Industry | Engineering |
---|---|
Founded | 1835 | in London
Founder |
|
Fate | Acquired by Babcock & Wilcox Ltd |
Products | Boiler tubes, valves, gauges |
Dewrance & Co. Ltd was a manufacturer of engine and boiler accessories, such as pumps and gauges.
It was established in London in 1835 as a partnership by Joseph Woods, with John Dewrance. It was involved in the building of the locomotive Lion in 1838 for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. [1] [ failed verification ] In 1844 after Wood's death the firm became a company specialising in manufacturing engine and boiler accessories. It produced a brass pressure gauge for Lloyd's Register of shipping to pressure-test ships' boilers before insuring them. [2] Such gauges have become collectable. [3] A pair are on display at the Internal Fire – Museum of Power. [4]
Dewrance died in 1861 and left the business to his son. [5] The firm's introduction of the groove-packed plug cock in 1875 was a major innovation because it made steam safety valves easier to operate. [6] Sir John Dewrance, [7] who was married to the granddaughter of Richard Trevithick took over the business in 1879. [8] In 1937 after Dewrance's death it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Babcock & Wilcox Ltd. [8]
In 1961 it had 2,000 employees. [5]
The firm was sold by Dresser Industries in 1998 to Tyco International. It was then operating from Skelmersdale. [9]
John Dewrance conducted experiments on the distribution of heat in steam boilers. [10] There are claims he was responsible for the construction of George Stephenson’s locomotive the Rocket and for supporting it at the Rainhill trials. [9] [lower-alpha 1] He was appointed Locomotive Superintendent of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway from 1840 to 1844 during which time his 2-2-2 designs at the Edge Hil workshops were noted for their neatness. [11]
In October 1845 he entered the employ of the Great Southern and Western Railway of Ireland and was selected from three candidates as Locomotive Superintendent in March 1847 at a salary of £300 pera anuum with housing assistance. [lower-alpha 2] He was immediately seconded to locomotive manufacturer William Fairbairn & Sons, Millwall, London to gain experience. Following a review in October 1947 his services were dispensed with due to claim his remuneration was inappropriately high for his abilities. [13] He was then appointed Locomotive Superintendent by the rival Midland Great Western Railway (MGWR) of Ireland, again for £300 per annum with a house in Cabra Road, Dublin. [14] Following the decision of the MGWR director's to let the operation of the line Dewrance was released with three months salary. [14]
Dewrance died in 1861 and left the business to his son. [15] [5]
Sir John Dewrance, who was educated at Charterhouse and then at King's College London before marrying the granddaughter of Richard Trevithick, took over the business in 1879. [7] [16] [8] He took out 114 patents relating to steam fittings and boiler mountings. [17] He was involved with the Primrose League. In 1899 he became chairman of Babcock & Wilcox Ltd. [18] From 1920 to 1926 he was the President of the Engineering Employers’ Federation. [19]
Dewrance died in 1937 with the firm becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Babcock & Wilcox Ltd. [8] [20]
The Sir John Dewrance prize is awarded to the two best mechanical engineering students each year at City University. [21]
One of the GWR Hawthorn Class locomotives built by Slaughter, Grüning and Company was named after the company in 1865. [22] British Empire Medals were awarded to Arthur Edgar Caswallon Evans, a Brass Turner in the 1946 New Year Honours, [23] [24] to Jasper Sidney Jeal, a Centre Lathe Turner in the 1953 Coronation Honours [25] and to Maud Unwin, a Fettler, in the 1956 New Year Honours. [26] James McWaters Storey, the Managing Director, was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1959 New Year Honours. [27]
The firm's archives are held in the British National Archives. [28]
A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material to heat water in the locomotive's boiler to the point where it becomes gaseous and its volume increases 1,700 times. Functionally, it is a steam engine on wheels.
A Fairlie locomotive is a type of articulated steam locomotive that has the driving wheels on bogies. The locomotive may be double-ended or single ended. Fairlies are most famously associated with the Ffestiniog Railway in North Wales.
Brush Traction was a manufacturer and maintainer of railway locomotives in Loughborough, England whose operations have now been merged into the Wabtec company's Doncaster UK operations.
The Hunslet Engine Company is a locomotive building company, founded in 1864 in Hunslet, England. It manufactured steam locomotives for over 100 years and currently manufactures diesel shunting locomotives. The company owns a substantial fleet of Industrial and depot shunting locomotives which are available for hire. The company is part of Ed Murray & Sons Ltd.
Sir Daniel Gooch, 1st Baronet was an English railway locomotive and transatlantic cable engineer. He was the first Superintendent of Locomotive Engines on the Great Western Railway from 1837 to 1864 and its chairman from 1865 until his death in 1889.
The Great Western Railway Hawthorn Class were 2-4-0 broad gauge steam locomotives for passenger train work. This class was introduced into service in 1865, a development of the Victoria Class.
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Fowler 3F0-6-0T is a class of steam locomotives, often known as Jinty. They represent the ultimate development of the Midland Railway's six-coupled tank engines. They could reach speeds of up to 60 mph (97 km/h).
Kerr, Stuart and Company Ltd was a locomotive manufacturer in Stoke-on-Trent, England.
R and W Hawthorn Ltd was a locomotive manufacturer in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, from 1817 until 1885.
Jones, Turner and Evans was a locomotive manufacturer in Newton-le-Willows, England from 1837, known as Jones and Potts between 1844 and 1852.
B. Hick and Sons, subsequently Hick, Hargreaves & Co, was a British engineering company based at the Soho Ironworks in Bolton, England. Benjamin Hick, a partner in Rothwell, Hick and Rothwell, later Rothwell, Hick & Co., set up the company in partnership with two of his sons, John (1815–1894) and Benjamin Jr (1818–1845) in 1833.
Douglas is a narrow gauge steam locomotive. It was built by Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. Ltd. in 1918. It was originally used by the Air Service Constructional Corps (RAF) then was bought in 1949 by Abelson & Co. (Engineers) Ltd. who then sold it to the Talyllyn Railway in 1953.
The South African Railways Class A 4-8-2T of 1888 is a steam locomotive class from the pre-Union era in the Colony of Natal.
W & J Galloway and Sons was a British manufacturer of steam engines and boilers based in Manchester, England. The firm was established in 1835 as a partnership of two brothers, William and John Galloway. The partnership expanded to encompass their sons and in 1889 it was restructured as a limited liability company. It ceased trading in 1932.
The Natal Railway 0-4-0WTNatal of 1860 was a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Natal Colony.
James & Fred Howard of Britannia Ironworks, Bedford, later known simply as Howards, were one of the largest English makers of agricultural equipment, steam traction engines, and light railway equipment. At The Great Exhibition of 1851 they exhibited a range of horse-drawn implements. After World War I, Howards became part of AGE, Agricultural & General Engineers, along with many of the other British makers of similar machinery.
The Natal Government Railways Class K 2-6-0T of 1877 was a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Natal Colony.
The Cape Government Railways 1st Class 0-4-0ST of 1876 was a South African steam locomotive from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.
The Namaqualand 0-6-0T of 1871 were two South African steam locomotives from the pre-Union era in the Cape of Good Hope.
Midland Great Western Railway (MGWR) Classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 13 were 2-2-2 locomotives acquired over the period 1847-1862 serving the railway in its formative years.