Peckett Combined.Xlsx
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Peckett & Co. Archive and Drawings List Description: The Peckett Archive consists mainly of technical records relating to the manufacture and repair of locomotives. There are also some financial records, photographic negatives and a small amount of publicity material. System of arrangement: Due to the fragmentation of the Peckett Archive before it came to the National Railway Museum, the original order of the records has been difficult to ascertain (except in the case of engineering drawings). The engineering drawings have been catalogued and arranged using the original numbering system as recorded on the drawings. The archive has therefore been arranged by the National Railway Museum into the eight series as described below: Peckett 1 Engine Registers c1950s Peckett 2 Financial Records 1951-1961 Peckett 3 Drawing Registers 1881-1958 Peckett 4 Drawing Record Books 1882-1965 Peckett 5 Sketch Book 1914-1959 Peckett 6 Engineering Drawings c1872-1965 Peckett 7 Photographic Negatives c1885-1950 Peckett 8 Publicity Material c1880s – c1940s Physical characteristics: Peckett 1-5 are hard-backed volumes and all are in a fair condition. Peckett 9 consists of soft back paper booklets, also in a fair condition. The earliest engineering drawings in this archive (Peckett 6) are on cartridge paper and are very fragile. Later dyeline prints are also in a fragile condition. The majority of the drawings are on wax linen and are in a fair condition. The photographic silver gelatin negatives are a mixture of glass plate and film and are in a fair condition. Administrative History: Fox Walker & Company, Bristol, 1864-1878. The partnership formed in 1864 between Francis William Fox (b.1841) and Edwin Walker (1840-1917) marked the beginning of specialist locomotive manufacturing in Bristol. They established their Atlas Engineering Works at Deep Pit Road, St George, to the east of Bristol. The railway boom of the 1860s saw Fox Walker & Company develop a successful business, concentrating on the manufacture of standardised locomotives, mainly small tank engines suitable for industry and engineering both at home and overseas. By the mid 1860s, 40% of Fox Walker’s production also supplied narrow gauge railways in Europe and South America. By the mid 1870s, the railway boom had collapsed. The private locomotive manufacturers concentrated on their specialist markets and in doing so their businesses weathered the storm. During this time, Fox Walker & Company continued to develop their successful export business, exhibiting at both the Vienna Exhibition in 1873 and the Paris Exhibition of 1878. However, by the late 1870s private locomotive manufacturers were struggling to survive. Attempts at diversification by Fox Walker & Company from 1875 led to a number of unsuccessful investments, first in the Handyside Steep Gradient Company Limited and then in steam tram technology. By December 1878, mounting loses resulted in the Fox Walker partnership coming to an end. Peckett & Sons Limited, Bristol, 1881-1962. Brighouse, Yorkshire, 1962-c1982. What remained of Fox Walker & Company was taken over by Thomas Peckett (1834-1891) and his four sons in 1881. Peckett & Sons continued in the business tradition of Fox Walker, producing industrial locomotives to standardised designs. By the start of the twentieth century the industrial locomotive manufacturing industry was flourishing once more. To cope with demand the Atlas Works expanded with a rebuilt boiler shop and new machine shop. Throughout the early twentieth century Peckett built their reputation on ‘specialisation and standardisation’. Theirs was a strong brand name and it dominated its market supplying industrial locomotives. In 1914, Peckett & Sons became a limited company. Peckett was busy through the years of the First World War with new orders and locomotive repairs. new orders and locomotive repairs. In the years after 1918 the majority of work passing through the works was repairs, especially after the grouping of railway companies in 1923. However, the prosperity was not to last. Peckett managed to survive the 1930s depression as the business benefited from the company’s past prudence. The recovery in the market towards the end of the 1930s continued during the Second World War as the company received large orders as a result of the war effort. However the company’s fortunes suffered as a result of acute shortages after 1945 and the railway industry’s increasing movement towards diesel traction. Peckett & Sons were reluctant to invest in the advancing diesel technology. Consequently the business was left behind, only making the move towards diesel in 1955 as a result of the British Railway Modernisation Plan decision to phase out steam locomotives. By this time it was too late for Peckett & Sons Limited. Their first diesel locomotive was completed in 1956. Only five diesel locomotives had been produced by the time the last Peckett locomotive left the Atlas Works in August 1959. Peckett & Sons Limited continued producing spares and carrying out repairs at the Atlas Works until the company was taken over by Reed Crane & Hoist Company of Brighouse, Yorkshire in October 1961. The Atlas Works closed when the last repaired locomotive left the premises in January 1962. Reed Crane & Hoist Company continued to supply spares under the name of Peckett & Sons from Brighouse. At this stage it is not clear when Reed Crane & Hoist Company ceased trading. However by the 1980’s Peckett & Sons Limited had became a subsidiary of the Myson Group Limited. When the National Railway Museum acquired the engineering archive from the Company in 1982 demand for Peckett steam locomotive spares was virtually nil. The name Peckett & Sons Limited was removed from the Companies Register in March 1995. (Sources: Coleford, I. C. ‘Peckett & Sons – A Bristol Legend’, Railway Bylines, Summer Special No.2, p.p. 40-57; Peter Davis, Charles Harvey & Jon Press, ‘Locomotive Building in Bristol in the Age of Steam, 1837-1958’, Studies in the Business History of Bristol, edited by Charles E. Harvey & Jon Press, Bristol Academic Press, 1988; Companies House http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/info) House http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/info) Administrative History: Fox Walker & Company, Bristol, 1864-1878. The partnership formed in 1864 between Francis William Fox (b.1841) and Edwin Walker (1840-1917) marked the beginning of specialist locomotive manufacturing in Bristol. They established their Atlas Engineering Works at Deep Pit Road, St George, to the east of Bristol. The railway boom of the 1860s saw Fox Walker & Company develop a successful business, concentrating on the manufacture of standardised locomotives, mainly small tank engines suitable for industry and engineering both at home and overseas. By the mid 1860s, 40% of Fox Walker’s production also supplied narrow gauge railways in Europe and South America. By the mid 1870s, the railway boom had collapsed. The private locomotive manufacturers concentrated on their specialist markets and in doing so their businesses weathered the storm. During this time, Fox Walker & Company continued to develop their successful export business, exhibiting at both the Vienna Exhibition in 1873 and the Paris Exhibition of 1878. However, by the late 1870s private locomotive manufacturers were struggling to survive. Attempts at diversification by Fox Walker & Company from 1875 led to a number of unsuccessful investments, first in the Handyside Steep Gradient Company Limited and then in steam tram technology. By December 1878, mounting loses resulted in the Fox Walker partnership coming to an end. Peckett & Sons Limited, Bristol, 1881-1962. Brighouse, Yorkshire, 1962-c1982. What remained of Fox Walker & Company was taken over by Thomas Peckett (1834-1891) and his four sons in 1881. Peckett & Sons continued in the business tradition of Fox Walker, producing industrial locomotives to standardised designs. By the start of the twentieth century the industrial locomotive manufacturing industry was flourishing once more. To cope with demand the Atlas Works expanded with a rebuilt boiler shop and new machine shop. Throughout the early twentieth century Peckett built their reputation on ‘specialisation and standardisation’. Theirs was a strong brand name and it dominated its market supplying industrial locomotives. In 1914, Peckett & Sons became a limited company. Peckett was busy through the years of the First World War with new orders and locomotive repairs. In the years after 1918 the majority of work passing through the works was repairs, especially after the grouping of railway companies in 1923. However, the prosperity was not to last. Peckett managed to survive the 1930s depression as the business benefited from the company’s past prudence. The recovery in the market towards the end of the 1930s continued during the Second World War as the company received large orders as a result of the war effort. However the company’s fortunes suffered as a result of acute shortages after 1945 and the railway industry’s increasing movement towards diesel traction. Peckett & Sons were reluctant to invest in the advancing diesel technology. Consequently the business was left behind, only making the move towards diesel in 1955 as a result of the British Railway Modernisation Plan decision to phase out steam locomotives. By this time it was too late for Peckett & Sons Limited. Their first diesel locomotive was completed in 1956. Only five diesel locomotives had been produced by the time the last Peckett locomotive left the Atlas Works in August 1959. Peckett & Sons Limited continued producing spares and carrying out repairs at the Atlas Works until the company was taken over by Reed Crane & Hoist Company of Brighouse, Yorkshire in October 1961. The Atlas Works closed when the last repaired locomotive left the premises in January 1962. Reed Crane & Hoist Company continued to supply spares under the name of Peckett & Sons from Brighouse. At this stage it is not clear when Reed Crane & Hoist Company ceased trading. However by the 1980’s Peckett & Sons Limited had became a subsidiary of the Myson Group Limited.