected to a wharf on Higham Creek at Cliffe Fort, initially by a 1.59 km ropeway used to send out cement and bring in coal. In 1935 this was replaced by a 2 ft gauge tramway leading to a new deep water wharf adjacent to Cliffe Fort. A substantial part of the plant’s output was shipped to Scotland. A short branch rail line was extended to the plant in 1961, with six bulk loading silos, and trains to Uddingston, near Glasgow, began.” [54]

Stoyel & Kidner tell us that the Works was built in 1912 and acquired by the Alpha Group in 1934. At that time an original ropeway was replaced by a narrow-gauge railway which ran Northwest from the Works to the Jetty. The plant and jetty were isolated from the rail network in Kent until circa. 1960 when a line was installed which connected with the Grain branch near Lower Higham. [1: p65-66]

The 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1939/40, published in 1946, shows the Alpha owned Thames Cement Works as it was before WW2. The railway which served the site and linked it to the River Thames was 2ft-gauge (610mm). [58]

Locomotives

Peldon -The works utilized internal narrow-gauge equipment, including a John Fowler 40 hp ‘Resilient’ class diesel locomotive named Peldon (Works No. 21295 of 1936), which was later preserved at the Amberley Museum. It is powered by a 40hp Fowler Sanders 4 cylinder engine, No. M443, B series. Peldon is now the only working example of a 2ft gauge, Fowler Resilient 4w industrial diesel locomotive. It was built by John Fowler & Co (Leeds) Ltd for the Essex Water Authority for use during the construction of the Abberton Reservoir near Colchester, Essex.

After the Water Authority had no further use for it, the loco was sold, with “Layer”, to the Alpha Cement Company, at Cliffe at Hoo, Kent. It was acquired for preservation by the Brockham Museum Trust, and transferred to Amberley with the Brockham collection in 1982. The locomotive was acquired in a rundown, derelict state, and was restored by volunteers at Amberley, finally re-entering service in 1987. [59]

‘Peldon’ on location at Amberley, (c) kitmasterbloke and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-SA 4.0) . [59]

An unidentified member of the trio of Fowler engines at the Quarry at Cliffe in the late 1960s. This photograph was posted by Dave Willis on the Cliffe at Hoo Historical Society Facebook Page on 1st March 2015. Permission to use in this article has been requested. [60]

Layer (Works No. 21294) – Built in 1936, by Fowlers, this sister locomotive also moved from Abberton to Cliffe. It survived and is preserved at the Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills. [59]

A Third Fowler Locomotive (Works No. 21296): The third Fowler unit of the same batch worked at Cliffe alongside its sisters but did not survive into preservation.

Ruston & Hornsby Fleet – The core backbone of day-to-day operations at Cliffe was a standardized fleet of 4-wheel diesel Ruston & Hornsby 44/48 HP Locomotives: A fleet of these standard class heavy-duty narrow-gauge diesels was purchased new by Alpha Cement to manage the continuous rotation of chalk and clay tipper wagons.

Ruston & Hornsby (Works No. 186310) – A 1938-built 4-wheel 2ft-narrow-gauge diesel was recorded as part of the working plant equipment at Cliffe Cement Works.

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Robin Waywell; Industrial Railways and Locomotives of Kent; Industrial Railway Society, 2016.

Swanscombe Cement Works, Kent

1 Reply

The featured image for this article is Aveling & Porter 0-4-0WTG Reliance seen at Swanscombe in 1921. Only one end of the axles was geared. This is the non-geared side of the locomotive. Swanscombe Works employed a range of unusual industrial locomotives! (Locomotive Publishing Co.), © Public Domain. [30: p48]

Possibly as early as 1825, an extensive horse-drawn tramway network served the works.

The tramway was laid to 3ft 5.5in. “The gauge was measured to the outside of the railheads as the wheels had flanges outside of the rails. … They were the earliest railways in the area. … It is said that outside flanges were used so that the space between the rails could be built up into a firm level path for the horses. Fallen lumps of chalk could then be easily kicked clear of the rails.” [1: p4]

“The works lay to the north of the London Road and the tramway ran due north for 1000 yards to Bell Wharf. There was a whiting works to the west of the main works with a tramway to the pits near the cricket ground. The main pits were between the London Road and the South Eastern Railway. Some time before 1898 the tramway burrowed under the South Eastern Railway in a tunnel at Craylands and pits were opened south of the railway later extending for a considerable distance. There was a transhipment siding on the South Eastern Railway at Craylands during the time of the narrow gauge.” [30: p38,42]

“Steam locomotives were introduced in 1875, built by a variety of builders. “There were engines by Lewin of Poole, HE Taylor of Chester, Kilmarnock Engineering Co. and … Aveling and Porter of Rochester. By 1927, these charming workhorses were becoming increasingly difficult to maintain and so, with the need to increase production, the railway was re-laid to standard gauge and new locomotives purchased.” [1: p4]

Initially the industry was made up of a series of independent companies. These companies joined in 1900 to form ‘The Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers’ (APCM), often referred to within the industry as ‘The Combine’. After 1900 the various works continued to be known by their original names.

The modernisation of the railways at Swanscombe Works was completed by 1929. … The Works shifted to a busy, efficient standard-gauge system connecting the chalk pits, main plant, river Thames jetty, and British Rail interchange.

“When the standard gauge line was built a single track ran down from the exchange sidings on a steep and curving route to the works. The standard gauge ‘main line’ ran through the tunnel under Craylands, then turned more westerly than the old line, and passed under a footbridge across old workings, through a tunnel under a lane, then another tunnel under Alkerden Lane, and into a very large pit running almost down to Watling Street, a distance of 14 miles from the Works.” [30: p42]

The Works were among the most important cement production facilities in the country. Extensive railway infrastructure was required to handle raw materials and finished cement, resulting in a complex network of sidings, exchange lines, and industrial locomotives. Rail traffic included limestone and chalk movements, internal works shunting, and outward cement trains connecting with the wider British Rail network. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, the site reflected wider changes across the UK rail system. [11]

A sketch of the area around Swanscombe Works. The pier on the Thames, the Works and the quarries were on a North-South axis. This sketch is an extract from a broader sketch of the various Cement Works on the South side of the River Thames. [30: p10]

The series of map extracts and photographs below illustrate the development of the Works over the years.

Map of Works in 1864

The First Edition OS 1:2500 County Series Kent X.1 map surveyed 1864 (British Library), modified to National grid format. The plant in 1864 was in course of rapid expansion, still using the wet process static kilns originated by Frost. Chalk quarrying, initially north of the road, had spread to the area between the road and the railway, connected by a 4 m wide tunnel under the road – the first of five eventually dug. [

Map of Works in 1895

This pair of Ordnance Survey Map extracts are taken from the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1895, published in 1897. [7]

Map of Works in 1915/1916

These two map extracts are intended to be read together. They show the extent of the Swanscombe Cement Works and the pier on the River Thames as they appear on the 6″ Ordnance Survey of 1915/1916, although not published until 1923. [3]

Swanscombe Works from the Southwest in April 1927, © Historic England – NMR Aerofilms Collection. Britain from Above reference number EPW017658. [28]

Map of Works in 1934

These two map extracts are also intended to be read together. They show the extent of the Swanscombe Cement Works and the pier on the River Thames as they appear on the 6″ Ordnance Survey of 1931/1932, published in 1934. [4]

The Works seen from the West in February 1939, © Historic England – NMR Aerofilms Collection. Britain from Above reference number EPW060599. [29]

Map of Works 1938-1940

These three 6″ Ordnance Survey map extracts of 1938-1940 and published in 1950-1951 belong together. The top two overlap marginally North to South. [5] The third extract sits alongside the second – to its left. It comes from a different OS Sheet and shows the Works line extending to Chalk Pits near Knockhall and Alkerden Manor Farm. [6]

Swanscombe Cement Works began operations in 1825, when James Frost commenced making his “British Cement” using wet process bottle kilns. The plant was acquired by Francis and White in 1833 and made the same product. The partnership was dissolved in 1836 and John Bazley White and Sons commenced as a business in 1837, making both Roman and Frost’s cements at the Swanscombe site. [8]

Map of the Railway Network in 1965

Note that the Northpoint for this plan is turned through about 120 degrees. The Thames jetty is off the left of the plan. The chalk Pit Workings are off to the bottom-right. [12]

In 1965, the Works had seven 0−4−0STs to work the considerable traffic – six built by Hawthorn Leslie (four in 1928, one in 1929 and one in 1935) and the last by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns in 1948. All seven were painted green with the running number on each side of the tank. There were no diesels. One was tried but it could not manage the poor track and was continually “sitting down”. There is no prospect of having any until money can be spared for relaying several miles of track. [12] A number of other locomotives were used at different times after 1929.

The five identical Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0ST engines were delivered in 1928, followed by a sixth in 1935. They weighed 25 tons, featured 16in x 24in outside cylinders, and had a tractive effort of 21,425 lbf. [13]

The works can be divided into three areas. The first two are old chalkpits, dug each side of the main road, while the third contains the line to the workings. The first area is bisected by a private road with the cement works proper on one side. On the other side is the single road engine shed and works, and also an awning over one track where engines stand when not in use. A single line runs past the works, and across the marshy countryside to the jetty on the river Thames. [12]

“Another line runs across the road and winds its way around the main works until entering a tunnel under the main road. This brings it to the second old pit, where are situated two unloading tips for arriving trains. As can be seen from the map, a connection to British Railways struggles up and round the side of the pit. (Sand all over the rails shows the severity of the climb.) On the opposite side of the pit, another single line dips downwards into a tunnel under BR, a road and the connecting line, and emerges into a long, deep and wide cutting. There are two passing loops on the way to the workings, of which one has watering facilities, and another tunnel, and a high footbridge.” [12]

Chris Down, writing in 1965, continues:

“At the middle pit, an arriving train runs above one of the two tips, and backs down on to the tip. When the end wagon is on the tip, the wagons are braked, and the locomotive is uncoupled so that it can go up to the end of the line to obtain coal and water.

“The tips are similar to mechanical coaling plants on B.R. and deal with one wagon at a time. As each wagon is unloaded, it runs along the siding by gravity, until the train is reformed at the other end of the loop. The locomotive then comes back and couples onto the same end as before. The next train brings the single line tablet which is hung on a hook on a post. The first train collects the tablet and then goes down to the workings, the locomotive propelling the wagons.

“I spent some time around the footbridge, photographing the trains which passed at frequent intervals. The maximum speed was about 20m.p.h., but trains lurched terribly, due to the poor track. When the track deteriorates so much as to necessitate its replacement, diesels will doubtless be purchased. From the opinion of many of the men to whom I spoke, however, steam should retain its supremacy for some time to come.” [12]

Satellite Image the Area of the Works of 2026

“Swanscombe cement works operated for nearly 165 years, one of the longest-lived cement works in the world and, for many decades, … one of the largest. For a hundred years from about 1826 until 1929 it employed a unique narrow gauge railway using outside-flanged wheels, with over thirty steam locomotives, many also unique. When modernised in the 1927-29 period, its new standard gauge railway was one of the busiest and most efficient in the industry.” [9]

Details of locomotives employed at the Works can be found below.

Production at Swanscombe Works measured in tonnes per year. [8]

Comparing 1915/1916 to the 21st century

A few images follow which compare locations on the Swanscombe Works network with modern satellite imagery. The plans and satellite images are supplemented, where available, with photographs from close to ground level.

Bell Wharf at the North end of the company’s rail network, as it appears on the 6″ Ordnance Survey of 1915/1916 published in 1923. [33]

The Wharf as it appears on the ESRI satellite imagery provided by the national Library of Scotland (NLS) [34]

The approach to the Jetty along the line of the old railway. This view looks North towards the jetty. [Google Streetview, August 2025]

The jetty seen from the South. [Google Streetview, August 2025]

Looking South across the marshes from the jetty towards the location of Swanscombe Works. [Google Streetview, August 2025]

The Cement Works in 1915/1916. A road can bee seen leaving London Road at the bottom-left of this map extract and running towards Manor Way Farm through the centre of the site. [33]

In the 21st century, the outline of the Cement Works site is still visible. A variety of primarily transport related companies use the site. Manor Way now runs from the bottom-right across the centre of the old cement works site and the area is known as Manor Way Business Park. [34]

This aerial view looks across the cement works from the Southeast. The junction between Manor Way and London Road is flagged in the top-left. This photograph was taken in 1939, Image No. EPW060594 © Historic England. [35]

Looking Northeast along Manor Way in the 21st century. The majority of buildings which were present when the Cement Works was in operation have been removed. [Google Streetview, October 2024]

Narrow Gauge Locomotives before 1929

Although records are sketchy, Stoyel and Kidner give details of nearly 30 narrow-gauge locomotives which served at Swanscombe, all of which had wheels with outside flanges. These included:

Aveling & Porter supplied a total of eight 3ft 5.5in, outside-gauge, geared tramway engines to Swanscombe Works. These were all scrapped by 1929 after the standard-gauge works lines were built.

A blueprint for the Aveling & Porter locomotives, note, bottom-left, the outside-flanged wheels, © Public Domain. [1: p7]

The Aveling & Porter locomotives, according to Stoyel & Kidner, were built between 1896 and 1909 – all were 0-4-0WTG locomotives;

Goliath, Works No. 3680, a single-cylinder (8″ x 12″)

Jubilee, Works No. 3978, compound cylinders (9″ x 14.5″ x 14″), 3ft diameter wheels.

Samson, Works No. 4176, compound cylinders (9″ x 14.5″ x 14″), 3ft 6in diameter wheels.

Galley Hill, Works No. 4469, compound cylinders (9″ x 14.5″ x 14″), 3ft 6in diameter wheels.

Barnfield, Works No. 4501, compound cylinders (9″ x 14.5″ x 14″), 3ft 6in diameter wheels.

Progress, Works No. 6040, compound cylinders (9″ x 14.5″ x 14″), 3ft 6in diameter wheels.

Enterprise, Works No.6419, compound cylinders (9″ x 14.5″ x 14″), 3ft 6in diameter wheels.

Reliance, Works No. 6828, compound cylinders (9″ x 14.5″ x 14″), 3ft 6in diameter wheels.

*Progress* photographed at Swanscombe in 1921. The geared wheels can easily be seen. Note the long front overhang (Locomotive Publishing Co.), © Public Domain. [30: p48]

*Reliance* seen at Swanscombe on the same occasion. Only one side of the four-coupled axles was geared. This is the non-geared side of the locomotive, (Locomotive Publishing Co.), © Public Domain. [30: p48]

S. Lewin of Poole – Only a small number of locomotives were built by this company, including: an 0-4-0 locomotive of 1875, for the 1 ft 10 in (559 mm) gauge Cornish Hush Mine, Howden Burn; 0-4-0 Ant and Bee, for the 20 in (508 mm) gauge Great Laxey Mine Railway, Isle of Man; an 0-4-0ST for Seaham Harbour, County Durham; an 0-4-0 steam tram engine for Guernsey Railway; an 0-4-0 with rear tank, 3 ft 5 1⁄2 in (1,055 mm) gauge, outside flanged, (photographed below at) Swanscombe Cement Works; and an 0-4-0 Tiny, a 3 ft 9 in (1,143 mm) gauge loco for the Fayle’s Tramway on the Isle of Purbeck. [23][24]

0-4-0WT ‘Erith’ at Swanscombe Works. This shows the outside-flange wheels and the circular section connecting rod quite clearly. The name ERITH is in the centre of the cabside plate above the date 1875 (although the latter is a little indistinct): in the outer band SWANSCOMBE WORKS appears at the top, with REBUILT off centre at the bottom; one would have expected the year of rebuilding to follow, but a powerful glass reveals no raised lettering. ERITH is said to have been rebuilt in 1920 and it seems a distinct possibility that this date may have been stamped on the plate. This image is embedded here directly from the Industrial Railway Society webpage, but it is also shown in Stoyel and Kidner’s book, © Public Domain. [21][22][30: p38]

S. Lewin only made a few locomotives. Erith “had the eccentrics on the front axle and the valves were on top of the steeply-inclined cylinders, the spindles being actuated by Stephenson link motion. Erith was rebuilt at Swanscombe Works in 1920 with the help of fitters from the Dorset Iron Foundry.” [30: p45]

De Winton supplied one vertical-bolier 0-4-0WT locomotive, Revolution, it had two 6″ x 10″ cylinders and 1ft 7in diameter wheels.

De Winton vertical-bolier 0-4-0WT locomotive, *Revolution*, built in 1881, seen at Swanscombe in 1921, (Locomotive Publishing Co.), © Public Domain. [30: p47]

It is possible that Revolution “came second-hand in about 1890 and possibly from the Bute Works Supply Co. Cardiff, who were advertising a similar locomotive for sale in 1893.” [30: p45]

H. E. Taylor of Chester supplied six 0-4-0 side tank locomotives to Swanscombe Works between 1877 and 1882.

Stoyel & Kidner provide details of these locomotives:

Swanscombe, 0-4-0ST, 1879, outside cylinders other details not known.

Iron Horse, 0-4-0ST, 1882, outside cylinders (9.5″ x 18″), 2ft 6in wheels.

Dead Horse, 0-4-0ST, 1882, outside cylinders other details not known.

Millbank, 0-4-0ST, 1879, outside cylinders other details not known.

Liverpool, 0-4-0ST, 1879, outside cylinders other details not known.

Chester, 0-4-0ST, 1877, outside cylinders other details not known.

*Iron Horse*, one of the H. E. Taylor-built 0-4-0ST as work at Swanscombe (Locomotive Publishing Co.), © Public Domain. [30: p40]

This image, dating from May 1910, shows the locomotive ‘Millbank’ of 1879 standing at the Works. The outside flanges to the wheels can be seen easily. Apparently, narrow-gauge engines at Swanscombe were not usually fitted with cabs, © Public Domain. [1: p5]

William Wilkinson & Co. built around sixty locomotives. Wilkinson’s also contracted out the manufacture of tram locomotives to Beyer, Peacock and Co, Black, Hawthorn and Co and Thomas Green and Son. Altogether 207 engines were built to Wilkinson’s patent. The Plymouth & Devonport Tramways steam locomotives were assembled at Wilkinson’s works in Wigan, the vertical boiler in each of these locomotives was made by the Steel Company of Scotland. Small bore cylinders acted upon a crankshaft that was in turn connected to the four, coupled wheels by means of cog-wheel gears. The axles, wheels and nearly all the working parts of the engine were made of Sieman-Martin’s best quality steel and all the brass workings were of phosphor bronze. The exhaust steam was superheated in the firebox before escaping to the atmosphere through the chimney. The fuel was coke and the emission of smoke was described as ‘scarcely perceptible’. The Plymouth locomotives were apparently from Wilkinson’s own works. They cost between £600 each for the non-condensing version and £1,100 for those fitted with the condensing apparatus. [26]

A number of the Wilkinson steam trams purchased by the Plymouth & Devonport Tramways for their abortive experiment with steam trams were bought by the Swanscombe Works in the late 1880s/early 1890s. [25]

A typical Wilkinson’s Steam Tram – this one was used on the Wigan network close to Wilkinson’s Works. It was built in 1886. These engines must have been an unusual sight working on an industrial railway! [27]

Wilkinson also supplied a single vertical-boiler locomotive to Swanscombe Works. It was built in 1884.

Wilkinson-built 0-4-0WT locomotive, *Devonport*, of 1884, seen here at Swanscombe in 1921, (Locomotive Publishing Co.), © Public Domain. [30: p47]

Kilmarnock Engineering Co. supplied five 0-4-0ST 3ft 5.5in outside-gauge locomotives to Swanscombe Works in 1920 and 1925. Kilmarnock Engineering Co. were not prolific engine builders. These five were some of a very few locomotives built by the Company.

These sturdy 0-4-0ST locomotives undertook most of the chalk haulage for Swanscombe Works in the 1920s. When the railway was modernised and the gauge changed the locomotives were scrapped. [1: p6]

‘Hustler’ was one of this batch of locomotives from Kilmarnock Engineering Co., (c) Public Domain. (Kenn Nunn Collection/LCGB). [25: photo No. 26]

J. B. White & Bros, owners of the Swanscombe works, appear to have constructed at least one locomotive in use on their own site, Gravesend, another 0-4-0WT. It is also possible that a number of other locomotives used on the site were rebuilt there at various times. [30: p45]

Bagnall – one locomotive, Rede, an 0-4-0ST built in 1894, was built by Bagnall (Works No. 1413) and came second-hand in 1921. [30: p45]

Hudswell Clarke – one locomotive, Spry, another 0-4-0ST, was built by Hudswell Clarke and arrived at Swanscombe in 1923. [30: p45]

Stoyel & Kidner tell us that “on a visit to the works in December 1929, 12 narrow gauge locomotives were seen on a length of track awaiting scrapping. The old 3-road engine shed was rebuilt as a two-road standard gauge shed. … On the modernisation of the railway system in 1929 all the remaining narrow gauge locomotives were scrapped that year or in 1930, and it is thought that very few of them had been scrapped at an earlier date, although Plymouth and Devonport are said to have been broken up in 1922, and Swanscombe by 1920. The second-hand engines would have had their gauge altered on arrival.” [30: p45]

The narrow gauge wooden tipper wagons, “were shunted in 1929 into the passing loops half way down the tramway to the river, and remained there for many years. There were also a few left in an old pit south of Ingress Gardens.” [30: p45]

Standard Gauge Locomotives after 1929

“When preparations were made in 1928 for replacing the narrow gauge system by one laid to the 4ft 8½ in. gauge, an order was placed for a series of powerful new locomotives for the purpose. Pending their delivery three old locomotives were transferred from other works but they were usually employed two at a time in removing the overburden prior to quarrying, on track which had no physical connection with the remainder of the system.” [30: p45]

Those early standard-gauge arrivals were from two manufacturers:

Falcon – Henry Hughes and Company was based at Falcon Works. The firm experienced financial difficulties in the late 1870s/early 1880s. It was restructured as the Falcon Railway Plant Works in 1883 under the control of Norman Scott Russell. [31]

The factory remained busy with both railway and tramway locomotives and rolling stock. Among these were tank locomotives for Ireland, Spain and the Azores. Some were subcontracts from other firms, such as Kerr, Stuart and Co, at that time in Glasgow. [32]

The two Falcon locomotives came to Swanscombe second-hand, they were Works Nos 120 and 150 and were named Wolf and Delta. Delta was one of a number originally supplied to Gibbs Works, Essex. It had a dropped cab for passage through low tunnels. [30: p43, 45]

Delta sits steaming gently between duties at Swanscombe (G. Alliez), © Public Domain. [30: p43]

Falcon also provided a later second-hand arrival, Lion, (Works No. 205?) which was transferred from Stone Court in 1946. [30: p41, 45]

Manning Wardle – Guernsey, a 0-4-0ST, Works No. 1241 of 1892 came second-hand to Swanscombe at the end of the 1920s.

Hawthorn Leslie supplied five identical standard-gauge 0-4-0ST locomotives to Swanscombe Works in 1928. [1: p6] These locomotives were constructed with two outside cylinders of 16in x 24in, 3ft 3in diameter driving wheels and a weight of 25 tons and a tractive effort of 21.425 lbf. [13] A single further engine (No. 6) was supplied in 1935.

No. 1 was Hawthorn Leslie Works No. 3715. [13]
No. 2 was Hawthorn Leslie Works No. 3716. [16]
No. 3 was Hawthorn Leslie Works No. 3717. [15]
No. 4 was Hawthorn Leslie Works No. 3718. [14]
No. 5 was Hawthorn Leslie Works No. 3719. [17][25]
No. 6 was Hawthorn Leslie Works No. 3860. [18]

No. 5 was one of the fleet of standard-gauge Hawthorn Leslie Locomotives. It is seen here working the exchange sidings at Swanscombe, (c) Public Domain, (Andrew Neale Collection). [25: photo No. 27]

This image is embedded here directly from the Middleton Railway Website, it shows Hawthorn-Leslie No. 3860 Swanscombe ‘No.6’ which was gifted to the Middleton Railway in 1971 once the APCM turned away from steam- to diesel-power. [19]

Chapman & Furneaux – Kappa, another 0-4-0ST, built by Chapman & Furneaux (successors to Black, Hawthorn & Co) Works No. 1164 (of 1898) arrived at Swanscombe in the 1930s. [30: p45]

Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns supplied one slightly larger standard-gauge locomotive to Swanscombe Works – 0-4-0ST No. 7, RSH No. 7405 of 1948. [1: p6]

Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns No, 7405, Swanscombe Works No. 7, 0-4-0ST of 1948. Seen here close to the tunnel mouth at the Swanscombe works in 1968, © copyright Alan Murray-Rust and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 2.0). [20]

Miscellaneous …

Some historic footage of the Swanscombe Works and quarries can be found here. [2]

References

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C. Down; Swanscombe Cement Works and its Railways; Industrial Locomotive Society, Whitchurch, Shropshire, 2022.
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https://www.railwaymagazine.co.uk/4710/new-face-at-quainton-as-it-bags-ex-swanscombe-hawthorn-no-4, accessed on 11th August 2026.
https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/hawthorn-leslie-works-no-3717-associated-portland-cement-at-swanscombe-no-3-0-4-0st, accessed on 11th August 2026.
https://www.gwra.co.uk/auctions/worksplate-r-w-hawthorn-leslie-co-ltd-engineers-ne-2023jul-0296.html, accessed on 11th August 2026.
Swanscombe No. 5 did not survive into preservation.
https://preservedbritishsteamlocomotives.com/hawthorn-leslie-works-no-3860-associated-portland-cement-at-swanscombe-no-6-0-4-0st, accessed on 11th August 2026.
https://middletonrailway.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/3860-1536×1152.jpg, accessed on 11th August 2026.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10224531389586054&set=gm.5187090374725107&idorvanity=163976490369879, accessed on 11th August 2026.
https://shop.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/36/Lewin.jpg, accessed on 11th August 2026.
https://shop.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/36/Letters_36.htm, accessed on 11th August 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Lewin, accessed on 11th August 2026.
The industrial Locomotive Society; Steam on the Narrow Gauge. A Collection; David Charles, 1965.
Andrew Neale/Chalk Pits Museum; Industrial Railways of the South-East; Middleton Press, 1984.
Brian Moseley; When Plymouth had Steam Trams; Old Plymouth Society, December 2012; via https://oldplymouthsociety.net/when-plymouth-had-steam-trams, accessed on 13th August 2026.
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/File:Im1955EnV199-p834.jpg, accessed on 13th August 2026.
http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/EPW017658, accessed on 13th August 2026.
http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/EPW060599, accessed on 13th August 2026.
B. D. Stoyel & R. W. Kinder; The Cement Railways of Kent; Oakwood Press, Headington, Oxford, 1973, 1990.
https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/people/cp20744/henry-hughes-and-company, accessed on 15th August 2026.
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Falcon_Engine_and_Car_Works, accessed on 15th August 2026.
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16.0&lat=51.46122&lon=0.30214&layers=6&b=ESRIWorld&o=100, accessed on 16th August 2026.
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16.0&lat=51.46122&lon=0.30214&layers=6&b=ESRIWorld&o=0, accessed on 16th August 2026.
https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EPW060594, accessed on 16th August 2026.

The Tramways of Zanzibar

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The featured image shows a horse-drawn/mule-drawn tram in Zanzibar before the turn of the 20th century. [1]

My thanks to Chriss333 on the Rail wire.net forum who assisted with the collation and correction of some of the information in this article. [14]

Zanzibar hosted two early rail systems, with a mule-drawn tramway operating from 1879 to 1888 between Stone Town and Chukwani, which later used a steam locomotive. A second, more notable 7-mile line known as the Bububu Railway ran from 1905 to 1930, connecting Stone Town to Bububu, featuring passenger service and, briefly, electric street lighting. [4]

The First Line (1879–1888): Built by Sultan Barghash bin Said, this, one of the first, tracks in sub-Saharan Africa. The 2ft-gauge line ran from the Sultan’s palace at Stone Town [2] to Chukwani. Initially the two coaches were hauled by mules but in 1881 the Sultan ordered an 0-4-0T locomotive from the English locomotive builders Bagnall (Works No. 334), this was named ‘Sultanee’. The railway saw service until the Sultan died in 1888 when the track and locomotive were scrapped. [4][11]

Car No. 18, The Street Railway Journal (1905), © Public Domain. [4]

Another postcard view of the mule-powered tramway, © Public Domain. [7]

The Bububu Railway – also known as the Zanzibar Railroad Co. (1905–1930) – In 1905, the American company Arnold Cheyney built a seven-mile, 3ft-gauge line from Zanzibar Town to the village of Bububu. It originated near the Arab Fort in Zanzibar Town, ran along the seafront, passed through the city’s narrow streets, and traveled north along the coast to Bububu. It was notorious for its ability to set fire to property and the surrounding countryside, but it ran for 25 years until it closed in 1930. Within the town, the railway operated on some of the narrowest streets. [4][5]

Running along the coast between Bububu and Stone Town/Zanzibar Town, © Public Domain. [6]

One of the bridges along the line, © Public Domain. [4]

Zanzibar village, creek and railway bridge, ca. 1905, © Public Domain. [4]

The Citizen in Tanzania suggests that this image shows steam on the first of the two tramways. It is not possible to make out the name on the side of the locomotive but it does not seem to be ‘Sultanee’. The coaches also appear to be those used on the later line. [7]

In the early 1920s, the trains ran 6 or 7 times daily. The train was popular among the locals, but a special first class coach was available for the benefit of sightseeing tourists. [4]

Three views of the Bububu Tramway. All three were shared on the Discover Africa Facebook Group by Andrew Zefania on 9th June 2021. The third of these images appears to show the first class tourist coach in front of the engine, © Public Domain. [8]

Another view of the Bububu Railway, © Public Domain. [9]

A number of different locomotives were employed on the line as can be seen in the images below. …

This locomotive is a Porter 0-4-4T which prominently displays its engine number in a roundel on the cab side – No. 1, © Public Domain. [14]

A Porter 0-4-4T in charge of what might be a three-coach train, © Public Domain. [14]

A Porter 0-4-4T in charge of a three-coach train, © Public Domain. [14]

A Porter locomotive running tender first adjacent to the sea. The building prominent at the centre of the postcard image is the Polo Club, © Public Domain. [14]

This photograph is another view of one of the Porter 0-4-4T locomotives at the head of a passenger train in the early years of the 20th century. [13]

It appears that five locomotives were used on the line over the course of its life. Four were Porter locomotives. [16] The first of these was Works No. 3167 which was built in 1905 and owned by Arnold Cheyney & Co. of New York, the company that built the line. The second was Works No. 4092, built in 1907. I am not clear what line numbers these locomotives carried. [14][15] It is possible that they were numbered Nos. 1 & 2.

The Bagnall Locomotive (Works No. 2137) illustrated below. [14][15]

Two further Porter locomotives appear to have been bought early in 1921 and predominantly were is used for freight movements up until 1929/1930. These were Works Nos. 6654 and 6655 and were purchased by Childs & Joseph of Zanzibar. [14][15]

During the railway construction the Americans undertook the task of installing electrical power lines along the track. Wherever the rails were placed, metal poles were installed and power lines strung overhead. By 1906, Stone Town had electric street lights. In 1911, the railway was sold to the government, and by 1922 the passenger service ceased. As roads improved and motor vehicles on the island increased, its popularity diminished. [4]

A single 0-4-2T locomotive, supplied by W.G. Bagnall of Stafford (Works No. 2137) in 1920 provided motive power for passenger services towards the end of th line’s use as a passenger railway. [11][14][15]

Another postcard view showing the Bububu Tramway/Railway. This is the station at Bububu, © Public Domain. [10]

With the improvement works to the port, the railway was used for the haulage of stone which was used to build the port and reclaim the seafront. Today much of the old track bed has been built on however some of the railway’s bridges and embankments remain close to the main road to Bububu. [4]

I have struggled to identify the route of the old railway despite a number of websites/blogs suggesting that remnants of the railway can be seen from the main road to Bububu. The most significant structures may perhaps now be in use by the road or replaced by newer structures carrying the road. I have been unable to locate the structure below, which appears to be seen from the highway:

PastRailwayEmpires identifies this structure as one constructed for the Bububu Railway. The photograph was taken in 2013. Perhaps someone else will be able to identify its location. [12]

References

https://www.instagram.com/p/DU0B_7zE6cb, accessed on 22nd February 2026.
Stone Town (also known as Mji Mkongwe (Swahili for ‘old town’), is the old part of Zanzibar City. The newer portion of the city is known as Ng’ambo, Swahili for ‘the other side’. Stone Town is located on the western coast of Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago. Former capital of the Zanzibar Sultanate, and flourishing centre of the spice trade as well as the Indian Ocean slave trade in the 19th century, it retained its importance as the main city of Zanzibar during the period of the British protectorate. When Tanganyika and Zanzibar joined each other to form the United Republic of Tanzania, Zanzibar kept a semi-autonomous status, with Stone Town as its local government seat. [3]
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stone_Town&wprov=rarw1, accessed on 22nd February 2026.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_rail_transport_in_Zanzibar, accessed on 22nd February 2026.
http://www.zanzibar-travel-guide.com/bradt_guide.asp?bradt=1912, accessed on 22nd February 2026.
https://zanzibarutalii.blogspot.com/2015_06_18_archive.html, accessed on 22nd February 2026.
https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/zanzibar/zanzibar-s-forgotten-railway-east-africa-s-first-steam-line-that-vanished-too-soon-5209080, accessed on 23rd February 2026.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17vj5JHtuL, accessed on 23rd February 2026.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124446949@N06/18311347309, accessed on 23rd February 2026.
https://omanzanzibar.blogspot.com/2017/03/zanzibar-railway-in-1879.html?m=1, accessed on 23rd February 2026.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124446949@N06/32763584738?fbclid=IwY2xjawQJO5NleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80MDk5NjI2MjMwODU2MDkAAR7Aj-9Aimm9cDPSYK0Fi00tSxkV2RmHVyjURtd5hwvDsFt8Zao-wFb69l-KkQ_aem_NmwnCIcYLO5fHZCd629ACA, accessed on 23rd February 2026.
https://www.blipfoto.com/entry/3498612, accessed on 23rd February 2026.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18GBKn6gjc, accessed on 23rd February 2026.
These images were kindly shared with me by Chris333 on the online forum Railwire.net. Discussion with him online resulted in the correction of some errors in the original article, https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=60965.0, March & April 2026.
Kevin Patience; Zanzibar and the Bububu Railway; 1998.
H.K. Porter, Inc. (Porter) manufactured light-duty railroad locomotives in the United States, starting in 1866. The company became the largest producer of industrial locomotives, and built almost eight thousand of them. The last locomotive was built in 1950. The company continues to produce industrial equipment in the 21st century. Porter was known for building locomotives for industrial railways, which were often small enough that they could be operated by one person. Porter built mostly steam locomotives, but also some gas- and diesel- engined locomotives, and some that ran on compressed air. [17]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.K._Porter,_Inc., accessed on 18th April 2026.

The Wolverton and Stony Stratford Tramway and the Wolverton Works

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The featured image for this article shows a Bagnall saddle-tank engine and train of two 100-seat workmen’s cars in L.N.W.R. livery on the Wolverton and Stony Stratford Tramway.

Wolverton Works

The LNWR works at Wolverton. The tramway crosses this plan on Stratford Road. [13: p19]

An enlarged key to the plan above which details the use of each building on the LNWR Site. [13: p19]

“Mainly by reason of the growth of the London North Western Railway works at Wolverton in the late 1870s, and the establishment of McCorquodale’s printing works alongside in 1878, a scheme to link the old market town of Stony Stratford, on Watling Street, with the London & North Western Western Railway station at Wolverton by means of a light railway began to take tangible form in 1882.” [1: p547]

Wolverton Railway Works was established in Wolverton, Buckinghamshire, by the London and Birmingham Railway Company in 1838 at the midpoint of the 112-mile-long (180-kilometre) route from London to Birmingham. The line was developed by Robert Stephenson following the great success of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway line. [2]

“The Victorian era new towns of Wolverton and New Bradwell were built to house the workers and service the works. The older towns of Stony Stratford and Newport Pagnell grew substantially too, being joined to it by the Wolverton and Stony Stratford Tramway and the Wolverton to Newport Pagnell Line (a branch line), respectively. The trams were … hauled by steam locomotives: the tram cars were certainly the largest ever in the UK and possibly the world.” [2]

After a survey of all possible sites for the London and Birmingham Railway works, “Wolverton was chosen due to its co-location alongside the wharfing facilities of the Grand Union Canal, thereby also enabling the railway company to gain an easy agreement to build a viaduct over the canal company’s land at this point.”

“In 1837, Edward Bury of Bury Curtis & Kennedy of Liverpool was appointed Locomotive Superintendent of the London to Birmingham railway with his headquarters at Wolverton. However, as Wolverton was simply considered to be a repair shop for the engines his Liverpool firm supplied to run on the line, he left the running of the Works to his Shop Foreman.” [3]

It became necessary for expansion to take place to accommodate, service and repair the increasing amount of rolling stock owned by the Company. “A large engine shed was built, said to be cathedral sized, together with all supporting facilities which also enabled the Works” [3] to produce, locomotives in house.

J E McConnell was appointed Superintendent in 1847. He built his first locomotive in 1849. This was “the prototype of the ‘Bloomer’ class (the wheels and works being more exposed the engines became know as Bloomers after Mrs Amelia Bloomer who was trying to reform ladies dress). During his time at Wolverton he made many innovations such as train heating, failsafe braking, hollow axles, boilers, fireboxes etc. Early in 1851, the first Bloomer engines were running.” [3]

Bloomer was a name used to refer to three similar classes of 2-2-2 express passenger locomotives designed by James McConnell. “A total of seventy-four were built between 1851 and 1862. The classes were similar in design and layout but differed in dimensions.” [4]

A LNWR engine No. 602, a Small Bloomer Class Locomotive. The photograph was taken circa. 1868 at Rugby’s coke sheds. The Class was introduced in 1854, they were inside-cylinder inside-frame single-wheelers with 6′-6″ driving wheels. [4]

“In 1859, thirty four engines were transferred from Crewe to Wolverton which involved further expansion of the Works. Under McConnell the Works flourished but unfortunately for him Mr Richard Moon was appointed Chairman of the Company and there was a clash of personalities resulting in McConnell retiring. A year or two after his retirement the engineering works were transferred to Crewe. Before the transfer to Crewe, 165 engines had been built at Wolverton.” [3]

“Expansion of the Works again took place during 1864 when Wolverton became the Carriage Works for the LNWR and the manufacturing shops were converted to enable carriages to be built, painted and repaired. In 1869 two Royal Saloons for Queen Victoria were built at Wolverton. Sadly in 1872 the locomotive shop finally closed and Wolverton became exclusively a carriage works until in 1877 it was the largest in Britain.” [3]

Image No. EPW022487 looking West over Wolverton Works in 1928. The Grand Junction Canal runs through the right half of this image, © Historic England. [7]

It seems that the original railway main line through Wolverton crossed land which was needed for the expansion of Wolverton Works. Two previous stations had been situated in the original route of the main line. “The first station was built for the opening of the London and Birmingham Railway on 17th September 1838, on the embankment just north of the canal above Wolverton Park. It proved to be temporary as the railway company purchased an additional 13.5 acres to the south, where they built a larger, more permanent station in 1840, at the east end of Church Street.” [8]

To avoid passing through the Wolverton Carriage Works, a railway main line deviation to the east was opened in August, 1881. The present Wolverton Station was built on the new line.

This rather fuzzy extract from the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1898, published in 1900 shows the extent of the Railway Works at that time. To the West of the Railway Works was the site of McCorquodale’s Printing Works which can just be made out at the left edge of this map extract. The Grand Junction Canal sits between the Works and the Railway Station. [9]

McCorquodale’s Printing Works

McCorquodale’s Printing Works were one of a series of such establishments. McCorquodales built premises in Wolverton in 1878. The firm specialised in registered envelope manufacture, but undertook many other government and security printing contracts. The “history of the company commenced in 1841. George McCorquodale opened a stationers shop in Liverpool which became the Liverpool Printing and Stationery Company Ltd. The company prospered and five years later George opened the first McCorquodale printing works at Newton-le-Willows in Lancashire, specialising in providing a service to the ever expanding railway network.” [5]

Further factories were opened in Glasgow and London in the 1870s. In Wolverton, men were employed in the railway works but their daughters remained unemployed. “Sir Richard Moon, Chairman of the London & North Western Railway had an idea for solving the problem and contacted his friend George McCorquodale and suggested that he build a printing works in the town. George thought it an admirable suggestion and in 1878 he opened his registered envelope factory – success was immediate. The works rapidly increased in size and diversified into printing books, forms and commercial stationery.” [5]

“By 1886, McCorquodales of Wolverton was known as one of the finest printing factories in the country and employed 120 women and 20 men. Most of the girls started work at the age 13 or 14 and were normally employed until they married. Girls were encouraged to remain in the factory as long as possible and a £10 wedding grant was given to those who had completed 10 years service. Until 1909 staff worked a 54 hour week starting at 6am with a half day on Saturday. The company were also quick to provide the best welfare and working facilities in the area, and the staff were provided with dining, reading and recreation rooms. A Good Samaritan Society was started and pension funds paid for holidays and service bonuses.” [5]

McCorquodale’s Printing Works in Wolverton, © Public Domain. [6]

McCorquodale’s Printing Works at the turn of the 20th century. [10]

The Tramway

Lee tells us that in 1882 a special meeting of Stony Stratford ratepayers considered a proposal to apply to the Board of Trade for an Order to sanction a tramway between Wolverton and Stony Stratford. “The ratepayers approved, subject to the track nowhere exceeding 6 ft. in width. A company was formed, apparently by these local interests, and was incorporated on 4th November 1882, as the Wolverton & Stony Stratford Tramways Co. Ltd. The Chairman was Abraham Culverhouse, and the Secretary John George Ventris Field Johnson. The company failed to get under way, and was placed in voluntary liquidation on 3rd September 1883. One of its few corporate acts seems to have been the granting of consent, two days after it went into liquidation, to the registration of a new company with a similar (but not the same) name.” [1: p547]

“Meanwhile, a Tramways Order had been promoted by Frederick Charles Winby, a civil engineer and contractor, and this was granted on 16th July 1883. It authorised [a tramway] 2 miles 54 chains [in length], mainly of single line, 4 ft. gauge, from the new Wolverton Station (opened in August, 1881) to the northern end of High Street, Stony Stratford.” [1: p547]

Wolverton to Stony Stratford and beyond

From the new station the tramway ran South along the road built to bridge the diversion line and the Canal at the South end of the site of Wolverton Railway Station. This road had once been a footpath.

The fullest extent of the tramway. [1: p549]

The company promoted by Winby took the name, ‘The Wolverton & Stony Stratford & District Tramways Co. Ltd‘. It acquired all the rights and interests of Winby in the Tramways Order of 1883. Lee tells us that “It had an authorised capital of £20,000 in £1 shares, which was increased to £30,000 on 27th October 1883. The latter fact seems to have been forgotten, although it was duly registered and the requisite stamp duty paid. Indeed, the company had very little regard for the niceties of the Companies Acts, and actually varied its corporate name on the Memorandum and Articles of Association respectively. Thereafter, it could never remember the precise title shown on the certificate of registration, which is the one used above. Winby contracted to build the line, and to take part of the price in shares, but the whole arrangement fell through. The company was dormant until 1886, and only 34 shares were issued.” [1: p548]

C.H. Wikinson, a local contractor that promoted a number of schemes in the area (such as a link between Newport Pagnell and Olney), “entered into a contract with the company on 18th August 1886, to build the line for £13,325, and on 8th September 1886. agreed under an indenture to accept £2,000 in shares. The name of the company was changed on 5th October 1886, to the Wolverton, Stony Stratford & District Light Railways Co. Ltd., and its shares were offered for sale. They were taken up by a large number of local [people], and the work proceeded rapidly.” [1: p548]

Lee continues: “The line as authorised in 1883 received Board of Trade sanction on 20th May 1887, in respect of 2 miles 15 chains single line and 40 chains double. It was built to the 3 ft. 6 in. gauge instead of the 4 ft. originally authorised. Public passenger traffic was begun on 27th May 1887, between the Barley Mow Inn, Stony Stratford, and Wolverton Station, with tramway-type steam locomotives hauling very large covered-top double-deck tramcars. The ordinary fare was 2d., with a special cheap rate for workmen, whereas the horse bus that had previously served the route charged 6d.” [1: p548]

Allan Edwards says: Wolverton “grew rapidly to an austere and symmetrical pattern, its housing owned by the railway company and leased to its employees; it seemed almost to be a northern industrial town misplaced in the agricultural heart of England. Stony Stratford meanwhile declined, becoming largely a dormitory town for its now larger neighbour. … By 1880, hundreds of workmen were walking daily to Wolverton from Stony Stratford and the surrounding villages. An alternative form of transport was a horse bus from Stony Stratford but the fare for this was 6d (22p) for a single journey, a price beyond the wage of the workmen of the now London & North Western Railway Co., or the new McCorquodale’s printing works whose average wage was only 30 shillings per week (£1.50).” [13: p15]

The old bus service did not run to a timetable, only travelling when there were sufficient passengers. “Average bus receipts were between £2 and £3 a week, but the tramway takings rapidly became £45 a week, largely by reason of the use of the line made by employees at the Wolverton carriage Works and at McCorquodale’s. Weekly tickets were issued to them at 1 shilling and entitled them to 4 journeys a day.” [1: p548]

A steam tram service sitting outside the entrance to Wolverton Railway Station. The picture has clearly been posed! © Public Domain. [1: p554]

Another view of the steam tram waiting at Wolverton Railway Station. As these two images show, the passenger facilities were accessed at road level from the bridge over the main line railway, © Public Domain. [23]

Wolverton Railway Station and the terminus of the tramway. The Grand Junction Canal is just to the West of the Railway Station. Wolverton Works extended to the West side of the canal. This and subsequent extracts come from the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1898, published in 1900. [11]

The tramway ran along the South side of Wolverton Works. [11]

The tramway continued West along Stratford Road. [11]

The same area is covered by the three map extracts immediately above. [14]

Looking South towards Stratford Road at the roundabout which sits at the same location as the Wolverton & Stony Stratford Tramway terminus. [Google Streetview, September 2023]

Looking West across the bridge over the main line. This carried the tramway over the railway. The location of the Wolverton Works is on the right side of the image. [Google Streetview, September 2023]

The view North from Stratford Road Bridge over the main line railway station. [Google Streetview, September 2023]

The view West along Stratford Road (and hence the route of the old tramway) with the boundary wall of the old Wolverton Works on the right. The building shed to the left was the Market House with a Laundry out of view behind it to the left. [Google Streetview, September 2023]

Further West on Stratford Road, this is the view West along the road from the bridge over what was once the main line. The boundary wall on the right enclosed what, in the 21st century, is the site of a Tesco Superstore but which once was the site of the Wolverton Works. [Google Streetview, September 2023]

The view North along what was the original main line. A Tesco superstore is off the left of this view. The building directly ahead of the camera with the three cream doors is one of the old works buildings which sits on the far side of the canal. [Google Streetview, September 2023]

This extract comes from the 25″ Ordnance Survey of 1898, published in 1900. At the time of the Survey Wolverton as a town did not extend to the full length of the Works. [12]

A Stony Stratford-bound service sitting outside the main works entrance which is off the image to the left, © Public Domain. [13: p18]

Another view of workmens’ trains outside the Wolverton Works. Allan Edwards says that at the time this photograph was taken, the entire rolling stock of the tramway was sitting outside the Wolverton Works. Closest to the camera is Green Engine No. 2 with two 100-seater tramcars, behind which is No. 1 with an 80-seater tramcar and a 100-seater tramcar. [1: p551][13: p17]

Wolverton was a railway town built to accommodate the workers. It has since expanded significantly. Much of the old Works site and the railway ‘village’ of terraced housing form a Conservation Area in the 21st century.

Allan Edwards describes the route of the tramway through Wolverton like this: Outside Wolverton Station goods yard there was a turning triangle on a steeply descending section of road and a link into the station goods yard. From this location, trams “climbed steeply on a right-hand curve to the road bridge over the 4-track railway line where tramway passengers could board outside the overline buildings of the LNWR station. The tramway then continued up and over the lines leading into the railway works. … With its track in the centre of the highway the tramway passed the railway workshops, the town of Wolverton being entirely on the left-hand side. Virtually continuous brick walls to the right sealed off first the LNWR works and then McCorquodale’s printing factory. It was nearly three quarters of a mile before the tramway line abruptly left the town behind, moving to the lefthand side of the road.” [13: p17]

McCorquodale’s Printing Works were beyond the western extent of Wolverton’s railway town. [12]

The tramway continued West along Stratford Road. [12]

The area today is much more developed! [14]

Continuing West along Stratford Road following the route of the old tramway. The Tesco Superstore is behind the brick built buildings on the right of this image. [Google Streetview, September 2023]

The old tramway continued along Stratford Road. [Google Streetview, September 2023]

And again, further West on Stratford Road. [Google Streetview, September 2023]

The next three images continue to show Stratford Road running along the South side of the site of Wolverton Works. …

We are now beyond the West end of the Works site. The next three images show Stratford Road heading West towards a modern roundabout at Old Wolverton Road. …

Edwards says that, “The route was almost straight but a fierce hill faced engines travelling towards Wolverton at almost the halfway point of the route where the old road to Wolverton (the remaining buildings of the original hamlet somewhat west of the new industrial town having by this time received the suffix ‘Old’) diverged from the newer, more direct course that the tramway traversed.” [13: p17]

Old Wolverton Road meets Stratford Road at an acute angle. The tramway continued West along Stratford Road. [12]

In the 21st century, Old Wolverton Road has been realigned to meet Stratford Road at a roundabout as part of a western bypass around Wolverton. [14]

The next three Google Streetview images take the route of the tramway across the modern roundabout at the junction between Stratford Road and Old Wolverton Road to the original junction between the two roads. …

Wolverton Park is to the North of the junction in this Streetview image. [Google Streetview, September 2024]

Lee provides just one paragraph which relates to the route travelled. He tells us that “In its maximum form, the undertaking began at the cattle sidings, Wolverton Station, and ran as a single line in the middle of the road through Wolverton. It then kept to its own track for about a mile, on the south side of the road to a point half a mile before the Wolverton Road joins the main Holyhead Road. The line there crossed over the Wolverton Road to its own track on the north side, but transferred once more to the middle of the public road through Stony Stratford. It thus traversed Wolverton Road to the junction, and turned sharply to the right (north west) along the Holyhead Road, here called High Street, and later Watling Street. At Old Stratford, the Deanshanger extension turned even more sharply to the left from Watling Street, and ran on its own track on the left-hand (south-east) side of the road.” [1: p549]

As we have already seen, Edwards description gives a little more detail: “Shortly before entering Stony Stratford the line abruptly cut across to the opposite side of the road. More than one pioneer motorist was apparently taken unawares by the sudden appearance of a steam tram engine and its trailers across his bows!” [13: p17]

This photograph was taken a few hundred yards from Stony Stratford. Allen Edwards says that the line crossed the road just ahead of the camera. A sign was provided as a warning, but apparently the sudden movement of the tram across the road surprised many pioneer motorists. [13: p17]

After the junction with Old Wolverton Road Descent to Wolverton Park, the tramway continued West-southwest on Stratford Road. [12]

The road and tramway ran to the South side of Wolverton House. [12]

And continued West-southwest towards Stony Stratford. [12]

This extract from railmaponline.com’s satellite imagery covers much the same length of the Stratford Road as shown in the three OS map extracts immediately above. The A5 dual carriageway is clearly an addition to the landscape. As is the road immediately to its West. [14]

Stratford Road facing Southwest with the modern A5 spanning the route of the old tramway. [Google Streetview, September 2024]

To the West of the A5 Stratford Road crosses Queen Eleanor Street. [Google Streetview, September 2024]

This next smaller map extract brings the line to the edge of the Ordnance Survey map sheet and shows the beginning of the housing at the eastern edge of Stony Stratford. [12]

Edwards continues his description of the line: “Entering the town the line again took up position in the centre of the road. It had traversed just one mile from Wolverton. After a few hundred yards the road came to a T-junction with Watling Street outside The Forester’s Arms public house.” [13: p17]

This next extract is from the 1923 Ordnance Survey, published in 1925. It shows the tramway heading towards the road junction in Stony Stratford. The tramway depot features in the top left of the extract. [15]

The tramway depot as shown on the 1898 25″ ordnance survey. At this time, an additional access from the depot to Wolverton Road ran along what, in the 21st century, is known as St. Mary’s Avenue. There was a loop behind the depot which turned South-southeast running through the depot building and down to Wolverton Road along St. Mary’s Avenue. [21]

The old tramway runs Southwest towards the road junction in Stony Stratford. Railmaponline.com shows a loop at the location of the tramway depot, but not the detailed track layout in the depot. [14]

Facing towards Stoney Stratford just a couple of hundred yards beyond Queen Eleanor Street. [Google Streetview, September 2024]

Continuing down Wolverton Road towards the centre of Stony Stratford. [Google Streetview, September 2024]

St. Mary’s Avenue was one of the access points to the Tram Depot. [Google Streetview, September 2024]

The main access to the Tramway Depot. [Google Streetview, September 2024]

The LNWR track plan of the tram depot at Stony Stratford. It comprised a large shed for holding the tramcars, and a smaller one for the engines and the repair facilities. As far as is known all the repairs were undertaken in situ, but there were few machine tools available. Also in the depot were coaling and watering arrangements for the engines. [17]

Looking into the Tramway Depot site from the access road. After the tramway closed the building (behind the garage in the foreground, so not visible) was used as a bus depot [Google Streetview, June 2023]

The current building on the site of the tramway depot. [Google Maps, January 2026]

Continuing Southwest down Wolverton Road. [Google Streetview, September 2024]

Approaching the Junction with High Street, Stony Stratford. The Forresters Arms is on the right. [Google Streetview, September 2024]

A passing loop occupied the highway with the tramway turning to the Northwest. On this 1898 survey, the tramway is shown terminating just after the 90° turn onto the High Street in Stony Stratford. [15]

This extract from the railmaponline.com satellite imagery includes the length of line in the extract above and extends a little to the West. St. Mary & St.Giles Church, which is just beyond the West side of the OS map extract above can be made out towards the left of this image. [14]

The view Northeast along Wolverton Road in Stony Stratford. The depot is behind the housing in the middle distance. To the left of the camera the tramway ran away to the Northwest. The Forresters Arms is on the left side of the photograph. This image was shared on the Stony Stratford Photos Facebook Group by Edward Corney on 20th November 2018. [22]

The same view along Wolverton Road in the 21st century. [Google Streetview, September 2023]

At the Forrester’s Arms, Stony Stratford, this photograph gives a good impression of the length of the large bogie cars. The locomotive was built by Thomas Green & Son in 1887 © Public Domain. [1: p552][25]

Green Engine No. 2 at the Forresters Arms in Stony Stratford with two 100-seater tram cars. [13: p18]

Kraus engine and 44ft., 100-seat bogie tramcar in Stony Stratford about 1888. [1: p552]

The conductor William Newton is just stepping off one of the tramcars at Stony Stratford sometimes after the line came under LMS control at the Grouping’. Note the motor car and the double-decker bus at the kerbside on the left of the image. [13: p16]

Edwards says that at the junction adjacent to the Forresters Arms, “The tramway turned right … to continue northwards beyond The Cock and The Bull hotels for another half mile to terminate outside The Barley Mow public house, the last building in the town.” [13: p17]

Looking Northwest along High Street, Stony Stratford. [Google Streetview, September 2024]

The 25″ 1898 Ordnance Survey, published in 1900 does not show the tramway running Northwest along High Street, Stony Stratford. Which suggests that it was removed by the publication date in 1900. We know that the line was active until at least 4th September 1899. [15][1: p549]

The line ran Northwest along High Street, Stony Stratford passing the Rising Sun public house and originally terminating at the Barley Mow Public House opposite the town’s Gas Works. [15]

This extract from the railmaponline.com satellite imagery shows the length of the route of the old tramway from St. Mary & St. Giles Church (bottom-right) to the River Great Ouse (top-left). [14]

The Barley Mow Public House was the terminus of the first length of the line and the point at which the extension to Deanshanger started. The length of Watling Street shown on this OS map extract is within the length of the line shown on the last extract from the railmaponline.com satellite imagery above. [15]

St. Mary’s & St. Giles Church, High Street, Stony Stratford [Google Streetview, September 2024]

Looking Northwest along High Street from just outside the church. [Google Streetview, September 2024]

Further Northwest on High Street, looking towards the River Great Ouse. [Google Streetview, September 2024]

Heading towards the River Great Ouse along the line of the old tramway. The Stony Stratford by-pass (Queen Eleanor Street) joins the road ahead of the camera. [Google Streetview, September 2023]

An extension, which opened fully in 1898, continued Northwest from the Barley Mow towards the River Ouse and the County border.

Lee tells us that from the outset, it had been intended to cater also for goods traffic: “this was not begun until March, 1888. A contract was made with the LNWR. to deliver its goods, which was stated to save the main-line railway £500 per annum. With an eye to goods traffic principally, Wilkinson promoted an extension from High Street, Stony Stratford, to Deanshanger, which was sanctioned by Order of 19th July 1887, authorising 2 miles 3 chains of 3 ft. 6 in. gauge. Deanshanger was the location of the Britannia Ironworks, the agricultural implement works of E. & H. Roberts, established in 1820.” [1: p548]

Allan Edwards tells us that, “Leaving The Barley Mow and taking its normal position in the middle of the road the extension travelled straight for almost three quarters of a mile over the embankment that carried the highway across the floodplain of the River Ouse. The river was the county border. Climbing very steeply into the Northamptonshire village of Old Stratford, the line then swung sharp left onto the Buckingham road. A separate depot and workshop for this section of line was established at this corner. … The line then ran parallel to the Buckingham arm of the Grand Junction canal to Deanshanger where it terminated on the village green outside The Fox & Hounds public house. This extension was sanctioned by the Board of Trade on 24th May 1888 and immediately came into public use.” [13: p18]

It seems that a section of 14 chains from the bottom of High Street, across the Great Ouse, to Old Stratford, was built quite quickly and opened later in 1887. “The major portion of the extension was complete at the time a visit to the undertaking was paid by the Civil & Mechanical Engineers Society on Saturday, 12th May 1888, and the party was given a run over the new line. Sanction of the Board of Trade was given on 24th May 1888, to 1 mile 56 chains single and 13 chains double of the Deanshanger extension, and this appears to have been brought into use for public passenger and goods traffic forthwith, extending from Old Stratford to The Green, Deanshanger, near the Fox & Hounds Inn. The intended extension to the Dukes Head Inn was never buiit. From Wolverton to Deanshanger, the through fare was 4d. This section seems to have remained Wilkinson’s property, and to have been leased to the company.” [1: p548]

The road bridge over the River Great Ouse can be seen in the bottom right of this next extract from the 1898 25″ Ordnance Survey. [15]

Only a short distance further Northwest at the junction adjacent to the Swan Inn and Smithy in Old Stratford, the tramway extension turned left and soon found itself following the Buckingham Branch of the Grand Junction Canal. [15]

This extract from the railmaponline.com satellite imagery covers the same length of the old line as the two extracts from the OS mapping immediately above. [14]

The Tramway route crossed the River Great Ouse on the road bridge. [Google Streetview, September 2024]

The Tramway turned left at the junction in Old Stratford onto what in the 21st century is called Deanshanger Road. [Google Streetview, September 2024]

Heading South-southwest along Deanshanger Road, along what was the route of the extension to the tramway to Deanshanger. [Google Streetview, September 2024]

The tramway continued South-southwest alongside the canal. [15]

And again the tramway route followed the Buckingham Branch of the Grand Junction Canal. [15]

The tramway continued South-southwest as the canal turned away towards the West. [15]

This extract from the railmaponline.com satellite imagery covers the majority of the length of the line as shown on the three OS map extracts immediately above. [14]

Deanshanger Road facing South. [Google Streetview, September 2024]

A relatively tight curve appears to have taken the tramway onto the road to Deanshanger. However, the research that was done to prepare the railmaponline.com representation of the line suggests that the line left the highway and ran on its own formation for a few hundred yards. [18]

This extract from the railmaponline.com satellite imagery takes the line as far as the OS map extract above. The route of the old line is shown in this image following the Buckingham Branch of the Grand Junction Canal. A modern public footpath/cycleway is shown taking a tighter curve. Could the alignment of the footpath/cycleway be that of the old tramway? [14]

The modern Deanshanger Road joins the A422 as it heads South. The route of the old tramway is probably followed by the tarmac footpath to the left of the no entry sign. It follows the line of the old road. [Google Streetview, September 2024]

The footpath shown on the right of this image matches the line of the old tramway. [Google Streetview, September 2024]

If the footpath/cycleway is on the line of the old tramway, then the bridge over roundabout is on the line of the old tramway. [Google Streetview, July 2018]

Running parallel to the canal but a distance to the South, the tramway/road headed towards Deanshanger. [18]

Continuing to the West on the South side of Northfield’s farm and the Buckingham Branch of the Grand Junction Canal the edge of the Ordnance Survey map sheet is reached before the road entered Deanshanger. [18]

This final extract from the Ordnance Survey mapping of the turn of the 20th century shows the settlement of Deanshanger with its Iron Works. The tramway terminated adjacent to the Fox & Hounds Inn, the intended extension to the Dukes Head Inn in the bottom-left of this map extract. [19]

The remaining length of the tramway as shown on the railmaponline.com satellite imagery. [14]

Heading West along the line of the old tramway on Stratford Road. [Google Streetview, May 2023]

Further West on Stratford Road. [Google Streetview, May 2023]

Approaching The Green, Deanshanger where the tramway terminated. [Google Streetview, May 2023]

The line beyond the Fox & Hounds was not built. It was also intended to link the Iron Works to the tramway as shown here. This short link was also never built. Britannia Iron Works was owned by E.H. Roberts. The Iron Works was always satisfied with using the canal for exporting its finished products and could not be persuaded to use the tramway. [20]

Krauss Engine and 50-seater tramcar at the Green, Deanshanger, in 1888. [1: p550]

Operation

Edwards tells us that “On Friday 17th May 1887 prior to the Whitsuntide holiday horses pulled the first tram from Wolverton station goods yard to Stony Stratford tram depot. On board were Charles Aveline (the Managing Director) and other officials of the tram company. For the return journey the horses were replaced by one of the two Krauss tram engines. Local school children were given free tickets.” [13: p17]

By 1st September 1887, Lee tells us, “the issued capital was no less than £20,000, which must be regarded as a gross over-capitalisation. Nevertheless, the nominal capital was increased on 21st June 1889, by £5,000, stated to be beyond £20,000, as the nominal increase of 1883 had been forgotten, and additional stamp duty was paid. A further change of name was also made at this period, and became effective on 26th July 1889, whereby the legal title became the ‘Wolverton, Stony Stratford & District Tramroads Co. Ltd.’ Shortly afterwards, the company declared itself insolvent, and went into voluntary liquidation on 4th September 1889. This was not acceptable to the creditors, and by Court Order of 26th October the winding up was made compulsory, and subject to the Court. The undertaking was placed in the hands of the official liquidator on 17th December, and the line was closed. Much of it was never reopened.” [1: p549]

The original portion, between Wolverton and Stony Stratford, was purchased by a syndicate of Bedford businessmen who reopened the Wolverton to Stony Stratford section in November 1891 and it was known as the ‘Wolverton, Stony Stratford District New Tramway’ and this was formally incorporated on 15th September 1893 with a capital of £5000 in £100 shares. The nominal capital was increased by £3000 (30 shares) at the end of January 1907. It ran until liquidation in 1919. The Deanshanger extension never re-opened. [16][1: p551]

Lee continues: “For many years the Stony Stratford terminus was at the Cock Hotel, but by 1910 the line was curtailed to a few yards in High Street, and in 1919 the terminus was at the Foresters Arms. After the first world war, the line was rapidly approaching derelict condition, and the company’s financial difficulties compelled it to go into liquidation on 17th July 1919; George Henry Margrave (then Secretary and Manager) was appointed liquidator. The local authorities refused to take over the line, and it seemed that the service would be finally abandoned, despite the fact that it had been conveying some 700 workmen daily, principally employees of the Wolverton Carriage Works and of the printing works of McCorquodale & Co. Ltd.” [1: p551]

Grace’s Guide continues: “In the early 1920s the line was taken over by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) who purchased a new W. G. Bagnall tram locomotive. After the LNWR was merged into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) the line was soon closed, in 1926.” [16]

After purchase by the LNWR, the tramway was completely re-laid with concrete placed beneath the rails to strengthen them. Lee tells us that “under LNWR management the staff consisted of three drivers, three conductors, one fitter, one bricklayer and two labourers.” [1: p551]

Under LNWR management prior to the ‘grouping’, the surviving rolling stock “comprised three small four-wheel locomotives, five bogie double-deck cars, and two 10-ton coke trucks. The passengers continued to be principally Stony Stratford men employed at the Railway Works or at McCorquodale’s in Wolverton. They then numbered about 600 daily, of whom some 550 were weekly season-ticket holders. Although the number of men employed at the works increased as time went on, the working loss to the L.N.W.R. increased also, on account of the competition of motorbuses which gave a quicker service. In 1926, no fewer than 12 of these vehicles plied between Wolverton and Stony Stratford, and the trams, with their speed limit of 8 m.p.h. were almost deserted. Schemes of electrification were considered by the railway company (by now the L.M.S.R.), but they all proved too costly, and the climax came with the General Strike of that year, when on 4th May the service was suspended, never to be resumed. Latterly, the services (which, according to the railway company’s timetable, were run “subject to the condition of roads and other circumstances permitting”) had comprised about 14 trips each way, with one or two additional on Saturdays. There were three cars in each direction on Sundays. The journey time was 15 minutes. The official abandonment was announced on 19th May 1926, and it was stated that the company had been losing £2,000 a year on the service. Latterly the total takings were only about £30 a week. [1: p553]

The LMS negotiated with Buckinghamshire County Council (BCC) which took over the track in 1927 with the Ministry of Transport’s consent. BCC immediately began lifting the track and reconstructing the road surface. Work began in June 1927, by November 1927 the length between Watling Street and Clarence Road in Stony Stratford was completed. The section between Clarence Road and McCorquodale’s Printing Works was addressed between October 1933 and June 1934.

Rolling Stock – Locomotives

Lee tells us that, “the original locomotives consisted of two German engines supplied by Krauss & Company of Munich to a standard design then used in many continental cities for steam tramways. Some accounts of the line have stated that three, and even four, engines were provided at first, but the Board of Trade Returns to 30th June 1887, show only two, and others (if any) were presumably on loan. They had outside cylinders 8 in. in diameter by 12 in. stroke, wheels 2 ft. 6 in. in diameter, and a 5 ft. wheelbase. The working pressure was 175 lb. per sq. in. and they were non-condensing. Stephenson valve gear was used.” [1: p553]

The Krauss locomotive and a 20-seat open-sided tramcar on an inspection trip in May 1988. The location of the photograph is not known. The tramcar was not used after 1889 and remained in Stony Stratford tram depot for many years, © Public Domain. [1: p550]

One of the Krauss locomotives is posed outside Wolverton Works,© Public Domain. [29]

Another view of one of the Krauss tramway locomotives, this time in Stony Stratford close to the Forresters Arms, © Public Domain. [30]

Edwards tells us that these Krauss locomotives, “with their distinctively European canopies and massive oil lights, soon earned the tramway the nickname ‘the little German‘.” [13: p17]

These Krauss locomotives were similar to tram locomotives sent to the Chiemseebahn in the same year, but smaller. They were rated at 40 hp and were governed to run no faster than 10 mph (16 km/h). Board of Trade regulations also required that the running gear had to be shrouded, steam exhaust had to be directed into condensers to avoid visible steam, smoke as well had to be invisible and had to be almost noiseless. [24]

This is one of the Krauss 0-4-0 metre-gauge tram locomotives built for the Chiemseebahn in the same year as those built for the Wolverton & Stony Stratford Tramway – this is Works No. 1813 of 1887. It is in excellent condition in the 21st century, operable and in frequent service. It is unique – in that this is the only example still working in regular commercial service on the line for which it was supplied. A diesel-powered replica now helps out. [25]

Sadly, unlike the locomotives sent to the Chiemseebahn, the Krauss locomotives supplied to the Wolverton & Stony Stratford Tramway “were found to be unable to handle the heavy passenger rolling stock, and two, more powerful, engines were supplied in 1887 by Thomas Green & Son of Leeds, designed to haul two large passenger cars fully loaded. These had 9 in. cylinders by 14 in. stroke, 2 ft. 6 in. wheels, and a 5 ft. wheelbase; the working pressure was 175 lb. These engines were of the tramway type with atmospheric condensers on the roof. The total loaded weight was 9-9.5 tons. A further locomotive was secured in 1900 from the Brush Electrical Engineering Co. Ltd., Falcon Works, Loughborough, which was generally similar to the Green engines, and had inside cylinders 7.5 in. in diameter by 12 in. stroke. This also worked at 175 lb. pressure and had an atmospheric condenser.” [1: p553]

Thomas Green commenced building tramway locomotives in 1882. [27] These locomotives were initially of the Wilkinson’s patent, built under licence. This design used a vertical boiler and a vertically mounted engine which drove one set of wheels through gears. The second pair of wheels was driven through coupling rods. The exhaust passed through a chamber in the firebox to provide reheat, which in principle would make the steam invisible. The speed governor was an “Allen” paddle type which acted on the reversing gear. [26]

Thirty-nine Wilkinson type trams were delivered before Green’s developed their own design using a horizontal boiler, inclined cylinders and Joy valve gear. These tram engines first appeared in August 1885. The machine quickly evolved such that Green’s tram engines became one of the market leaders. [26][27] It was Green’s own design of tram engine that was supplied to the Wolverton & Stony Stratford Tramway.

An advert for Thomas Green & Son Ltd. steam tramway engines, © Public Domain. [27]

A typical Thomas Green steam tram locomotive, one of 14 supplied to Blackburn Corporation Tramways Company in 1887, © Public Domain. [28]

One of the Thomas Green tramway locomotives about to set off for Wolverton from outside the Forresters Arms in Stony Stratford with two of the 44ft carriages in its train, © Public Domain. [31]

Lee continues: “After the acquisition of the line by the LNWR., a four-coupled saddle-tank engine was secured, in 1921, from W. G. Bagnall Limited of Stafford. Excepting that the motion was boxed in, this locomotive was of conventional railway design, without the tramway type casing over the upper works. Outside cylinders were 10 in. in diameter by 15 in. stroke the coupled wheels 2 ft. 9.25 in. in diameter, and the wheelbase 5 ft. The working pressure was only 150 lb. The saddle tank carried 300 gal. of water and the side bunkers had a capacity of 18 cu. ft. The total weight in working order was 16 tons. This engine was finished in standard LNWR. livery. As the standard chimney was found to be too short for the comfort of upper deck passengers, an ugly stove-pipe extension was added.” [1: p553]

Drawings of the Bagnall and the Green locomotives, © Public Domain. [34]

Other Rolling Stock – Passenger Carriages

The passenger rolling stock consisted of large double-deck covered-top tramway cars which were mounted on bogies; “there were at first five in all, built by the Midland Carriage & Wagon Company, then of Shrewsbury, and these lasted throughout the life of the undertaking. The three of the largest type each seated 100 and were 44 ft. long and 5 ft. 9 in. wide; they were intended for the workmen and were said to be the largest tramway vehicles in the country. ” [1: p554]

A drawing of carriages No. 1, 2 and 3, © Public Domain. [34]

One of the 44ft long 100-seat carriages sits outside the Forresters Arms in Stony Stratford in 1903. One of the Thomas Green locomotives is about to take it to Wolverton, © Public Domain. [32]

Edwards comments that the 44ft long 100-seat tramcars were the largest “to run in this country until the Swansea and Mumbles Railway built their gigantic electric cars many years later. The coaches had two inward-facing benches on the lower deck and a single continuous slatted bench on the upper deck where passengers faced outwards. The upper sides were open to the elements apart from waist-high decency boards above which were fitted canvas blinds.” [13: p18]

A colourised postcard view of one of the 44ft tramway carriages outside the Forresters Arms in Stony Stratford. The view is unusually posed as many photographs chose to focus on a locomotive rather than a carriage! © Public Domain. [32]

Edwards continues: “Capstan-operated brakes were fitted on each end platform, the locomotives also being equipped to operate the trailer braking by pull-rods and chains. The couplings of these cars were attached to the bogie centres. Originally the illumination was provided by oil lamps but acetylene lighting was later installed to be replaced again by conventional Pinsch gas lighting after the takeover of the line by the LNWR.” [13: p18]

Three carriages in this train, pulled by one of the Thomas Green locomotives. The train is somewhere between Stony Stratford and Wolverton, © Public Domain. [33]

Lees says that “Another car, upholstered, accommodated 80 passengers and was 38 ft. long and 6 ft. wide; and one [which] seated only 50 passengers, was 24 ft. 6 in. long, and 5 ft. 9 in. wide.” [1: p554]

A drawing of the shorter carriage (24 ft. 6in. long), © Public Domain. [34]

Edwards mentions that the 80-seat tramcar had “neither decency boards or blinds on the upper deck as first built and, most unusually and inconveniently, internal landings to the staircases from the platforms. Decency boards and blinds were added later.” [13: p18]

The 50-seat tramcar “was the only one to be fitted with upholstered seating. One presumes that it was intended for use at times when the workmen would not be travelling. None of the tramcars carried external numbers and all of those mentioned were to last the lifetime of the undertaking.” [13: p18]

“A sixth car is shown in the Board of Trade Returns for the year ended 30th June 1888, and continued to feature until 1911. This was a small single-deck open-sided vehicle with curtains, seating 20 passengers, which does not appear to have been used after the closure of the line in 1889. For many years it remained in the depot at Stony Stratford.” [1: p554]

Other Rolling Stock – Goods

In its early years the undertaking had a number of parcel vans and small goods wagons, as well as 10-ton coal and coke trucks, 24 ft. long, also built by the Midland Carriage & Wagon Company. Eight goods trucks were shown in the return to the Board of Trade for 30th June 1888, at the time goods traffic was begun. It seems that goods traffic declined quite early in the history of the undertaking and all the parcel vans and most of the wagons were sold for scrap. Two of the wagons were of interest in having wheels with adjustable flanges so as to be capable of operating either on rail or road. The flanges were in sections and so arranged that they could be withdrawn inside the tread surface. When the train reached the Cock Hotel, they were, hauled off the line by horses to effect delivery at the door of the consignee. Two horses are shown in the company’s stock in 1888 and 1889. In its later years, the traffic was wholly passenger, apart from the carriage of mails.” [1: p554]

And finally

Grace’s Guide says that, “The line was unusual for a British street tramway being entirely worked by steam locomotives; indeed it was the last steam worked street tramway in the United Kingdom.” [16]

References

Charles E. Lee; The Wolverton and Stony Stratford Tramway; in The Railway Magazine, Volume 98 No. 616; Tothill Press, London, August 1952, p547-554.
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