Locomotives

I am deeply indebted to Peter Holmes for the below information. It is almost entirely his work, and is much appreciated.

Gauge : 4ft 81⁄2in   Some of the locomotives were named after female members of the Barton family. For example Mary Irving was the maiden name of Mrs. Edward D Barton. 

Name                                 Type          Builder     Number     Date             Notes (see below).

• FANNY                  0-4-0ST     OC     HG            246           1866 New      (1) 

• MAUD                   0-4-0ST      OC     HG           253            1869 New       (2)

• MARY IRVING      0-4-0ST      OC     HG           298           1873 New     (3)   Some names were transferred to replacement locomotives on retirement. 

• MABEL                  0-4-0ST     OC     YE             321            1880 New?     (4)     Named after Mabel Barton of the Cragland home. Daughter of Edward.

• ETHEL                   0-4-0ST     OC      HC           239             1882 New      (5)     Named after Ethel Barton of the Scarr Close home. Daughter of Edward.

• CROSSFIELD #1   0-4-0T       OC       FJ            112             1871   (a)       (6)

• CROSSFIELD#2    0-4-0T      OC        FJ            137             1874    (a)      (7)

• MAUD                   0-4-0ST     OC      HC           502            1898 New       (8)

• PEGGY                   0-4-0ST    OC      HC           525             1900 New       (9)

• MARY IRVING       0-4-0ST    OC      HC            557            1900 New    (10)

• ETHEL                   0-4-0ST     OC      HC           762             1906 New     (11)

• MABEL                   0-4-0ST    OC      HC           856            1908 New      (12)

• VICTORY                0-4-0ST     OC     AB           1654            1920   (b)     (13)

Key
Type:   Wheel arrangement 0-4-0 is a 4 wheeled locomotive.  T = Tank  locomotive    ST = Saddle Tank locomotive.   OC = outside cylinder (cylinders outside the main frames).
Builder:  see below
Number : builder's serial number (not  a Carnforth works number)
Date : original build date.

(a) ex Crossfield Iron Ore Co, Moor Row, Cumberland, probably in 1894.
(b) ex J. Brown & Co Ltd, Sheffield.

1. FANNY to McCormick, contractor, 1902.

2. MAUD to HC, Leeds, by 3/1899, later at Blackwell Colliery Co Ltd, Sutton Colliery, Notts, where it was reportedly formerly named FANNY so there must be some confusion.

3. MARY IRVING (I) to HC (1902 is date given by IRS but see my notes later on), later at Walker Maynard & Co, Warrenby Ironworks, Redcar.

4. MABEL (I) A new locomotive was needed in 1980 for the extended run to the slag tip on Warton shoreline. Hopkins Gilkes ceased manufacture at t his time so Carnforth had to source a new locomotive elsewhere. Most locomotive manufacturing companies were losing money at that time. Yorkshire Engine Company were posting significant losses and went in to liquidation in July 1880. It was nip and tuck! Scrapped or sold circa 1907, no further information.

5. ETHEL (I) scrapped or sold, probably before the arrival of the second ETHEL in 1906, no further information.

6. CROSSFIELD #1 to North Bitchburn Fireclay Co, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, allegedly in 1894 which I think is suspect; alternative date of 1915 more likely?

7. CROSSFIELD #2 believed scrapped at an unknown date.

8. MAUD to TWW CH 68, 1931.

9. PEGGY to TWW CH 69, 1931.

10. MARY IRVING (II) scrapped, 1931.

11. ETHEL (II) to TWW CH 71, 1931, then to Millom & Askam Hematite Iron Co Ltd, Millom Ironworks, Cumberland, in about 1938, after rebuild by Ridley Shaw & Co of Middlesbrough.

12. MABEL(II) to TWW CH 70, 1931.

13. VICTORY to TWW 1931, and later to Sheffield Coal Co. 14" x 22" cylinders   3ft. 5" dia. wheels.  Original owner John Brown & Co. Ltd. Sheffield.

Summary of abbreviations, in Industrial Railway Society notation:

• HG = Hopkins, Gilkes & Co, Tees Engine Works, Middlesbrough

• YE = Yorkshire Engine Co Ltd, Sheffield

• HC = Hudswell, Clarke & Co Ltd, Railway Foundry, Leeds

• FJ = Fletcher, Jennings & Co, Lowca Engine Works, Whitehaven

• AB = Andrew Barclay, Sons & Co Ltd, Kilmarnock

• TWW = T.W. Ward Ltd, Sheffield, plant and scrap dealer.

There are a some further points which need to be made about the locomotive list.

A supposedly reliable Hopkins Gilkes works list shows 246 as FANNY, for 253 no name is recorded, and 298 as MARY IRVINE which I'm sure should be IRVING (see photos).  

It's interesting to look at the chronology and re-allocation of the loco names. The names MARY IRVING, ETHEL and MABEL carried by early locos were perpetuated by the later Hudswell Clarkes which, presumably, replaced them. The early name FANNY was not perpetuated by a later loco unless there's one we don't know about. What I find very significant is that the name PEGGY carried by one of the Hudswell Clarkes is not known to have been carried by earlier locos. MAUD HG 253 had gone to HC by 3/1899 and we can speculate that it was in part-exchange for HC 502 of 1898 named MAUD.

We can suggest that HC 557 of 1900 MARY IRVING took its name from HG 298 also taken by HC in part exchange, but this doesn't tally with the 1902 date given by the IRS for sale of HG 298 to HC. It's possible to speculate endlessly on this kind of thing, and it's a risky business because guesswork can go all the way round the houses and come back to haunt you.

The photograph of FANNY with the lady in white standing in the cab was not, it appears, conclusively taken at Carnforth. If the loco was sold to contractor McCormick in 1902 as the IRS list shows, then the picture could show it in McCormick's ownership and that might account for what appear to be building materials in the photo.

Alternatively, if it was indeed FANNY that went to Blackwell Colliery, the picture could have been taken there. The five HC locos MAUD, PEGGY, MARY IRVING, ETHEL and MABEL plus the solitary Andrew Barclay VICTORY make up the six locomotives known to have remained in stock at the closure of the ironworks.

The four locos MAUD, PEGGY, ETHEL and MABEL were given TWW reference numbers CH 68 to CH 71, the 'CH' presumably denoting 'Carnforth Hematite'. TWW allocated reference numbers to plant such as locomotives which they acquired and considered for onward sale, but I'm not aware that these four locos have turned up anywhere with later owners. MARY IRVING was scrapped in 1931 without, apparently, receiving a TWW reference number which suggests it was worn out and wasn't worth considering for sale. Oddly enough VICTORY did find a new owner, but no TWW reference number is known to have been recorded for it.

TWW operated the North Lonsdale Tar Macadam Co Ltd as their roadmaking subsidiary. This company was set up at Ulverston in 1924, originally as a subsidiary of the Irlam Tarmacadam Co Ltd, becoming a subsidiary of TWW in 1928 and operating at Ulverston until about 1936. The Tarmacadam operation at Carnforth is discussed here.

It is significant that the HC locomotive ETHEL didn't go to Millom Ironworks, after refurbishment by Ridley Shaw, until about 1938. It is probable that it was retained by TWW after the Carnforth Ironworks demolition was complete, for use at the Carnforth NLTM works.