In the days when almost every factory had its own railway system there was a massive demand for shunting engines, with one of the most prolific suppliers being Peckett & Sons of Bristol. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES looks at one of their popular products, the ‘W4’.
INDUSTRIAL railway operators demanded traction that was simple, reliable and cheap to run. These operators did not need the frills of the marketing department or the complexities of main line operators but instead just very basic railway engines that could do a day’s work.
Britain led the way in supplying such traction, not only at home but all over the world, and a number of companies specialised in this field, offering everything from custom-built locomotives through maintenance and even part-exchange when engines were worn out. One of these was Peckett and Sons of Atlas Engine Works in Bristol whose range of ‘W’ four-wheelers typified the ideal style of locomotive required by small operators.
Above: Peckett ‘W4’ 883 stands in the yard of the Lilleshall Company at Priorslee Ironworks in Shropshire. Hornby Collection.
Peckett came into being in 1880, describing itself as a supplier to “Collieries, Ironworks, Contractors, …
