Horwich Works
Encyclopedia
Horwich Works was a railway works built in 1886 by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
(LYR) in Horwich
, near Bolton
, in the North West
of England when the company moved from its original works at Miles Platting
, Manchester
.
An 18 inches (457.2 mm) gauge railway, with approximately 7+1/2 mi of track was built to carry materials around the works complex, modelled on a similar system at Crewe Works
on the London and North Western Railway
. Two small 0-4-0
tank locomotive
s were bought from Beyer Peacock in 1887 to haul stores trains around the site, and six more were acquired at intervals to 1901. The first of these was bought from Beyer Peacock, but the remainder were built at Horwich. From 1930 they were gradually withdrawn from service, the last, Wren, (a Beyer Peacock engine) was withdrawn in 1961 and is preserved at the National Railway Museum
.
The first locomotive built by the LYR at Horwich was a 2-4-2
tank engine
designed by John Aspinall
. This locomotive was LYR No. 1008 and is now preserved at the National Railway Museum
. By 1899 a further 677 locomotives had been built, and another 220 under Henry Hoy
. Between 1891 and 1900, 230 0-6-0 tender engines designed by Barton Wright were rebuilt as 0-6-0ST saddle tanks, LYR Class F16.
In 1899, the Aspinall-designed 'Atlantic' 4-4-2
express passenger locomotive was introduced and forty had been completed by 1902. Horwich works produced its thousandth engine in 1907, a four cylinder compound
0-8-0
.
, its Chief Mechanical Engineer was George Hughes
. In 1926 he was responsible for the design of a 2-6-0
mixed traffic locomotive of unusual appearance, which became known as the "Horwich Crab
." The class proved extremely successful, with 245 engines built, 70 at Horwich, including the first 30 examples. The "Crabs" continued in service with British Railways London Midland and Scottish Regions until the last two survivors were withdawn in early 1967.
Three of the four future Chief Mechanical Engineers of the post-grouping railways learned their craft at Horwich: Nigel Gresley
, Henry Fowler and Richard Maunsell
, as well as aviator Alliott Verdon-Roe who went on to found the Manchester-based Avro
aeroplane company.
During World War II
, the works built nearly 500 Cruiser, Centaur
and Matilda
tank
s.
After nationalisation in 1948, locomotive construction at Horwich continued at a high level for ten years. During 1948 twenty LMS Ivatt Class 4
tender engines were completed, twenty-seven followed in 1949, with twenty-four in 1951, followed by a single locomotive in early 1952.
120 LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
tender engines were built at Horwich by the LMS (53 locos) and British Railways (67 locos) between 1945 and 1950. The last BR Standard design steam engine to be built was outshopped in 1957.
BR continued to overhaul steam engines for several more years. The last steam locomotive (Stanier LMS 8F 2-8-0 48756) was despatched after overhaul on 4 May 1964.
Horwich continued in use as a works for other rolling stock up to 1983. The foundry and the spring shop continued in use after this date, although the work force was reduced from 1400 to 300. In an effort to publicise the redevelopment of the site into small industrial units on 20 June 1985 a BR locomotive (47 491) was named (at Horwich works) Horwich Enterprise by David Mitchell
, who was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport at the time. The site was sold by BREL
to the Parkfield Group in 1988 and the rail connection to the works was removed in 1989. The site is now an industrial estate, appropriately named "Horwich Loco", with most of the buildings still in use.
The railway station in Horwich town centre, primarily used by employees at the works was opened in 1887. It closed in 1965 with the last passenger train departing on 27 September 1965, hauled by 2-6-4T number 42626.
's Council Core Strategy planning document which is subject to Examination In Public by the Planning Inspector. If approved it will be developed as a sustainable mixed use community with capacity for building up to 1600 houses with 15-20 hectares of land for light employment use. The development will connect the Middlebrook Retail Park
to Horwich town centre via the old loco works site by creating a through road with public transport nodes. The plans have been welcomed by local residents due to the existing heavy industrial uses and the associated fires, noise and pollution. There is some opposition to the proposals from some local councillors, who, in principle, support the development but wish to retain many of the old buildings
The Loco Works sheds are part of a designated Conservation Area and it is envisaged that the buildings will be converted if feasible and viable in line with national planning guidance. 'PPS 5 Planning for the Historic Environment' and more specifically policy HE9.
Bibliography
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
(LYR) in Horwich
Horwich
Horwich is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, in Greater Manchester, England. It is southeast of Chorley, northwest of Bolton and northwest from the city of Manchester. It lies at the southern edge of the West Pennine Moors with the M61 motorway close to the...
, near Bolton
Bolton
Bolton is a town in Greater Manchester, in the North West of England. Close to the West Pennine Moors, it is north west of the city of Manchester. Bolton is surrounded by several smaller towns and villages which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, of which Bolton is the...
, in the North West
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
of England when the company moved from its original works at Miles Platting
Miles Platting
Miles Platting is an inner city district of Manchester, England. It is east-northeast of Manchester city centre, along the course of the Rochdale Canal and A62 road...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
.
Buildings
Horwich works was built on 142 hectares of land bought in April 1884 for £36,000. Rivington House, the first of several workshops was 106.7m long by 16.8m wide and opened in February 1887. The long brick built workshops had full-height arched windows and were separated by tram and rail tracks. Work to construct the three bay, 463.3m long by 36m wide, erecting shop began in March 1885. Inside were 20 overhead cranes.An 18 inches (457.2 mm) gauge railway, with approximately 7+1/2 mi of track was built to carry materials around the works complex, modelled on a similar system at Crewe Works
Crewe Works
Crewe railway works is a British railway engineering facility built in 1840 by the Grand Junction Railway. It is located in the town of Crewe, in the county of Cheshire....
on the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
. Two small 0-4-0
0-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...
tank locomotive
Tank locomotive
A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon...
s were bought from Beyer Peacock in 1887 to haul stores trains around the site, and six more were acquired at intervals to 1901. The first of these was bought from Beyer Peacock, but the remainder were built at Horwich. From 1930 they were gradually withdrawn from service, the last, Wren, (a Beyer Peacock engine) was withdrawn in 1961 and is preserved at the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
.
Early production
2-4-2
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
tank engine
Tank locomotive
A tank locomotive or tank engine is a steam locomotive that carries its water in one or more on-board water tanks, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. It will most likely also have some kind of bunker to hold the fuel. There are several different types of tank locomotive dependent upon...
designed by John Aspinall
John Aspinall (engineer)
Sir John Audley Frederick Aspinall was a British mechanical engineer who served as Locomotive Superintendent of the Great Southern and Western and Lancashire and Yorkshire Railways. He introduced vacuum brakes to his locomotives in Ireland, a trend which was followed in Britain, and designed...
. This locomotive was LYR No. 1008 and is now preserved at the National Railway Museum
National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a museum in York forming part of the British National Museum of Science and Industry and telling the story of rail transport in Britain and its impact on society. It has won many awards, including the European Museum of the Year Award in 2001...
. By 1899 a further 677 locomotives had been built, and another 220 under Henry Hoy
Henry Hoy
Henry Albert Hoy was a locomotive engineer with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway . Hoy was born on 13 January 1855 in London, and educated at King Edward VI's Grammar School in St Albans, and at St John's College, Liverpool University....
. Between 1891 and 1900, 230 0-6-0 tender engines designed by Barton Wright were rebuilt as 0-6-0ST saddle tanks, LYR Class F16.
In 1899, the Aspinall-designed 'Atlantic' 4-4-2
4-4-2 (locomotive)
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
express passenger locomotive was introduced and forty had been completed by 1902. Horwich works produced its thousandth engine in 1907, a four cylinder compound
Compound locomotive
A compound engine unit is a type of steam engine where steam is expanded in two or more stages.A typical arrangement for a compound engine is that the steam is first expanded in a high-pressure cylinder, then having given up heat and losing pressure, it exhausts directly into one or more larger...
0-8-0
0-8-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels...
.
Takeover and activity under LMS ownership
In 1923 when the railway became part of the LMSLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
, its Chief Mechanical Engineer was George Hughes
George Hughes (engineer)
George Hughes was a locomotive engineer, and Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.-L&YR:...
. In 1926 he was responsible for the design of a 2-6-0
2-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This arrangement is commonly called a Mogul...
mixed traffic locomotive of unusual appearance, which became known as the "Horwich Crab
LMS Hughes Crab
The London Midland and Scottish Railway Hughes Crab or Horwich Mogul is a class of mixed traffic 2-6-0 steam locomotive built between 1926 and 1932. They are noted for their appearance with large highly-angled cylinders caused by restricted loading gauge...
." The class proved extremely successful, with 245 engines built, 70 at Horwich, including the first 30 examples. The "Crabs" continued in service with British Railways London Midland and Scottish Regions until the last two survivors were withdawn in early 1967.
Three of the four future Chief Mechanical Engineers of the post-grouping railways learned their craft at Horwich: Nigel Gresley
Nigel Gresley
Sir Herbert Nigel Gresley was one of Britain's most famous steam locomotive engineers, who rose to become Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London and North Eastern Railway . He was the designer of some of the most famous steam locomotives in Britain, including the LNER Class A1 and LNER Class A4...
, Henry Fowler and Richard Maunsell
Richard Maunsell
Richard Edward Lloyd Maunsell held the post of Chief Mechanical Engineer of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway from 1913 until the 1923 Grouping and then the post of CME of the Southern Railway in England until 1937....
, as well as aviator Alliott Verdon-Roe who went on to found the Manchester-based Avro
Avro
Avro was a British aircraft manufacturer, with numerous landmark designs such as the Avro 504 trainer in the First World War, the Avro Lancaster, one of the pre-eminent bombers of the Second World War, and the delta wing Avro Vulcan, a stalwart of the Cold War.-Early history:One of the world's...
aeroplane company.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the works built nearly 500 Cruiser, Centaur
Cromwell tank
Tank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Cromwell ,The designation as the eighth Cruiser tank design, its name given for ease of reference and its General Staff specification number respectively and the related Centaur tank, were one of the most successful series of cruiser tanks fielded by Britain in the Second...
and Matilda
Matilda tank
The Infantry Tank Mark II known as the Matilda II was a British infantry tank of the Second World War. It was also identified from its General Staff Specification A12....
tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s.
Nationalisation and closure
LMS Ivatt Class 4
The LMS Ivatt Class 4 2-6-0 is a class of steam locomotive primarily designed for medium freight work but also widely used on secondary passenger services. The London Midland and Scottish Railway built 162 of this type between 1947 and 1952, but only three were built by the LMS before...
tender engines were completed, twenty-seven followed in 1949, with twenty-four in 1951, followed by a single locomotive in early 1952.
120 LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0
The London Midland and Scottish Railway's Class 5 4-6-0, almost universally known as the Black Five, is a class of steam locomotive. It was introduced by William Stanier in 1934 and 842 were built between then and 1951...
tender engines were built at Horwich by the LMS (53 locos) and British Railways (67 locos) between 1945 and 1950. The last BR Standard design steam engine to be built was outshopped in 1957.
BR continued to overhaul steam engines for several more years. The last steam locomotive (Stanier LMS 8F 2-8-0 48756) was despatched after overhaul on 4 May 1964.
Horwich continued in use as a works for other rolling stock up to 1983. The foundry and the spring shop continued in use after this date, although the work force was reduced from 1400 to 300. In an effort to publicise the redevelopment of the site into small industrial units on 20 June 1985 a BR locomotive (47 491) was named (at Horwich works) Horwich Enterprise by David Mitchell
David Mitchell (politician)
Sir David Bower Mitchell is a British Conservative politician who served as a Member of Parliament for over 30 years.-Education:...
, who was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport at the time. The site was sold by BREL
BREL
British Rail Engineering Limited , was the railway systems engineering division of British Rail, until the design and building of trains in the UK was privatised in 1993. On 31 October 1969, the company was incorporated as British Rail Engineering Limited.-Main products:The vast majority of BREL's...
to the Parkfield Group in 1988 and the rail connection to the works was removed in 1989. The site is now an industrial estate, appropriately named "Horwich Loco", with most of the buildings still in use.
The railway station in Horwich town centre, primarily used by employees at the works was opened in 1887. It closed in 1965 with the last passenger train departing on 27 September 1965, hauled by 2-6-4T number 42626.
Redevelopment
The Horwich Locomotive Works is designated a strategic development site in Bolton Metropolitan BoroughMetropolitan Borough of Bolton
The Metropolitan Borough of Bolton is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Bolton, but covers a far larger area which includes Blackrod, Farnworth, Horwich, Kearsley and Westhoughton, and a suburban and rural element from the West Pennine...
's Council Core Strategy planning document which is subject to Examination In Public by the Planning Inspector. If approved it will be developed as a sustainable mixed use community with capacity for building up to 1600 houses with 15-20 hectares of land for light employment use. The development will connect the Middlebrook Retail Park
Middlebrook, Greater Manchester
Middlebrook is a locality that spans the boundaries of Horwich and Lostock in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England....
to Horwich town centre via the old loco works site by creating a through road with public transport nodes. The plans have been welcomed by local residents due to the existing heavy industrial uses and the associated fires, noise and pollution. There is some opposition to the proposals from some local councillors, who, in principle, support the development but wish to retain many of the old buildings
The Loco Works sheds are part of a designated Conservation Area and it is envisaged that the buildings will be converted if feasible and viable in line with national planning guidance. 'PPS 5 Planning for the Historic Environment' and more specifically policy HE9.
Sources
ReferencesBibliography
- Larkin, E.J., Larkin, J.G., (1988) The Railway Workshops of Great Britain 1823-1986, Macmillan Press
- Rowledge, J.W.P., (1975), Engines of the LMS built 1923-1951, Oxford Publishing Co., ISBN 0-902888-59-5.
- Simmons, J., (1986) The Railway in Town and Country, Newton Abbot: David and Charles