Isaac Dodds and Son
Isaac Dodds and Son was a locomotive manufacturer based in the Holmes district of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. Isaac Dodds took over part of the works of Samuel Walker and Company in Rotherham sometime while he was Superintendent of the Sheffield and Rotherham Railway. It is likely, therefore, that he used it to maintain the company's locomotives, or even build new ones. There, however, seems to be no record.
Locomotives
The first locomotive known about is an 0-4-2 named Fitzwilliam in 1849 for the South Yorkshire Railway. The firm produced around seventy locomotives in all. One, a 2-4-0 named Ysabel was tried out on the Lickey Incline in 1853, with some success, though none appear to have been ordered.
The largest order would seem to be twelve 2-4-0 locomotives for the Isabel II Railway, Spain,[1] in 1856. For whatever reason, these were not paid for, which could hardly have been good for the company's finances.
Liquidation
In 1866, the company quoted for the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway and received an order for two. The required delivery time of three months could not be met and by 1867 the firm was in liquidation. Though the order had been cancelled, work had already started and the two engines were completed for the LB&SCR by the official receiver, and they finally ran in 1871.
Innovations
Dodds was known for his patented wedge valve gear. In 1839 Isaac Dodds was the first to fix the boiler at the smokebox end only which allowed for boiler expansion.
References
- ↑ "Motive power for specific lines". Steamindex.com. Retrieved 2012-03-27.
- Lowe, J.W., (1989) British Steam Locomotive Builders, Guild Publishing
- Franks, D.L., The South Yorkshire Railway (Photograph and details of "Fitzwilliam")