Locomotives

Narrow Gauge [18in] Locomotives

Chatham Dockyard aquired its first narrow gauge steam locomotive in 1871, this being a 0-4-ST, built by Manning, Wardle & Co.Ltd., Works No.MW386/1871, and named “TRAFALGAR”. This was quickly followed by another Manning, Wardle locomotive, “LORD RAGLAN”, an 0-4-0ST, Works No.353/1871, which was originally delivered to the Royal Arsenal Railway, Woolwich and later transferred to Chatham. Between 1872 and 1913, Manning, Wardle & Co. Ltd. supplied a further 9 locomotives to Chatham Dockyard, these being;

  • MW424/1872, 0-4-0ST, “BUSY BEE”
  • MW448/1873, 0-4-0ST, “BURGOYNE”
  • MW506/1874, 0-4-0ST, “FIDGET”
  • MW910/1883, 0-4-0ST, “COMET”
  • MW1429/1899, 0-4-0ST, “KHARTOUM”
  • MW1430/1899, 0-4-0ST, “PROMPT”
  • MW1636/1904, 0-4-0ST, “SHAMROCK”
  • MW1614/1903, 0-4-0ST, “SUNBEAM”
  • MW1808/1913, 0-4-0ST, “READY”

 

In addition to the Manning, Wardle locomotives 13 other narrow gauge steam locomotives were supplied to Chatham Dockyard, these being;

6 experimental Handyside 2-4-2T locomotives, built by Fox, Walker & Co. were supplied to Chatham Dockyard in 1878. These being;

  • Works No.399
  • Works No.400
  • Works No.401
  • Works No.402
  • Works No.403
  • Works No.404

 

5 Vulcan Foundry Ltd.0-4-2Ts, were supplied to Chatham Dockyard, these being;

  • Works No.838/1878 “IRON DUKE”
  • Works No.989/1883 “VULCAN”
  • Works No.1075/1884 “MERCURY”
  • Works No.1160/1885 “MARS”
  • Works No.1161/1885 “VENUS”

 

Works No.989/1883 was supplied new to Chatham, the rest were acquired from the Royal Arsenal Railway, Woolwich to work on the Chatham Fortification Railway. In 1906.Works No.s 1160/1885 & 1161/1885 were transferred to the Woolmer Military Railway.

Only 1 0-4-2T locomotive built by John Fowler & Co.worked at Chatham, this being;

  • Works No.5082/1885 “FLAMINGO”

 

The locomotive was delivered new to the Royal Arsenal Railway, Woolwich and later transferred to Chatham to work on the Chatham Fortification Railway In 1906, it was transferred to the Woolmer Military Railway.

Only 1 0-4-0ST locomotive built by Dick, Kerr & Co. worked at Chatham, this being;

  • Works No. DK26/1912 THISTLE

 

This locomotive was delivered new to Chatham Dockyard, it was later sold to an unknown buyer in 1937.

Standard Gauge Locomotives –  Steam

Chatham Dockyard aquired its first standard gauge steam locomotive in 1865. This being a 2-2-0TG, Tramway Locomotive built by Aveling & Porter Ltd., Works No.129/1865. Between 1866 and 1874, Aveling & Porter supplied a further 5 Tramway Locomotives, these being;

  • Works No.182/1866
  • Works No.218/1866
  • Works No.718/1871
  • Works No.719/1871
  • Works No.1023/1874

Although no images are believed to remain of any of these locomotives, an image does exist, believed to be Aveling Porter 1524 of 1879, whilst owned by Booth Bros., Borstal cement Works, near Rochester (on the opposite bank of the river Medway to the Dockyard). 

In addition to the Aveling & Porter locomotives, a further 24 locomotives were supplied to Chatham Dockyard by various locomotive manufacturers.

R. & W.Hawthorn, Leslie & Co.Ltd, built the largest amount of locomotives for Chatham Dockyard and between 1899 and 1936 supplied 9, 0-4-0STs and 1, 0-4-0CT, these being;

  • Works No.2450/1899 “NEWCASTLE”
  • Works No.2564/1903 “EXPRESS”
  • Works No.2771/1909 “HERCULES”
  • Works No.2807/1909 “KENT”
  • Works No.2876/1911 “SUSSEX”
  • Works No.3683/1927 “CENTAUR”
  • Works No.3803/1932 “ATLAS”
  • Works No.3807/1934 “TITAN”
  • Works No.3863/1935 “GOLIATH”
  • Works No.3865/1935 “SINGAPORE”

 

Works No.2771/1909, was originally supplied as a 0-4-0 Crane Tank and later re-built as a 0-4-0ST.

Works No.3865/1935, was originally supplied to Singapore Dockyard where it worked until it returned to the UK in 1953. Upon its return, it was sent to Chatham Dockyard.

Andrew Barclay, Sons & Co.Ltd, were the second largest builder of 0-4-0ST locomotives for Chatham Dockyard and between 1914 and 1946, supplied 5 0-4-0ST, these being;

  • Works No.1286/1914 “DEVON”
  • Works No.1386/1914 “CORNWALL”
  • Works No.2198/1945 “V.E.DAY”
  • Works No.2199/1945 “VICTORY”
  • Works No.2220/1946 “INVICTA”

 

Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns Ltd. only supplied 1, 0-4-0ST to Chatham Dockyard, this being;

  • Works No.7042/1941 “AJAX”
    This locomotive still resides at Chatham and is kept in working order.

 

Manning, Wardle & Co.Ltd. supplied 1, 0-4-0ST and 1, 0-6-0ST to Chatham Dockyard, these being;

  • 0-4-0ST,Works No.602/1876 “ROYAL ENGINEER”
  • 0-6-0ST,Works No.1620/1903 “RNCF No.4”

 

Works No.1620/1903, was originally supplied to the Royal Navy Cordite Factory, Holton Heath, Dorset and was transferred to Chatham Dockyard in 1925.

Sharp, Stewart & Co.Ltd. only built 1 0-4-0ST locomotive for Chatham Dockyard, this being;

  • Works No.3419/1888 “VULCAN”

 

This locomotive was originally supplied to the Royal Arsenal Railway, Woolwich and later transferred to Chatham.

Vulcan Foundry Ltd. built 1, 0-4-0ST and 1, 0-6-0T for Chatham Dockyard. These being;

  • 0-4-0ST, Works No.1399/1893 “VULCAN”
  • 0-6-0T, Works No.1436/1894 “SHOEBURYNESS”

 

Works No.1399/1893, was originally supplied to the Royal Arsenal Railway, Woolwich and later trandferred to Chatham Dockyard.

Works No.1436/1894, was originally supplied to the Shoeburyness Naval Tramway and later transferred to Chatham Dockyard.

Built by the L.B.S.C.R. at their Brighton Works as A1 class, No.79 “MINORIES” in 1880. In 1918, it was deemed surplus to requirements and sold to the Admirality, arriving at Chatham Dockyard in 1920. Upon its arrivel at Chatham, it became “CHATHAM No.4”. More Details.

Hudswell,Clark, & Co.Ltd. only built 1 0-4-0ST for Chatham Dockyard, this being;

  • Works No.308/1887 “DAISY”

 

This locomotive was originally supplied new to the Pinxton Coal Company, Nottinghamshire and named FRANK, it was later sold to the Admiralty who moved it to Chatham Dockyard.

Sentinel, Works No.6994/1927 was originally a Jersey Eastern Railway Railmotor. When the Jersey Eastern Railway closed, the power unit was converted into a shunting locomotive. After being sold to the Admirality, it was moved to Chatham in 1929. More Details.

2 Southern Railway, P class 0-6-0T locomotives built by the South Eastern & Chatham Railway at their Ashford Works in 1910, were allocated to Gillinham Shed for the purpose of working the dockyard branch. These locomotives were;

 

In addition to working the dockyard branch, these locomotives were used to provide assistance within the dockyard, an arrangement which lasted for the duration of World War Two.

Ex L.C. & D.R. B class 0-6-0 locomotive was allocated to Gillingham shed for loan to the Dockyard whilst under S.E. & C.R. hands between 1901 and 1914.

  • L.C. & D.R. 138 

 

Ex L.C. & D.R. B1 class tender locomotive was allocated to Gillingham shed for loan to the Dockyard whilst under S.E. & C.R. hands in the early part of the first World War.

  • L.C. & D.R. 154 
Locomotives Sent to Chatham for Disposal

Yorkshire Engine Co., 0-6-2T, Works No.711/1902 “KITCHENER”, worked on the 2ft 6in gauge Lodge Hill & Upnor Railway and was sent to Chatham Dockyard for scrapping in 1948. The locomotive was eventually scrapped in 1954.

Ruston & Hornsby, 4wD, Works 213838/1943, worked on the Lodge Hill & Upnor Railway and was sent to Chatham Dockyard for storage in 1960. No other information about this locos future is known.

Greenwood & Batley, ‘Rail Truck’, Works 3543/1946, also worked on the Lodge Hill & Upnor Railway and was sent to Chatham Dockyard for storage in May 1961. This was known by the makers as a ‘Rail Truck’, had a capacity of 3-4 tons and was fitted with a platform 8ft long by 4ft wide. No other information about this ‘trolley’, or its future is known.

2 locomotives from Hong Kong Dockyard arrived at Chatham Dockyard in 1955 for scrapping, these being;

  • Andrew Barclay, Sons & Co. Ltd.0-4-0ST, Works No.1776/1922, “HONG KONG YARD No.1”
  • R. & W.Hawthorns, Leslie & Co.Ltd.0-4-0ST, Works No.3161/1929, “HONG KONG YARD No.2”

Diesel Locomotives

Chatham Dockyard acquired its first internal combustion locomotive in 1904, this being a 2-4-0 paraffin locomotive built by R. Hornsby & Sons at their Grantham works in 1903. The locomotive [Works No.7226] was acquired new for the narrow gauge [18in] railway system and named ALECTO. Arriving at Chatham in January 1904, it only ran for a short period before being transferred to the Royal Arsenal Railway at Woolwich.

The first standard gauge diesel locomotive at Chatham was a 0-4-0DE built by W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co.in 1933, the locomotive [Works No.D23] arrived at Chatham in 1934 and was named WALMER CASTLE. It ran at the dockyard until being scrapped in 1966.

In the early 1950’s the Admiralty decided to replace their ageing steam locomotive fleet with new diesel locomotives. 6 4wDM locomotives were built by F.C.Hibberd & Co.Ltd. at their Park Royal Works, London. in 1955. In keeping with Chatham tradition, the new diesels were named after Kentish Castles. These being;

  • Works No.3738. ROCHESTER CASTLE
  • Works No.3742. UPNOR CASTLE
  • Works No.3745. LEEDS CASTLE
  • Works No.3770. DOVER CASTLE
  • Works No.3771. COOLING CASTLE
  • Works No.3772. DEAL CASTLE

 

These locomotives ran at Chatham until the closure of the Dockyard in 1984. One locomotive, ROCHESTER CASTLE, still resides at the Historic Dockyard and is kept in working order. In addition to the Hibberd locomotives, 2 locomotives built by the Hunslet Engine Co. Ltd. were also obtained. These being;

  • Works No.2076, built in 1940 for Sheerness Dockyard, was transferred to Chatham in 1959 and named CHILHAM CASTLE.
    It ran at Chatham until being scrapped in 1969.
  • Works No.6975, was delivered new to Chatham in 1968 and named ALLINGTON CASTLE.
    It ran at Chatham until the closure of the dockyard in 1984. After the closure of the dockyard the locomotive was placed in store for a short period before being transferred to the new commercial docks which opened on the site of No.3 basin. With the reduction of railborne traffic from the commercial docks, the locomotive was declared surplus to requirements and sold. The locomotive was moved to the British Nuclear Fuels site at Sellafield, Cumbria.

 

Our Diesel Locomotives:

  • Overlord
  • Rochester Castle
  • Thalia