Tulk and Ley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tulk and Ley was a locomotive manufacturer in Whitehaven, Cumbria.
Founded as a hardware manufacturer in 1763 by Thomas Heslop, the firm became Millward and Company in 1808 and began making locomotives as Tulk and Ley in 1830, with an order for the Maryport and Carlisle Railway. The first two were a 2-2-2 and an 0-6-0, with a further 2-2-2 in 1843. Thery then built a number of 0-4-2 locos for various Northern railways.
From 1847 they built a number of engines to the Crampton pattern, the first three, Namur, Liege and another, being ordered by G and J Rennie for the Namur and Liege Railway. The order was undelivered because the railway was not ready. Namur was tested by the LNWR who were considering their purchase. In the end all three were sold to the South Eastern Railway. Two more were sold to the Dundee, Perth and Aberdeen Junction railway and the Maryport and Carlisle each, and two for the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway. The LNWR bought a, somewhat larger, engine in 1847, which was reported to have reached 72mph. The rough riding that was typical of Crampton locos, and difficulties with steaming, meant that they did not stay long in service, although they were more successful on the continent.
By 1857 around twenty engines had been built and the company was taken over by Fletcher Jennings Ltd. From then, until 1884, the company concentrated on four and six-coupled industrial tank locomotives. By then nearly two hundred locomotives had been built and the company acquired limited liability as Lowca Engineering Company Ltd.
In 1905, the name changed again to the New Lowca Engineering Company Ltd. but it was short-lived. Orders had fallen and, after a disastrous fire in 1912 all production ceased, the company being finally wound up in 1927.
[edit] Surviving locomotives
Preserved locomotives manufactured by the company include:
| Name | Gauge | Type | Date | Works number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talyllyn | 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) | 0-4-2ST | Preserved on the Talyllyn Railway in mid Wales | ||
| Dolgoch | 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) | 0-4-0WT | Preserved on the Talyllyn Railway in mid Wales. | ||
| Captain Baxter | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) | 0-4-0T | Preserved on the Bluebell Railway in Sussex | ||
| Townsend Hook | 3 ft 2¼ in | 0-4-0T | Preserved at the Amberley Working Museum in Sussex. |
[edit] Other locomotives
Other locomotives manufactured by the company include:
- Brigham Hall/Rothersyke of the Cleator & Workington junction railway
[edit] Reference
- Lowe, J.W., (1989) British Steam Locomotive Builders, Guild Publishing
