Peckett & Sons Limited were a well-known manufacturer of steam locomotives, mainly industrial types, based in Bristol. Martyn Bane has produced an excellent Peckett site which gives an excellent range of information on the company and its products. There are some fascinating copies of original drawings, the Peckett catalogue and photographs of a number of locomotives.
My own introduction to industrial locomotives involved products from Robert Stephenson and other builders in the North East. They all seemed massively built and somehow I associated this belief in ruggedness with George Stephenson himself, who is supposed to have dismissed competitors like 'Novelty' at the Rainhill Trials with the pronouncement "They've got no goots!". When I started looking at Peckett products, they struck me as somehow more delicate in design than their competitors from the North East. That's not meant as a criticism, for I've always found Pecketts master of their intended work. Below I've listed a few Pecketts I've come across.
Works Number 2004
I suppose the first Peckett I studied was 2004, built 1941. This was a type W7 four-coupled saddletank at Birmingham Railway Museum but it was (and remains) in non-steamable condition. It was called 'Rocket' at the time but, painted green and numbered '6', it served as 'Percy' on 'Thomas the Tank' days.
Works Number 1163 'Whitehead'
I think the first Peckett I drove was 'Whitehead', built 1908. It spent some time at what's now called the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, working the weekend passenger shuttles. It was kept in good condition with an attractive green livery and was a reliable performer. It had spent its life at the Whitehead Wire Works. During restoration, a vacuum ejector had been added so that it could operate passenger trains in preservation.
Works Number 1788 'Kilmersdon'
For a time, I helped out on driving experience courses at the West Somerset Railway. Although I had some trips along the whole length of the line, my normal role was to introduce the trainees to driving along the length of the run-round loop at Minehead, which is over 1/4 mile long. 'Kilmersdon' was ideal for this role and I would 'single-man', acting as fireman as well as supervising the driving trainees. The locomotive was built in 1929 for use at Kilmersdon Colliery.
Works Number 1859 'Sir Gomer'
For a number of years, 'Lamport No. 3' was the mainstay of passenger operations at Shackerstone. When she was withdrawn from service, the railway looked around for a replacement and six-coupled Peckett 'Sir Gomer' arrived. Unfortunately, the engine has had a chequered history at the Battlefield Line. The engine steams well and is very strong but has had recurrent lubrication problems, despite providing mechanical lubrication to all major points. The locomotive is a Peckett type OX1 built in 1932 for use at Mountain Ash Colliery.
Works Number 1555 'Ivor'
'Ivor' made the first visit to Shackerstone in 2007 and doesn't look much like a Peckett any more. Originally a type M5 built in 1920, I believe it worked at Cawdor Quarry, Matlock. Martyn Baynes' site has Peckett drawing 5690 showing the boiler for the class M5. The drawing is for locomotives from works number 1822, so it may show some deviations from Ivor's boiler (if, indeed, it's still the original boiler).
In 1910, Peckett built a diminuitive standard gauge shunter for Yorktown, Camberley and Blackwater Gas. It was basically a narrow-gauge locomotive 'over-gauged' to run on four foot eight and a half inch track. During the Second World War, a further eight were built for use in Ordnance Factories, informally called the 'Yorktown' class. Works Number 2012 built in 1941 is the sole survivor of the class and ended its industrial life at Cadbury's Blackpole Works, in Worcestershire. It was acquired by Teddy Boston and was stored for some years at Shackerstone before moving to Cadeby.
When the Cadeby Collection was disposed of, the locomotive was brought back to life by Robert Gambrill and is now based on the Lavender Line in Sussex. An official naming ceremony is planned for later in 2009. The picture above (by courtesy of Robert Gambrill) shows 2012 performing as 'Percy' on the Mid Hants Railway.
[Revised 19-May-2009]
