Manning Wardle

Manning Wardlewas asteamlocomotivemanufacturer based inHunslet,Leeds,West Yorkshire,England.

1877 Manning Wardle 0-6-0STSharpthornatHorsted Keyneson theBluebell Railway

Precursor companies

The city of Leeds was one of the earliest centres of locomotive building;Matthew Murraybuilt the first commercially successfulsteam locomotive,Salamanca,inHolbeck,Leeds, in 1812. By 1856, a number of manufacturers had sprung up in the city, includingKitson and Company,andE. B. Wilson and Company,laterThe Railway Foundryafter 1848.

Manning Wardle

Manning Wardle's Boyne Engine Works in Leeds

Ayresome No 12 by Manning Wardle & Co. Ltd

The Railway Foundry (E.B Wilson from 1838–48) operated in Leeds until 1858. At least some of the company's designs and some materials were purchased by Manning Wardle & Company, who located their Boyne Engine Works in Jack Lane in the Hunslet district of the city. Steam locomotive construction commenced on the site in 1859. Within the next few years, two other companies, theHunslet Engine CompanyandHudswell, Clarke & Companyalso opened premises in Jack Lane. There was a good deal of staff movement between the three firms, leading to similar designs leaving all three works. Whilst Hudswell Clarke and Hunslet Engine Company built a wide variety of locomotive types, Manning Wardle concentrated on specialised locomotives for contractor's use, building up a range of locomotives suitable for all types of contracting work.

No 1La Porteña,first steam loco in Buenos Aires

The pivotal Manning Wardle inside-cylinder design was an0-4-0STwith 9-inch by 14-inch cylinders, one of which might have been owned by David Joy (it is described as being for sale in Leeds in 1856 in Vol. 3 of his Diaries) and which was later owned by the Midland Railway. An0-4-2STwith 9.25 in. by 14 in. cylinders was developed from this design for theOxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railwayin 1853. In 1855 a0-6-0STwith 11 in. by 17 in. class was developed, mainly for colliery work. Two of these, namedAllianceandVictorywere used in the Crimea; a contemporary descriptions of them in the Leeds press clearly show that the 'Railway Foundry 11-Inch'0-6-0STwas the direct forerunner of the Manning Wardle 'Old Class I'.The origin of the outside cylinder0-4-0STstandard designs is more obscure. TheChronicles of Boulton's Sidingmentions a Railway Foundry 11-inch outside cylinder0-4-0ST,but this work is notoriously unreliable. An 1856-vintage5 ft 6 in(1,676 mm) gauge outside cylinder2-2-0STwith all wheels of the same diameter,La Portenasurvives inLuján,Argentina (Manning Wardle later built a coupled version of this), but the most credible evidence for the first outside cylinder0-4-0STdesign is the3 ft(914 mm) gauge 8-inch0-4-0STalluded to in the 1862 London Exhibition Catalogue as being similar to the maker's 'D' and 'E' classes apart from the gauge.

Manning Wardle went on to play an important part in narrow gauge steam locomotive evolution. After neighboursHunslet Engine Co.had pioneered the 'Leeds Mainstream' pattern of narrow-gauge steam locomotive (full length outside mainframes; outside cylinders; proper locomotive-pattern boiler; direct drive to coupled wheels; foundation ring below top of frame level, and firebox width not constrained by wheelset 'back-to-back' dimension) with itsDinorwicin 1870, in 1871 Manning Wardle made series production of the type a serious proposition commencing with18 in(457 mm) gauge0-4-0STLord Raglan(No. 353) for the Royal Arsenal. Similar locomotives followed for both the Arsenal and Chatham Dockyard and in 1872 Manning Wardle's first long-wheelbase0-6-0to John Barraclough Fell's patents, an18 in(457 mm) gauge0-6-0tender locomotive for the Royal Engineers on the 'Leeds mainstream' Model appeared. This was followed by two2 ft 6 in(762 mm) gauge Fell-pattern0-6-0ST's in 1873 for the Bay of Havana Railway (see below), one (later two)0-6-0's for the Pentewan Railway in Cornwall, and several 'Quasi-Fell' six-coupled locomotives for Sweden, India and Mexico (again see below). After the appearance of Hunslet's0-6-4STBeddgelertin 1877, the 'Leeds Mainstream' specification had truly come of age and the Boyne Engine Works went on to produce its own more sophisticated designs in the same vein, including the well-known2-6-2T's for the Lynton & Barnstaple,2 ft 6 in(762 mm) gauge0-6-2's for India, and a pair of2-6-4T's for South Africa.Further examples, including two0-6-2STs, were to emanate from Boyne Engine Works almost up to the Company's demise, but most of the later-built examples were for overseas customers in Chile, India and Argentina, the last-mentioned example (No. 2039 of 1924) being an 18-inch gauge development of No. 353 of 1871.

Manning Wardle became a limited company in 1905.

Many Manning Wardle locomotives – ofstandard gaugeand variousnarrow gauges– were exported to Europe, Africa, the Middle East (e.g.thePalestine RailwaysClass M), the Indian sub-continent, Australasia (e.g.NZR WH class) and South America.

During the First World War, Manning Wardle produced a petrol engined standard gauge shunter for the War Office. This had a 180 hpThornycroft6-cylinder marine type reversing engine, and had coupled 0-4-0 layout, weighing 27 tons.Ten of these were ordered initially, with armour-plated superstructures for heavy haulage of rail-mounted guns. The first was delivered to theLongmoor Military Railwayin October 1915, the last to France in May 1916. They proved 'wholly' unsuccessful and were soon relegated to shunting work.

Decline and closure

The company employed traditional construction throughout its existence and failed to take advantage of the more efficient mass production techniques becoming available. The Wardle family connection with the company ceased in 1919 and the company was latterly owned largely by railway contractors (historically an important customer base). The loss of Russian orders following the 1917 October Revolution and the imposition of a punitive Excess Profits Tax in 1921 played their part in bringing about the company's eventual demise, as did expenditure on a new Boiler Shop in 1924 in an attempt to modernise production methods. In what had become a bleak environment for private locomotive builders generally Manning Wardle had simply become uncompetitive.

The last complete locomotive was No. 2047, a standard gauge0-6-0STdelivered to Rugby Cement Works in August 1926. This locomotive was preserved at the Severn Valley Railway and last steamed in 1977 when the boiler was condemned. After some years on static display atKidderminster Railway Museum,restoration began in 2010 and as of 2021is in progress at Bewdley. The design for a new boiler has been approved.

Acquisition

Following closure in 1926 after producing more than 2,000 steam locomotives, much of the site was taken over by Hunslet Engine Co., with some parts going to the diesel engine manufacturer, McClaren. The company's intellectual property rights, goodwill, drawings and patterns initially passed Kitson & Co., thence to Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn in 1938 and finally to Hunslet Engine Company in 1960. Kitson & Co. made twenty-three locos of Manning Wardle design until the firm's withdrawal from locomotive manufacture and Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn produced a further five in 1940-1, all T class 0-6-0ST's for Stewarts & Lloyds. The surviving drawings are now held at Statfold Barn Railway Museum, near Tamworth.

The trademark nameManning Wardleis owned by a company formed in 1999 to preserve the name for theLynton & Barnstaple Railway,which from 1898 to 1935 operated what have become some of the company's most famous products,narrow gauge2-6-2Tengines:Exe,Taw,Yeoand laterLew.

Preservation

Many locomotives of the company have been preserved, as listed below

Steam

• No. 375 of 1871: Ituana Railway,Brazil,Caramaruoriginally 3ft 1.6in gauge, now1,000 mm(3 ft3+3⁄8in). On display outsideIndustrial and Commercial Secretariat,Imbituba,Brazil.0-4-0STSpecial. May contain components from No. 2016 of 1921.
• No. 441 of 1873: Originally namedColiseoBay of Havana & Matanzas Railway, now on display in incomplete form at the railway museum inHavana.0-6-0STSpecial, Fell pattern.
• No. 576 of 1875: Norsk Hoved-Jernbane No. 25 (NHJ Class D/NSB Class 7), on display at theNorwegian Railway MuseuminHamar,Norway.0-4-0STModified F class.
• No. 641 of 1877:Sharpthorn- Preserved and on display at theBluebell Railway,in Southeast England.0-6-0STK class.
• No. 815 of 1881: Preserved and on static display at theRailway Museum,Saitama city, Saitama Pref.Japan.0-6-0STSpecial.
• No. 865 of 1882:Aldwyth- Preserved and on static display at theLeeds Industrial Museum,in Armley, West Yorkshire, Northern England.0-6-0STK class.
• No. 1045 of 1888: North Eastern Railway of UruguayNo. 1,now at Penarol Diesel Works, Montevideo,Uruguay.Special descended from old class I.
• No. 1126 of 1889:3 ft 6 in(1,067 mm) gaugeFCCT No. 1,now displayed at Plazoleta Sotomajor, Tocopilla,Chile.0-4-0STSpecial.
• No. 1156 or 1157 of 1889: Palmerjero Mining Co., Chihuahua,Mexico,3 ft(914 mm) gauge, originally0-6-0T'Quasi Fell' pattern, later2-4-0T(conversion used maker's components). Now displayed in the Plaza, Chinipaz,Mexico.
• No. 1159 of 1889:Jack Taroriginally3 ft(914 mm) gauge, converted to3 ft 6 in(1,067 mm) gauge by Hunslet Engine Co. and later exported to Mashonaland Railway, S. Rhodesia. Preserved inBulawayo Railway Museum,Zimbabwe.0-6-0ST'Long Boiler' Special.
• No. 1198 of 1887: Port AdministrationNo. 3.Now at CEFU, Montevideo, Uruguay.0-6-0STSpecial descended from old class I.
• No. 1207 of 1890:The Welshman.Now onFoxfield Railway.0-6-0ST'Long Boiler' Special.
• No. 1210 of 1891:Logan and HemingwayNo. 30Sir Berkeley- Preserved and undergoing overhaul on theMiddleton Railway,in West Yorkshire, Northern England.0-6-0STL class.
• No. 1248 of 1892: Norsk Hoved-Jernbane No. 11 (NHJ Class D/NSB Class 7), running at theKrøderen LineinBuskerud,Norway.0-4-0STModified F class.
• No. 1317 of 1895: Birmingham CorporationRhiwnant.under restoration atSouth Coast Steam Ltd.,Portland Dorset.0-6-0STSpecial.
• No. 1351 of 1897A.G. Puertos No. 85 ft 6 in(1,676 mm) gauge, now preserved atMuseo Ferroportuario,Commodoro Rivadavia,Argentina.0-6-0TSpecial.
• No. 1382 of 1897:Cilgwin Slate Co. Ltd,Jubilee 1897,2 ft(610 mm) gauge. Now withVale of Rheidol Railway,Wales.0-4-0STSpecial.
• No. 1532 of 1901: Midland Coal, Iron and Coke Co.Newcastle- Preserved and currently stored at theBeamish Museum,in Northeast England.0-6-0STModified M class.
• No. 1583 of 1902:SAR No. 20Midget,2 ft(610 mm) gauge. Now atGold Reef City,Johannesburg,South Africa.0-4-0TSpecial.
• No. 1601 of 1903:John Aird & Co.No. 138Matthew Murray- Preserved and awaiting overhaul on theMiddleton Railway,in West Yorkshire, Northern England.0-6-0STL class.
• No. 1609 of 1903: Palmerjero Mining Co., Chihuahua,Mexico,3 ft(914 mm) gauge. Now displayed in the Plaza, Chinipaz,Mexico.2-4-2Tspecial.
• No. 1656 of 1905: CF du Katanga3 ft 6 in(1,067 mm) gauge.Maramba No. 1.Now displayed Lubumbashi Station DR of Congo.0-6-0STSpecial.
• No. 1675 of 1906:3 ft(914 mm) gaugeKettering Furnaces No. 8(updated version ofJack Taras built). Under restoration in Leics.0-6-0ST'Long Boiler' Special.
• No. 1762 of 1910: Lloyds Ironstone Co. Ltd. No. 14Dolobran- Preserved and undergoing restoration on theGreat Central Railway (Nottingham).0-6-0STT class
• No. 1781 of 1911: New South Wales Government Public Works Department. Static display at thePowerhouse Museum,Sydney Australia.0-4-0STH class.
• No. 1795 of 1912: T. W. Ward Ltd.E.B.Wilson- Preserved and currently awaiting restoration atDerwent Valley Light Railway,in Yorkshire.0-4-0STSpecial.
• No. 1802 of 1912:Possum.New to Vickers Shipbuilding, Barrow, purchased 1919 byHoskins Ironworks,Lithgow N.S.W. later toA.I.S. Port Kembla1928, withdrawn 1967. On display atEskbank House,Lithgow, N.S.W. Australia.0-4-0STSpecial.
• No. 1822 of 1913: Originally for Buenos Aires Harbour Works, Argentina, latterly Sierra Menera no. 27 (Spain). Now in San Fernando, Andalusia, Spain,5 ft 6 in(1,676 mm) gauge.0-6-0STModified M class with original correct smokebox profile. Frame spacing as for British standard gauge but with reverse mounted hornblocks to cope with longer axles for the wider gauge.
• No. 1848 of 1914: Originally for Buenos Aires Harbour Works, Argentina, now at LLEIDA ARMF workshops, Spain for restoration,5 ft 6 in(1,676 mm) gauge.0-6-0STModified M class with original correct smokebox profile. Frame spacing as for British standard gauge but with reverse mounted hornblocks to cope with longer axles for the wider gauge.
• No. 1864 of 1915: SLGRNellie,2 ft 6 in(762 mm) gauge, now inFreetown Railway Museum,Sierra Leone.0-4-0STSpecial.
• No. 1877 of 1915:Chattenden and Upnor RailwayChevallier2 ft 6 in(762 mm) gauge. Now atFlour Mill Workshops,Forest of Dean.0-6-2TSpecial based on design for Chilean Nitrate Railways.
• No. 1896 of 1916:New South Wales Government Railway No. 1021Cardiff.On Display atTrainworksThirlmere, N.S.W. Australia.0-4-0STH class.
• No. 1901 of 1916:2 ft 6 in(762 mm) gaugeDon Carlos,now derelict at Carlos Casado SA, Puerto Casado,Paraguay.2-8-2WTSpecial (pony trucks believed missing).
• No. 1915 of 1916:1,000 mm(3 ft3+3⁄8in) gauge,Davington Light Railway,Kent to Imbituba Docks Brazil (No. 2on both systems). Now inTubarao Railway Museum,Santa Catarina,Brazil.0-6-0STSpecial.
• No. 1916 of 1916:1,000 mm(3 ft3+3⁄8in) gauge, Davington Light Railway, Kent to Imbituba Docks Brazil (No. 3on both systems). Now in Diamond Park, Capivari, Santa Catarina,Brazil.0-6-0STSpecial.
• No. 1955 of 1917:Park Gate Iron and Steel CompanyNo. 14Charwelton- Preserved and undergoing overhaul on theKent & East Sussex Railway,in South East England.0-6-0STSpecial, modified from O class.
• No. 2009 of 1921: Lloyds Ironstone Co. Ltd. No. 41Rhyl- Preserved and undergoing restoration on theGreat Central Railway (Nottingham).0-6-0STT class.
• No. 2010 of 1921: Lloyds Ironstone Co. Ltd. No. 42Rhondda- On static display at Caister Castle, Norfolk.0-6-0STT class.
• No. 2015 of 1921:Cardiff Corporation WaterworksNo. 5Abernant- Preserved and under restoration in private workshop near Killamarsh, Yorkshire.0-6-0STde facto M class but with incorrect straight-sided smokebox profile.
• No. 2018 of 1922:Littleton CollieryLittleton No. 5- Preserved and currently out of use, at theAvon Valley Railway,in Gloucestershire.0-6-0STSpecial.
• No. 2025 of 1923:Cadbury Bros.No. 7Winston Churchill.0-6-0STde facto L class.
• No. 2047 of 1926:Rugby Portland CementNo. 4WarwickshireIt was the last locomotive built by Manning Wardle and is preserved and undergoing overhaul on theSevern Valley Railway.0-6-0STSpecial modified from Q class.
• New-build completed at Boston Lodge (F.R.) 20102 ft(610 mm) gaugeLydbased on Lynton & Barnstaple locomotives.2-6-2TSpecial.

Diesel and electric

• TBA

External links

• Existing steam locomotives built by Manning Wardle
• An 1863 locomotive for New Zealand