Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns
Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Ltd (RSH) was a locomotive builder with works in North East England.
History
The company was formed in September 1937 when Robert Stephenson and Company, which was based in Darlington, took over the locomotive building department of Hawthorn Leslie and Company, based in Newcastle upon Tyne.[1] The goodwill of Leeds locomotive builders Kitson & Co. was obtained in 1938.
RSH locomotive numbering began at 6939, this being the first number following the sum total of locomotives built by Robert Stephenson & Co. and Hawthorn Leslie, (6938).
RSH became part of English Electric in 1955.
Locomotive building at the Newcastle upon Tyne works ended in 1961 and at Darlington in 1964.
Diesel locomotives
RSH entered the diesel locomotive market in November 1937 with a "direct reversing" locomotive fitted with a Crossley two-stroke engine. There was no reversing gearbox and the diesel engine itself was reversible, as in marine practice. When starting, in either direction, power was supplied by compressed air until the engine fired.[2] One of these locomotives, Beryl (RSH 7697/1953), is preserved at the Tanfield Railway. After the 1955 modernisation plan of British Railways RSH responded by building the following class of diesel locomotives some of which are preserved (Including D306 & D318).
Preservation
| Location | Country | Name | Works Number | Built | Arrangement | Gauge | Photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferrymead Heritage Park, Christchuch, NZ | NZ | EW 1806 | 1951 | Bo-Bo-Bo | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) |  | |
| Darlington Railway Preservation Society | GB | No. 39 | 6947 | 1938 | 0-6-0T | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | On display |
| Beamish Museum | GB | Roker | 7006 | 1940 | 0-4-0CT | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  On static display awaiting overhaul |
| Tanfield Railway | GB | Hendon | 7007 | 1940 | 0-4-0CT | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Awaiting restoration |
| East Anglian Railway Museum | GB | Pen Green (now Thomas) | 7031 | 1941 | 0-6-0ST (now with side tanks also) | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Operational, converted into a Thomas the Tank Engine replica in March 2008, boiler ticket expires in 2027 |
| Tanfield Railway | GB | Lysaghts | 7035 | 1940 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Awaiting restoration |
| Chatham Historic Dockyard | GB | Ajax | 7042 | 1941 | 0-4-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Operational, worked for the Ministry of Defence |
| Gwili Railway | GB | Olwen | 7058 | 1942 | 0-4-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Undergoing overhaul |
| Foxfield Light Railway | GB | Eustace Forth | 7063 | 1942 | 0-4-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Operational, boiler ticket expires in 2027 |
| Keighley and Worth Valley Railway | GB | Southwick | 7069 | 1942 | 0-4-0CT | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Stored awaiting overhaul |
| Bressingham Steam Museum | GB | Millfield | 7070 | 1942 | 0-4-0CT | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Static display. |
| Tanfield Railway | GB | 7078 | 1944 | Bo-Bo | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Built for 500v DC overhead system at Kearsley Power Station | |
| Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway | GB | Norman | 7086 | 1943 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Undergoing overhaul; built as Austerity WD 75050 |
| Strathspey Railway | GB | 7097 | 1943 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Awaiting overhaul; built as Austerity WD 75061 | |
| Tanfield Railway | GB | NCB No. 49 | 7098 | 1943 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Operational (Returned to traffic July 2018, Boiler tickets expires 2028); built as Austerity WD 75062 |
| Peak Rail | GB | Royal Pioneer | 7136 | 1944 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Undergoing overhaul, built as Austerity WD 75186 |
| Dean Forest Railway | GB | No. 152 Rennes | 7139 | 1944 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Operational, painted in Longmoor Military Railway livery |
| Avon Valley Railway | GB | 7151 | 1944 | 0-6-0T | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Stored awaiting overhaul. | |
| Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway | GB | 71515 Mechanical Navvy | 7169 | 1945 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | .jpg.webp) Withdrawn Sept. 2018; built as Austerity WD 71515 |
| Gwili Railway | GB | Welsh Guardsman | 7170 | 1944 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Operational following a return to service in 2014; built as Austerity WD 71516 |
| Midland Railway - Butterley | GB | George | 7214 | 1945 | 0-4-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Undergoing restoration |
| Electric Railway Museum, Warwickshire | GB | Doug Tottman | 7284 | 1945 | Bo-Bo | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | .jpg.webp) Built for Kearsley Power Station, rebuilt as battery electric for Heysham Power Station |
| Tyseley Locomotive Works | GB | Fred | 7289 | 1945 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Undergoing overhaul; built as Austerity WD 71480 |
| National Coal Mining Museum | GB | Progress | 7298 | 1946 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Static display |
| Elsecar Railway | GB | Birkenhead | 7386 | 1948 | 0-4-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | .jpg.webp) Undergoing overhaul |
| Tanfield Railway | GB | Sir Cecil A. Cochrane | 7409 | 1948 | 0-4-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Operational |
| Private site | GB | Norwood | 7412 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Undergoing restoration off site | |
| Museum of Science and Industry (Manchester) | GB | Agecroft No. 1 | 7416 | 1948 | 0-4-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | .jpg.webp) Operational |
| Ribble Steam Railway | GB | Agecroft No. 2 | 7485 | 1947 | 0-4-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  On static display awaiting overhaul |
| Mainline Steam Heritage Trust | NZ | EW 1805 | 7491 | 1951 | Bo-Bo-Bo | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) |  New Zealand EW class electric |
| Snibston Discovery Park | GB | Mars No. 2 | 7493 | 1948 | 0-4-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Awaiting restoration |
| Battlefield Line Railway | GB | Richard III | 7537 | 1949 | 0-6-0T | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Stored out of use |
| Lincolnshire Wolds Railway | GB | Zebedee | 7597 | 1949 | 0-6-0T | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Undergoing overhaul |
| East Somerset Railway | GB | Meteor | 7609 | 1950 | 0-6-0T | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Undergoing restoration |
| Didcot Railway Centre | GB | Bonnie Prince Charlie | 7644 | 1951 | 0-4-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  On static display awaiting overhaul |
| Great Central Railway | GB | Nechells No. 4 | 7648 | 1951 | 0-6-0T | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | .jpg.webp) Undergoing overhaul |
| Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway | GB | Beano | 7661 | 1959 | 0-4-0 | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Stored awaiting overhaul |
| Great Central Railway (Nottingham) | GB | Ruddington | 7667 | 1950 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Stored awaiting overhaul |
| Spa Valley Railway | GB | Samson | 7668 | 1950 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Restoration on hold |
| Colne Valley Railway | GB | Jupiter | 7671 | 1951 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | .jpg.webp) Built for the Corby Ironstone works. Undergoing overhaul |
| Spa Valley Railway | GB | Ugly | 7673 | 1950 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Operational |
| Fulstow Steam Centre | GB | Fulstow | 7680 | 1950 | 0-4-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Operational. Built for Leicester Power Station. |
| Whitwell and Reepham Railway | GB | Agecroft No. 3 | 7681 | 1951 | 0-4-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Undergoing overhaul |
| North Tyneside Steam Railway | GB | Meaford No.1 | 7683 | 1951 | 0-6-0T | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn No.1 on the crossover line Static display awaiting restoration |
| Tanfield Railway | GB | Beryl | 7697 | 1953 | 0-6-0DM | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Awaiting repair |
| Garw Valley | GB | 7705 | 7705 | 1952 | 0-4-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Undergoing restoration |
| Tanfield Railway | GB | NCB No. 44 | 7760 | 1953 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Awaiting restoration |
| Great Central Railway (Nottingham) | GB | Corby | 7761 | 1954 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Stored awaiting overhaul |
| Tanfield Railway | GB | NCB No. 38 | 7763 | 1954 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Awaiting overhaul |
| Weardale Railway | GB | NCB No. 40 | 7765 | 1954 | 0-6-0T | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Undergoing overhaul |
| Tanfield Railway | GB | CEGB No. 21 | 7797 | 1954 | 0-4-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Awaiting overhaul |
| Tanfield Railway | GB | No. 47 | 7800 | 1954 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Awaiting restoration, ex Celynen South Power Station |
| Midland Railway - Butterley | GB | Castle Donington Power Station No. 1 | 7817 | 1954 | 0-4-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | .jpg.webp) Undergoing overhaul |
| Yaxham | GB | Castle Donington Power Station No. 2 | 7818 | 1954 | 0-4-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Awaiting overhaul |
| Tanfield Railway | GB | NCB No. 16 | 7944 | 1957 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Awaiting restoration |
| Dales Countryside Museum | GB | 67345 | 7845 | 1955 | 0-6-0T | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  On display, built for CEGB Hams Hall Power Station |
| Ferryhill Railway Heritage Trust | GB | North Downs | 7846 | 1955 | 0-6-0T | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) | Stored awaiting overhaul |
| Gwili Railway | GB | Moorbarrow | 7849 | 1955 | 0-6-0ST | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |  Undergoing overhaul |
| Ulster Folk and Transport Museum | NI | LP&HC no. 1 | 1891 | 0-6-0ST | 5ft 3" (1600mm) |
Static Display |
References
- http://apps.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=183-dshl&ci
- Industrial Railway Record no. 169, June 2002, pp 146-158, ISSN 0537-5347
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns. |
- Industrial Railway Society : Various publications.
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