The very last locomotive to be built at Stafford Road Works was 2-6-2T No 4519, which was completed in April 1908, and it is seen here at Paddington, circa 1920. This 2-6-2T would eventually be withdrawn from service in February 1959. Author's Collection.

Wolverhampton-built locomotives

A detailed history of the construction and rebuilding of locomotives at the Stafford Road Works, and the differences from those built at Swindon, would easily require a complete book in itself to do the subject full justice, so this is an overview. The newly formed GWR Northern Division had come about by way of a series of amalgamations with other smaller railway companies, and the locomotives and stock that was acquired was extremely varied, to say the least, as there were few alike. At first the policy had to be one of repair and rebuilding wherever possible, and as a result it was not until 1859 that Stafford Road Works managed to build its first completely new locomotive, followed by another two during 1860 and 1862.

The Works capacity for new builds had been made even worse on the assimilation of the extra West Midland Railway stock in 1863, but nonetheless this difficult situation was accepted and dealt with. After Joseph Armstrong moved down to Swindon in 1864, his brother George Armstrong then had to continue with what was almost a constant 'make and mend' policy, bringing into use standard boilers, parts, cylinders, and other elements of construction whenever possible. As a result, it took some years before the regular construction of new locomotives could be moved forward to any extent, due to the fact that the Works was hard pressed just to maintain its eclectic collection of locomotives, let alone find the time to build new ones.


No 30 was a 2-2-2 Single constructed at Wolverhampton (Works No 3) in September 1860. It incorporated outside bearings for the carrying wheels and inside bearings only for the main driving wheels. Records indicate that the firebox used was from the ex-Shrewsbury & Chester Railway locomotive it replaced. The driving wheel diameter was 6ft 6in, and the leading and trailing wheels were 4ft 0in. Seen coupled to its original four-wheel tender, in time this locomotive would receive weather boards and a cab. On the footplate is driver Thomas Smith, who in August 1864 began work as the first (and at the time the only) driver on the line between Market Drayton and Nantwich, which was a section on the Wellington to Crewe line. The paintwork of the locomotive and tender is covered in tallow wax, which, whilst affording protection, leaves a permanent smear, and any changes in the direction of the application was thus noticeable. The men made use of this effect in order to create various patterns, and this technique was known as 'givering'. Author's Collection.

It soon became clear that an extension of the Works was now an urgent requirement, and so the Works was expanded as quickly as possible within the area of land that was available. The first new locomotive built to a George Armstrong design eventually appeared in 1866, amidst the never ending maintenance and rebuilds of the other locomotives.

Despite these adverse conditions, as from 1866 onwards, construction of new engines at Stafford Road Works increased rapidly, which were, in the main, various classes of small 0-6-0Ts or 0-4-2Ts, with the surprise exception of six '3226' class 2-4-0 tender engines for passenger use, which appeared in 1889. By way of example, there were 170 locomotives that comprised the '850' and '1901' classes of 0-6-0Ts built at the Works in fourteen lots between 1874 and 1895, and which were in essence to become the 'stock in trade' of Wolverhampton Works for some thirty years. The well known '517' class 0-4-2Ts, which comprised some 156 engines, were all built at Stafford Road Works over a period of years from 1868 to 1885, and there were also a number of 'one-off' 0-4-0STs and 0-4-0ST rebuilds.

Alongside all of this construction work, however, many larger passenger locomotives and other types of engines were being built as 'renewals'. In the latter case there were large numbers of 2-2-2 and 2-4-0 tender engines (even some whole classes) that were formally designated as 'renewals', although in reality almost nothing of the original locomotive actually remained in the finished Stafford Road product. These were termed 'Accountant's Rebuilds', and as such no actual Works numbers were given to them.


An early photograph of Wolverhampton-built 2-4-0 No 346 of 1865. Shortly after George Armstrong took over as Manager of the Stafford Road Works he had twelve small 2-4-0 engines built, which appeared during the period 1864 to 1866. These engines were not all of a uniform class, but were nonetheless alike in many respects as to frame, firebox, and boiler construction. Originally built as back or well tanks, they proved to be unsatisfactory in this form and so they were all converted to saddle tanks within a few years. No 346, completed in December 1865, is seen here following its conversion at the Works to saddle tank form during 1867. Author's Collection.

The Wolverhampton Style

It is worth noting that the wide independence which the GWR Northern Division established at Wolverhampton was evidenced by many features. George Armstrong soon developed what became known as 'The Wolverhampton Style'. For a long time the Stafford Road-built locomotives were even painted in a different style to those at Swindon, harking back to the days of the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway livery. In relation to Wolverhampton locomotive colour schemes, it is difficult to be absolutely precise on this subject as there are only limited sources for this information, which sometimes tend to differ. However, on a general basis the Wolverhampton livery as noted from 1880 was a blue-green colour with black boiler bands, with borders and panelling lined out in white. Outside frames and wheels were in a dark purple brown, edged in black and picked out in red. Wheel bosses were bordered with black rings, with a red line around each edge. However, from about 1894 Wolverhampton started to adopt the Swindon-style GWR green livery, but no doubt it would have taken some time for full conformity with Swindon to be established at Wolverhampton.

Apart from colour schemes and distinctive lining-out patterns, there were also numerous obvious detail differences. By way of example, Wolverhampton-built (or rebuilt) locomotives were often fitted with a distinctive 'roll-top' chimney, and there were also smokebox 'wing-plates' (on some classes of 0-4-2Ts), typical Wolverhampton-style cabs and also spectacle plates, and flat or dished smokebox doors. In the early years, very distinctive L&NWR-style cast-iron 'H' -section wheels were fitted to certain classes of 0-6-0STs. Wolverhampton Works was justifiably proud of the individuality of its locomotives from the Swindon-built products and strived to maintain this situation for as long as possible, and there was always some degree of rivalry with its Swindon counterpart.


The '3226' class locomotive No 3229 is shown here as built in 1889 with a flush firebox casing and Wolverhampton type chimney. No 3229 was one of the six locomotives that formed the whole of the class, and these were the last tender engines to be built at the Stafford Road Works. Author's Collection.

George Armstrong retired in 1896, and during his 33 years in charge, Wolverhampton Works had built 627 new locomotives and rebuilt a further 513 engines. J. A. Robinson was then appointed as the Northern Division Locomotive Superintendent to carry on the work from 1897 up until 1918. It was during the course of his superintendency that the last two Lots of locomotives actually to be built at Stafford Road Works were completed and turned out during 1905 and 1906, after which time the building of new engines at Wolverhampton ceased altogether.

Over thirty years passed, during which time the Works was only able to deal with locomotive repairs falling within its capacity. It was not until 1932, when the major and final expansion of the Works premises had been completed, that Wolverhampton was to some extent restored to the front rank, so as to speak, able to cope with the heaviest of the GWR locomotives, which remained the case up to its official closure.

At one stage the Stafford Road Factory (as it was locally known) had earned itself the nickname of 'The Museum' as a result of the collection of old-style Cambrian Railways or Dean 0-6-0s that would often be found there awaiting attention, together with the various old-style Wolverhampton saddle tanks and other oddities.

With the opening of the new locomotive shed at Oxley in 1907 (mainly for goods engines), the engine shed at Stafford Road then catered only for the larger passenger locomotives, shed No 2 becoming a tank repair shop, later falling, as did No 3 shed, into disrepair. However, as the years went by a general mixing of both goods and mixed traffic locomotives became the case at both Oxley and Stafford Road sheds, apart from the Wolverhampton-allocated 'King' class locomotives that were always the province of Stafford Road shed.


Wolverhampton-built '850' class 0-6-0T No 1227 is seen at Stafford Road, circa 1880, as built in 1877. Author's Collection.


Crane engines Nos 17 and 18 were built at Swindon Works in 1901, but they were in effect based on the Wolverhampton designed '850' class tanks, with the rear frame extended backwards to accommodate the steam crane. Even the wheels were of the Wolverhampton 'H'-section pattern.

No 17 Cyclops was attached to Stafford Road Works from 1903 onwards and (among other locations) was once photographed in 1914 on the Brunel-designed twin tubular bridges which crossed the adjacent canal, a section of the double bridge that provided the access to a separate coaling plant. No 17 Cyclops is seen here on shed at Stafford Road. In due course, in March 1934, Cyclops would be transferred from its duties at Wolverhampton to Swindon, with this locomotive eventually being withdrawn in September 1936. Author’s Collection.


Apart from its 0-6-0Ts, Wolverhampton Works also produced saddle tanks and side tanks of other wheel arrangements. Whilst Swindon adhered to the 2-4-0T arrangement, Wolverhampton is remembered in particular for its useful 0-4-2Ts of the '517' class, which comprised some 156 engines built from 1868 to 1885. Throughout their construction they were improved and modified in preference to being replaced with new engines. The head of the class, No 517, is seen in its original condition. The first thirty or so of these engines were built as saddle tanks, but all of the '517s' ended up as side tanks, and the last survivor, No 1163, would be withdrawn in May 1946. A further ten 0-4-2Ts were built during 1895, known as the '3571' class. These were a development of the '517s' and were the first Wolverhampton engines to be fitted with Dean-type chimneys from new. The last engine of this class in use was No 3574, which would not be withdrawn until December 1949. Author's Collection.

The '517' class 0-4-2T No 847 was completed at Wolverhampton Works in February 1875. During the 19th century these engines were employed on branch line and local work, especially in the Northern Division, and were used for most of the suburban work in the Wolverhampton and Birmingham areas. No 847 would ultimately be withdrawn in May 1933. Author's Collection.

The 0-4-0ST No 45 was completed at Wolverhampton in June 1880, and it was the only 0-4-0ST of a conventional design to be built at a GWR Works. It was constructed as a replacement for an old four-coupled engine that was inherited from the Shrewsbury & Birmingham Railway, and it would not be withdrawn until April 1938. Author's Collection.

An example of a typical Wolverhampton saddle tank locomotive. This '1501' class 0-6-0PT, No 1805, was built at the Stafford Road Works in 1881, and it is seen here, circa 1890, in the later style of Wolverhampton livery. The above frame lining out of the cabside and coal bunker can clearly be seen, as can the typical Stafford Road application of decreasing circles on the wheel centres. Author’s Collection.

Wolverhampton-built '1016' class 0-6-0ST No 1040 is pictured against the backdrop of Stafford Road Works, circa 1890. The Wolverhampton style of rolled-top chimney and a rear spectacle plate are in evidence. These spectacle plates were a characteristic Wolverhampton feature that appeared in various forms from the 1860s onwards, with or without glasses, examples of which could still be found well into the 1930s. Author’s Collection.

The 'Queen' class 2-2-2 No 1000 was allocated to Wolverhampton, the engine being seen here in the yard at Stafford Road while fitted with an intermediate style cab and other Wolverhampton fitments. E .L. Ahrons, writing in Locomotive and Train Working in the latter part of the 19th century, said 'I travelled hundreds of miles on the footplates of most of the 7ft Singles, and the Wolverhampton engines were certainly the better for both pulling and running. On the 4.45pm (from Paddington) they gave me a large number of excellent performances, the best of which was by engine No 1000 (Driver Hamer) which ran from Oxford to Birmingham with 120 tons, 65.718 miles in 69 minutes 50 seconds at an average speed of 56½ miles per hour. No 1000 was finally withdrawn in September 1906'.

The Swindon-built 'Queen' class numbered some 21 locomotives that sprang from a single engine, No 55 of September 1873, Queen herself (as the name suggests) being often used on Royal trains, on which duty it was adorned with a large detachable plaque carrying the Royal Coat of Arms in brass. In due course 'Queen' class locomotives were variously modified and rebuilt at Wolverhampton Stafford Road Works with new boilers, closed-in splashers, and other Wolverhampton-style features. These engines initially worked expresses from London to Swindon and Gloucester, and also to Wolverhampton. No 999 Sir Alexander, together with Nos 1000, 1116, 1121, and 1127, were allocated to Wolverhampton. By the turn of the century they were employed mainly on the Wolverhampton expresses. However, by 1904 the 'Queens' had become obsolete and so they were relegated to secondary duties from Oxford and Swindon. Authors Collection.

Post-1929

It was in 1929, funded by a Government grant, that the GWR prepared plans to rebuild and enlarge the Wolverhampton Works, but this time on a smaller scale than had originally been envisaged back in 1905. Eventually completed in 1932, a new Works building was constructed on the west side of the Victoria Basin line, containing erecting equipment, machine and wheel turning shops, the old erecting shops being converted to boiler testing and tube repair shops. The rest of the old shops were either stripped or converted for minor uses, so that little then remained but the shell of the old Locomotive Works. The old brass foundry, smithy, and forge were kept on, and also a spring-preparing furnace and a stripping press were added to the smithy.

The new building was 450ft long x 196ft wide and was arranged in three bays, two forming the erecting shop and the third was for the machine and wheel shops. Each of the erecting shop bays was equipped with two fifty-ton overhead cranes, and the machine shop had a six-ton crane.

Across the width of the southern end of the new building extended an electric traverser, onto which locomotives entering the Works for repair were drawn up by the pilot locomotive, and then moved across to the end of the relevant road and into the building through the large doors within one of the loftier of the three gables forming the structure. Once inside, engines would be stripped and successively moved along the line as they were overhauled and re-assembled. Following release at the building's northern end, repaired engines then entered the weighbridge house where, on separate scales for each axle, the weight distribution of the locomotive could be adjusted by tightening or loosening the spring-hanger nuts. Also at the south end was a tank shop, and outside was a six-ton 'Goliath' crane with a span of 75ft. Parts requiring no repairs, and removed earlier from locomotives about to undergo their refitting, were also stored here. On the eastern side of the building was a new boiler house containing two Lancashire boilers with automatic stokers for heating the shops.


A view from the Fox's Lane (south) end of the yard on 24 April 1932. The roundhouses provide the backdrop, their use having changed since the opening of the nearby Oxley shed in 1907, with the No 2 shed here going on to become a tank repair shop. At the head of the line of locomotives is No 1253, an outside-framed 0-6-0PT, with 'Dean Goods' 0-6-0 No 2551 behind; newly outshopped from the Works, the 'Dean Goods' is without its tender. Next in line is No 2107, a Wolverhampton-built '2101' class saddle-tank, followed by a 'Metro' class 2-4-0T, No 973. At the rear is another Stafford Road-built engine, No 2120. H. C. Casserley.

A circa 1932 scene from inside the soon to be superseded erecting shop of the lower part of the now growing Stafford Road Works site. What appears to be the boiler of a 'Castle' class 4-6-0 can be seen on the centre road, with a stripped down 2-4-0 to the left and various sections of a 2-6-2T to the right. A far from ideal working environment, even the walls of the building are grime-encrusted from years of locomotive work. The much brighter, loftier and roomy facilities on the other side of the Victoria Basin line would be under construction as this view was photographed. Author's Collection.

 
Return to
part 1
  Proceed to
part 3