Kitson & Co.
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Kitson and Company was a locomotive manufacturer based in Leeds, United Kingdom.
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[edit] Early History
The company opened as James Kitson at the Airedale Foundry in 1835 with Charles Todd as a partner. Todd had been apprenticed to Matthew Murray at the Round Foundry.
Initially, it made parts for other builders, until they were joined in 1838 by David Laird, a wealthy farmer who was looking for investments, the company becoming Todd, Kitson and Laird. This year saw the production of the company's first complete engines, either for the North Midland or the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
However, Todd left almost immediately to form Shepherd and Todd and the company was known variously as Kitson and Laird or Laird and Kitson.
The order for six engines by the Liverpool and Manchester began with 0-4-2 Lion,, which still exists. Around 1860, it was withdrawn from service and sold to the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, where it was jacked up off its wheels and used for pumping water. In 1930 it was restored and remains in preservation at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester.
In 1842, Laird, not receiving the financial return he expected, left the partnership. Kitson was then joined by Isaac Thompson and William Hewitson, the company then becoming Kitson Thompson and Hewitson.
[edit] Growth of Export Markets
The company built for many of the country's railways, including the Midland Railway, the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and the South Eastern Railway, as well as some for the continent. From 1856 many Indian railways became major customers
In 1858 Thompson left and it became Kitson and Hewitson, then finally Kitson and Company in 1863 when Hewitson died.
From 1866 Kitson's produced a large proportion of the Midland Railway double-framed goods engines designed by Matthew Kirtley and from 1869 began building a series of engines for Russia. By 1889 they were building 4-6-0s for South America.
From 1876 to 1901 they also built numbers of steam tramcars, along with a few rail motor units
[edit] Kitson-Meyer
Another innovation was the articulated locomotive design proposed by Robert Stirling based on the Meyer locomotive, later known as the Kitson-Meyer. The first three were built in 1894 for the Anglo-Chilian Nitrate & Railway Company in Chile, with two in 1903 for Rhodesia and three in 1904 for Jamaica. Over fifty were built, some 2-8-8-0 and 2-8-8-2, the last being in 1935. There were also some 0-8-6-0's designed for rack railway working in the Andes.
[edit] Later History and Closure
After a busy period during World War I trade dropped off in the 1920's During this period an experimental Steam diesel hybrid locomotive 2-6-2T design, combining steam power with internal combustion, was tested on the London and North Eastern Railway between York and Hull. This hauled revenue-earning trains for the LNER but Kitsons could not afford to develop this experimental locomotive into a commercially viable form. The Kitson-Still's high research and development costs contributed to Kitsons demise.
The last large order in 1924 was for twelve London and North Eastern Railway Improved Director class locomotives. In 1934 the receivers were called in, and the company struggled on until 1938. The patterns, drawings and good will were acquired by Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns.
[edit] Reference
- Lowe, J.W., (1989) British Steam Locomotive Builders, Guild Publishing
- Binns, Donald (2003) Kitson Meyer Articulated Locomotives Trackside Publications, Skipton, UK.
