Crossness Open Day: WOOLWICH meets the public

Yesterday saw the first public appearance of The Woolwich at the Crossness Engines Trust Steaming & Historic Transport Day. 

We welcomed a constant stream of visitors into the engine shed, where The Woolwich rests on rails and where our display showed just how special this loco is to the area.  We had a few visitors interested in restoring the engine; if you would like to work on The Woolwich then take a look at the get your hands dirty page.  Thank you to those who left a donation to kick start the restoration.  

View photos of The Woolwich at the open day here

More than 900 paying visitors, some accompanied by children, came to see the beam house in full steam.  Crossness Engines Trust Members were out in force as well, and a great atmosphere could be felt. 

Our voluntary catering team served hundreds of sandwiches, quiches, ploughmans, cakes and drinks with very little fuss and a high level of service.  Given the searing temperatures, they could have done with ice creams to sell as well!

Some more shots of the Crossness Steaming & Historic Transport Day here.

The next open day will be in conjunction with Open House London in September... Watch this space for details.

The end of steam at the Royal Arsenal?

This piece is the penultimate part delving into the history of the narrow gauge railway at the Royal Arsenal.  Subscribe by email to this blog (on the right of this page) to catch the final installment.



At the Arsenal

In the mid 1920s after the First World War, manufacturing had declined at the Royal Arsenal and work was dispersed to other MOD sites across England.

During the mid 1930s the advent of diesel and the expansion of the standard gauge lines in the Arsenal meant that many narrow gauge locos were sold off or scrapped.

After World War II, manufacturing again declined and by 1947 NEWCASTLE and COLCHESTER were taken out of service and scrapped; MANCHESTER followed a similar fate in 1951.

Text (c) by Robin Parkinson and Mark Smithers.

The Royal Arsenal and Narrow Gauge

This piece is the fourth of six parts delving into the history of the narrow gauge railway at the Royal Arsenal.  Subscribe by email to this blog (on the right of this page) to read the further installments. 

All the Class were constructed with outside frames to accommodate the 25in. dia wheels, at the Arsenal gauge of 18in. and the now standard axles centres of 3ft. 3in.

Operating at a steam pressure of 160 lbs/sq. in. Walschaerts valve gear was employed to the 8½ dia. by 12in. stroke cylinders.

The oil-fired units had a side tank water capacity of 260 gallons, a balance pipe connecting the two tanks, boiler feed by two Craven & Chesham injectors.

The rear portion of each tank sectioned off for 50 gallons of light fuel oil, which was preheated via a steam coil before atomisation through a Kermode burner. It is presumed that on the coal fired units; this 'oil tank' would have served as coalbunker.

Overall the Charlton’s were a sturdy and presentable locomotive, with a tractive effort of 4,980 lbs. They were quite happy to work around curves of 35ft. radius and could manage a tight bend of 25ft. if required.

Text (c) by Robin Parkinson and Mark Smithers.

Avonside Engines come to the Royal Arsenal

This piece is the third of six parts delving into the history of the narrow gauge railway at the Royal Arsenal.  Subscribe by email to this blog (on the right of this page) to read the further installments. 

In 1915 the Ministry of Munitions placed an order with Avonside Engine Company for sixteen locomotives of the Charlton Class (O-4-OT). These were to be the final class of narrow gauge steam locomotive to be used on the Royal Arsenal Railway.

The first six, BRISTOL, GLASGOW, LIVERPOOL, NEWCASTLE, DERBY and WOOLWICH were oil-fired and allocated to work in what were classified as “Danger Buildings” such as the Magazine and Filling Factories. The remaining ten coal fired locos were allocated to duties in Non-Danger areas such as coal and passenger haulage.

All of this class were fitted with Conical Spark Arrestors but there were other subtle physical differences. Initially, rear sandboxes were fitted below the footplate then moved to the tank tops; on MANCHESTER and ENFIELD, the front sandboxes were fitted on tank tops although these look ungainly. The first four units had small water tank cut outs; on later units this was made longer. On SHEFFIELD, CHARLTON and DERBY a wooden toolbox was mounted on the left tank top, which may have been an in-house modification.

Text (c) by Robin Parkinson and Mark Smithers.

...You read it here first

We're on page 5 of the Bexley Times today, with The Woolwich taking centre stage in front of the old Royal Arsenal buildings.

Avonside Engine Co - the second chapter

This piece is the second of six parts delving into the history of the narrow gauge railway at the Royal Arsenal.  Subscribe by email to this blog (on the right of this page) to read the further installments. 

In 1882, Edward Walker of Fox Wheeler Locomotives set up a new ‘Avonside Engine Company’ and it remained a respected name for a further fifty years, moving in 1905 to new premises at Fillwood Road, adjoining Fishponds station on the outskirts of Bristol.

In 1934 the business was taken over by the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds and the Fillwood Road works closed, only a few years short of the centenary of the start of locomotive engineering in Bristol.

Text (c) by Robin Parkinson and Mark Smithers.

Avonside Engine Co - the beginning

This piece is the first of six parts delving into the history of the narrow gauge railway at the Royal Arsenal.  Subscribe by email to this blog (on the right of this page) to read the further installments.    

The sturdy, reliable and much liked Avonside Locomotives of the ‘Charlton’ Class were introduced first to the Arsenal in 1915.  WOOLWICH Wks. No.1748 of 1916, is the only remaining example of her class and is now on long term loan to us from the Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills, Essex.

The Woolwich was a product of the Avonside Engine Co. Ltd. at Fishponds, Bristol, specialists in strong and dependable Industrial and Shunting Locomotives. The first company was founded in 1838 by Henry Stothert to supply the ever-expanding market caused by the expansion of the Great Western Railway; the original Avonside Ironworks factory was in the St. Philips district of the city.

In 1841 the company’s technical expertise was boosted when Edwin Slaughter – one of Brunel’s Assistant Engineers from the Great Western Railway - joined as a partner, the new firm of Stothert and Slaughter became well known at home and abroad. It was re-named The Avonside Engine Company in 1864 and prospered, only to become bankrupt by the end of the decade, due to a failure to adapt to the changes in industry.

Text (c) by Robin Parkinson and Mark Smithers.

  

Sad, alone and forgotten!

WOOLWICH in a sad state circa 1961 at the yard of E. L. Pitt & Co. Brackley, Northampton.  Note the conical chimney still intact.