George England

George England and Co. was an early English manufacturer of steam locomotives founded by the engineer George England of Newcastle upon Tyne (1811–1878).[1] The company operated from the Hatcham Iron Works in New Cross, Surrey, and began building locomotives in the 1840s.

The company supplied one of the earliest tank locomotives to the contractors building the Newhaven, Sussex branch line for the London Brighton and South Coast Railway[2] and exhibited exhibited a design at The Great Exhibition in 1851.[3] It also supplied locomotives to the Ffestiniog Railway, the Wantage Tramway, the Caledonian Railway, the London & Blackwall Railway the Great Western Railway and the Victorian Railways amongst others.

Contents

Locomotive types

0-4-0

The four locomotives supplied by England, in 1863/64, to the Ffestiniog Railway, were the first truly successful narrow gauge 1 ft 11 1⁄2 in (597 mm) engines built. Remarkably four survive, much rebuilt, two still in full working order. Two more similar 0-4-0 engines, to an improved design, were built in 1867, one of which, Welsh Pony, survives. The other, "Princess", is on display at Spooner's Bar in Porthmadoc, although without her tender, which is behind "Welsh Pony".

Fairlie

In 1869, England built the famous Little Wonder Fairlie patent articulated locomotive, also for the Ffestiniog Railway. George England's daughter, Eliza Anne, had earlier eloped with Robert Francis Fairlie, the inventor of the Fairlie locomotive. On George England's early retirement in 1869, Fairlie took over the company, in partnership with England's son George England junior, renaming it the Fairlie Engine and Steam Carriage Company, but following the death of George England jnr, just a few months later, the works were sold.

Victorian Railways 'Old' V class

Victorian Railways 'Old' V class

Preservation

In fiction

In the Railway Series, the Ffestiniog Railway locomotive "Prince" is used as the basis for the character Duke who first appeared in Duke the Lost Engine and later in Great Little Engines and New Little Engine. Duke also appeared in Season 4 of the TV series and Bertram, who is based on Palmerston, appeared in Season 5.

Notes and references

  1. ^ Ransom, P. J. G. (2004), "England, George (1811/12–1878)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford: Oxford University Press), http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/46359, retrieved 21 Jan 2009 
  2. ^ The Industrial Locomotive Society (1967), Steam locomotives in industry, Newton Abbot: David and Charles, pp. 9–10 .
  3. ^ "The Great Exhibition", The Morning Chronicle (London, England) (26429.), August 29, 1851 

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