F. C. Hibberd & Co Ltd

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F. C. Hibberd & Co Ltd was a British locomotive-building company founded in 1927 to build industrial diesel locomotives. In 1932 the company acquired the good will of James and Frederick Howard Ltd. and the company moved to Park Royal and began manufacturing locomotives ^[1]

From 1956 Thomas Hill (Rotherham) Ltd, THR, sold Hibberd locomotives to non-Hibberd customers on an informal commission basis until 1960. The relationship ended because Hibberd were becoming worried that THR would sell their own locomotives to customers in preference to the Hibberd product.

The company was acquired by Butterley Engineering in the early 1960s and in 1964 production was moved to Ripley. The last locomotive built to a Hibberd design was delivered in 1968 ^[1].

Hibberd used the name Planet for their locomotives but this should not be confused with the much earlier Planet steam locomotive.

[edit] Preservation

Locations of preserved Hibberd "Planet" locomotives in the United Kingdom include:

• East Lancashire Railway
• Bridgend Valleys Railway
• Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
• Cholsey and Wallingford Railway
• North Woolwich Old Station Museum
• Ffestiniog Railway

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b} Buckinghamshire Railway Centre history of F. C. Hibberd & Co. Ltd..