Brush Traction Explained

Foundation:1865
Location City:Loughborough
Location Country:England
Homepage:www.brushtraction.com

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.

History

Hughes's Locomotive & Tramway Engine Works

Henry Hughes had been operating at the Falcon Works since the 1850s, producing items such as brass and iron cast parts for portable engines and thrashing machines.[1] In 1860 Henry Hughes announced he had entered into a partnership with William March who had extensive experience in the timber trade, and this would be added to the existing business of "engineers and manufacturers of railway plant", with the business to be called Hughes and March.[2]

In March 1863, Hughes announced it was making a steam locomotive designed for contractors and mineral railways. This was an 0-4-0 saddle tank with a 200 psi boiler pressure and cylinders of 10 inch bore and 15 inch stroke.[3]

In 1866, Hughes announced a sale of timber and associated equipment from the "Falcon Railway Plant Works" as he had decided to close down the timber side of his business, also sold was a portable steam engine and thrashing engine.[4]

In 1877, a limited company (Hughes's Locomotive & Tramway Engine Works Ltd) was created with Henry Hughes as managing director, to carry on the business previously under the name of the "Falcon Railway Plant Works".[5] The business included the production of the original small saddle tank locomotives, but was anticipating increased demand for the production of tram engines, lightweight steam engines (usually with condensers) which drew passenger cars, made possible by the Tramways Act 1870 (33 & 34 Vict. c. 78). His original patented tramway engine was reported to have been tested on the Vale of Clyde and other tramways with good results. Tram engines were distinct from those tramcars where the boiler mechanism was an integral part of the passenger car.

Examples of early engines are the tramway locomotive The Pioneer of 1877 for the Swansea and Mumbles Railway, and Belmont (an 0-4-2 saddle tank), which ran on the Snailbeach District Railways,[6] and three gauge 0-4-0STs for the Corris Railway supplied in 1878 (converted in the 1880s to 0-4-2ST). In 1881, Hughes' built two gauge 0-4-0STs for the Liverpool Corporation Waterworks Committee for use in the construction of the waterworks at Lake Vyrnwy in Wales.[7]

The adoption of steam tram engines in the UK was very limited, though the company did make some sales abroad, for example in Paris and Lille. In February 1881, a shareholder and creditor asked that the voluntary winding up of the company should proceed under the supervision of the court, and an order was granted.[8] Hughes departed, soon after, for New Zealand, where in collaboration with local engineer E.W Mills, he built small tramway engines.

Falcon Engine & Car Works

Hughes's Locomotive & Tramway Engine Works was sold as a going concern, and continued production as the Falcon Engine and Car Works Ltd. In July 1882, they provided a tram engine (Falcon works number 43) for testing on the Burnley tramways, which during a late night trial suffered a condenser rupture scalding several people.[9] This was just days after a serious fire at the works had caused considerable losses - fortunately the premises were insured.[10]

Business continued with the production of locomotives, carriages, wagons and tramcars. This included three more locomotives of the same design as previously for the railways at Vyrnwy. In 1883, the first tramcar on the Alford and Sutton Tramway, was a horse-drawn 16-seater made by Falcon Engine and Carriage Works.

One of the less conventional products were the carriages and wagons for the Listowel to Ballybunion monorail (using the Lartigue Monorail system), which opened in 1888.[11] The engines for this line were made by Hunslet.

Other products were tank locomotives for Ireland, Spain and the Azores. Some were subcontracts from other firms, such as Kerr, Stuart and Company, at that time, in Glasgow.[12]

Brush Electrical Engineering Company

In 1889, the Anglo-American Brush Electric Light Corporation Ltd was reconstructed, absorbing the Australasian Electric Light, Power, and Storage Company Ltd, and taking over the Falcon Works in Loughborough, with the new company to be called the Brush Electrical Engineering Company Ltd.[13] [14] [15]

From reports of the annual general meetings, the main activities in the 1890s were associated with municipal and ships lighting, however it is evident they were still involved with rail and tramcars and were anticipating a great increase in the market for electric traction particularly on tramways. They expanded the works by 5 acres in 1897 and added another 250 tramcars per year of production capacity. In 1898, they added capacity to make 1,000 electric traction motors per year, their own motors now claimed to be equal to or superior to the American pattern traction motors previously used.[16]

Between 1901 and 1905, the Brushmobile car was developed using a Vauxhall Motors engine, although only six were built. One of these six featured in the film Carry On Screaming. Nearly 100 buses, plus some lorries were built using French engines until 1907.

Brush Electrical Engineering also built some carriages that were used on the Central London Railway and the City and South London Railway in the early 1900s, the respective forerunners of London Underground's Central and Northern lines.[17]

In all, about 250 steam locomotives were built in addition to their tram engines. Production finished after World War I and the company concentrated on transport-related electrical equipment, including tramcars, trolleybuses and battery-operated vehicles.

Brush made 2-foot gauge battery electric narrow-gauge locomotives (at the time referred to as Brush Electric Tractors) during the war, three which were listed as surplus in October 1919.[18] Several examples survive, one at the National Slate Museum, Llanberis, three of them went to Hythe Pier, Railway and Ferry, of which two of these remain. These were reported to have originally worked at the Avonmouth mustard gas factory. One from HM's Explosives Factory at Queensferry has been restored using parts from another from the same factory.

During World War II, Brush Coachworks diversified into aircraft production, building 335 de Havilland Dominies for the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm. Wing sections were built for Lancaster bombers and Hampden fuselages were overhauled.[19]

The coachworks continued after the war with omnibus bodies mounted on Daimler chassis using Gardner five-cylinder diesel engines and Daimler preselector gearboxes, as well as AEC and BMMO Chassis for Midland Red and 100 Leyland Titans for Birmingham City Transport. They also constructed bodies designed by the British Electric Traction group on Leyland Royal Tigers. In 1952, the coachworks were closed and the goodwill and patents were bought by neighbouring Willowbrook.

Brush Bagnall Traction

Close to Derby and its railway workshops, it retained its contacts with the railway. Acquired by Heenan & Froude in 1947, it was merged with W. G. Bagnall to produce diesel locomotives. In 1951, the company Brush Bagnall Traction Limited was formed.[20] When British Railways began to replace its fleet of steam engines, Brush entered the market for main line diesel-electric locomotives.

Brush Traction

In 1957, the Brush group were bought up by Hawker Siddeley.[21] In 1967, the rail tractor business of Crompton Parkinson was purchased.[22] As part of Hawker Siddeley Electric Power Group, it then passed to BTR plc and became Brush Traction. Later it became part of FKI Energy Technologies, itself purchased in 2008 by Melrose Industries.

In 2007, Brush Traction acquired Hunslet-Barclay with a facility in Kilmarnock.[23] [24] It was rebranded Brush-Barclay.

In February 2011, Wabtec purchased Brush Traction for US$31 million.[25] [26]

The locomotive works are still occupied by the Brush Traction Company and are in use for the building, overhaul and repair of locomotives.

In April 2021, Wabtec announced the Loughborough factory would close with reduced work volumes making the site unsustainable.[27] [28]

Locomotives

Brush manufactured various diesel and electric locomotives for the British railway network:

It also manufactured the Eurotunnel Class 9 electric locomotives operated by Eurotunnel through the Channel Tunnel.[33]

Brush Traction also manufactured locomotives for export:

They were also a major supplier of traction equipment to rapid transit systems, in particular, London Underground and Docklands Light Railway in the UK, and to Canada and Taiwan.

Traction equipment was supplied to British Rail for various Electric Multiple Unit trains, the Class 43 HST diesel locomotive, with similar equipment being supplied to Comeng in Australia in 1979, and used in the Class 56 and 58 freight locomotives.

Brush repowered most Class 43 HST power cars with MTU engines between 2005 and 2010.[36]

Surviving steam locomotives

Surviving diesel locomotives

Over 75 examples of Brush Traction built engines have been preserved and can be seen at heritage railways across the United Kingdom. Many more examples can still be seen in action today on the mainlines.[28]

Preserved light rail/tramway vehicles

Preserved Auckland, New Zealand including Museum of Transport and Technology:

Preserved in the United Kingdom:

Preserved / Operating on Manx Electric Railway Isle of Man:

Battery-electric vehicles

In 1940, Brush required some small battery-electric tractor units, but as none were commercially available, they asked AC Morrison of AE Morrison and Sons (later Morrison-Electricar) to produce a design for one. Morrisons produced a 3-wheeled design, which Brush then used to manufacture a number of units for internal use. Subsequently, they began selling them on the open market and shipped a large order to Russia in 1941. They added battery electric road vehicles to their product list in 1945, buying the designs and manufacturing rights from Metropolitan-Vickers, so that early Brush vehicles are almost indistinguishable from late Metro-Vicks.[47] 3-wheeled vehicles were marketed as the Brush Pony, and they also produced 4-wheeled vehicles. In 1948 they added a 2-ton chassis to their range, which could be supplied with a large van, standard van, flat truck or milk float body. The welded box-section chassis was fitted with semi-elliptic springs and a Lockheed hydraulic braking system. The 36-cell 290 Ahr battery was mounted on both sides of the central spine. The electric motor was connected to a banjo-type rear axle by a Layrub propellor shaft. In common with other Brush vehicles, control was by a double-depression foot pedal, where the first depression gave two stages of control with the two-halves of the battery connected in parallel, and the second depression gave a further two stages with the batteries in series.[48]

In early 1949, they reduced the prices of their electric vehicles by around 25 per cent, in an attempt to make them more competitive with petrol vehicles. The models affected were the 10-14 cwt chassis and the 18-22 cwt chassis, and they were hoping to see a five-fold increase in sales. Sales of their industrial electric truck had trebled between 1947 and 1948. All of their road vehicles were sold through the motor trade, in order to achieve a good standard of after-sales service.[49]

In 1949, they offered 25 standard bodies for their chassis, including a mobile canteen or ice cream parlour, which they exhibited at the Dairy Show that year. The vehicle had a top speed of 16 mph, and a range of 28 miles, based on eight stops per mile.[50] Production of 4-wheeled battery electrics ceased in 1950, although the company continued to manufacture the 3-wheeled Brush Pony milk float and their range of industrial trucks. They maintained enough spare parts to allow them to service 4-wheeled vehicles for a further 10 years and sold the remainder to Hindle, Smart and Co of Manchester, who made Helecs milk floats.[51]

In 1972, Hawker Siddeley bought a 50 per cent share in Crompton Leyland Electricars Ltd (CLE), from British Leyland. CLE was the manufacturer of Morrison-Electricar milk floats, and at this point Hawker Siddeley owned Brush, RA Lister & Company, based in Dursley and Brook Victor Electric Vehicles based in Huddersfield, all of which were producing electric vehicles. In order to rationalise their operations, construction of Brush industrial trucks was transferred to the Morrison-Electricar factory in Tredegar. Although most of the vehicles involved were industrial trucks, the 3-wheeled Brush Pony milk float was also included, and a number of these were subsequently manufactured at Tredegar. Also included was the SD tractor, which was still selling well, and included a drive unit which had originally been designed for Brush by Morrisons in 1940.

An early Brush Pony 3-wheeled milk float, formerly operated by United Dairies and dating from 1947, is on display at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.[52] A Brush 10/14 cwt Mark II bread van, also dating from 1947, and formerly owned by the Co-operative Wholesale Society, can be seen at The Transport Museum, Wythall. It was displayed at the East Anglia Transport Museum from around 1973, and then moved to a collection of battery-electric vehicles at Blandford, Dorset in 1983. When that collection was sold in 1987, it was given to Wythall, and has yet to be restored.[53] The Ipswich Transport Museum has a Brush Pony electric laundry van dating from 1967 in their collection.[54]

Preserved aircraft

A de Havilland Dominie DH.89 that Brush built in 1946 for the RAF is preserved at Tangmere Military Aviation Museum on the West Sussex coast.

Other relics

The large statue of a falcon from Brush's Loughborough works is now displayed in the exhibition hall at the National Tramway Museum in Crich, Derbyshire.[55]

See also

References

Sources

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: . 5 September 1857 . To Thrashing Machine Proprietors . Leicestershire Mercury .
  2. News: . 26 April 1860 . Falcon Works, Loughborough . 1 . Loughborough Monitor .
  3. News: . 28 March 1863 . Henry Hughes, Falcon Works, Loughborough (illustrated advert) . 32 . Herapath's Railway Journal .
  4. News: . 28 June 1866 . Sale this day - Falcon Railway Plant Works, Loughborough . 1 . Loughborough Monitor .
  5. News: . 16 June 1877 . Hughes's Locomotive and Tramway Engine Works (limited) . 18 . Railway News .
  6. Book: Cuckson, Andy . The Snailbeach District Railways . . 2017 . 9780906294932.
  7. Higgins, S.H.P.. Narrow Gauge at Vyrnwy Waterworks. The Industrial Railway Record. The Industrial Railway Society. 1974. 55. 286–287.
  8. News: . 12 February 1881 . Winding Up of Hughes's Locomotive Company . 10 . Leicester Chronicle .
  9. News: . 22 July 1882 . Local News . Burnley Express . 8 .
  10. News: . 13 July 1882 . Serious Fire in Loughborough . Melton Mowbray Mercury and Oakham and Uppingham News . 8 .
  11. News: . 1 March 1888 . The Lartigue Single-Rail Line . Cork Constitution . 4 .
  12. Web site: Falcon Engine and Car Works. Grace's Guide.
  13. News: 16 July 1889 . Trade and Finance . 4 . Leeds Mercury .
  14. News: 23 July 1889 . Brush Electric Light Corporation . 6 . Globe .
  15. The Brush Story . . 12 . September 1982 . 12–17 .
  16. News: 7 September 1898 . Brush Electrical Engineering Company - Annual Meeting . 6 . Leicester Chronicle .
  17. Book: Oliver Green. The London Underground - An Illustrated History. 19–22. 1988. Ian Allan Publishing.
  18. News: 25 October 1919 . Ministry of Munitions - Railway Material . 11 . The Scotsman .
  19. Book: Jarram, A.P. . Brush Aircraft Production at Loughborough . Midland Counties Publications . 1978 . 0-904597-07-5 .
  20. Web site: W G Bagnall Ltd. Buckinghamshire Railway Centre. 23 November 2016. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20161124092453/http://www.brc-stockbook.co.uk/Bagnall.HTM. 24 November 2016. dmy-all.
  21. Hawker Siddeley Offer for Brush Group . . 26 April 1957 . 495 .
  22. Crompton Parkinson railway work goes to Brush . Railway Gazette . 21 April 1967 . 285 .
  23. Brush buys troubled Barclay . . 579 . 21 November 2007 . 14 .
  24. Brush Traction buys Hunslet-Barclay . . 1281 . January 2008 . 12 .
  25. Wabtec buys Brush Traction. 28 February 2011. 28 February 2011 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20121001104830/http://www.railwaygazette.com/index.php?id=44&no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=12884&cHash=5f46c108eb. 1 October 2012. dead. dmy-all.
  26. https://web.archive.org/web/20191105092057/https://www.railwayage.com/news/wabtec-acquires-uk-based-brush-traction/ . Wabtec acquires UK based Brush Traction . . 28 February 2011 . 5 November 2019 . 29 May 2021 . live .
  27. News: Historic Brush Traction factory in Loughborough set to close. 23 April 2021. 24 April 2021. BBC News.
  28. Historic Brush Falcon Works to close after 156 years . . 280 . May 2021 . 34–35 . Robon . Jones.
  29. Brush Type B Diesel Handing-Over Ceremony . Railway Gazette . 8 November 1957 . 548 .
  30. The Brush Falcon diesel-electric locomotive . Railway Gazette . 20 April 1962 . 477 .
  31. Brush 4000hp Kestrel in Service . . 246 . March 1969 . 117 .
  32. Brush wins major locomotive order . The Railway Magazine . 1098 . October 1992 . 5 .
  33. Brush wins Shuttle order . Rail . 102 . 10 August 1989 . 5 .
  34. Web site: number1407. www.geoffs-trains.com. 2018-06-14.
  35. NZR chooses British-built Bo-Bo-Bos . Railway Gazette International . March 1984 . 184 .
  36. Life-extended Angel HST rolls out of Brush for £1.5m trial . Rail . 514 . 25 May 2005 . 6 .
  37. Web site: No.3 'Sir Haydn' . Talyllyn Railway.
  38. Web site: 921 Powesland & Mason 0-4-0ST . 12 June 2017 . Preserved British Steam Locomotives.
  39. Web site: Ponta Delgada and the Broad Gauge Harbour Railways . International Steam.
  40. Web site: Museum Collection . Vale of Rheidol Railway.
  41. Web site: Chesterfield Corporation No. 7 . Crich Tramway Village.
  42. Web site: Derby Corporation No. 1 . Crich Tramway Village.
  43. Web site: Blackpool Corporation No. 298 . Crich Tramway Village.
  44. Web site: Blackpool Transport Services No. 630 . Crich Tramway Village.
  45. Web site: Blackpool Transport Services No. 762 . Crich Tramway Village.
  46. Web site: Hythe Pier Railway . Darren . Kitson . Disused Stations . 2017.
  47. Book: Signage on Metrovick FWB 784. The Transport Museum, Wythall.
  48. News: 2-tonner Added to Brush Range. Commercial Motor. 16 April 1948. 33.
  49. News: Battery Electric Prices Cut by £124. Commercial Motor. 25 February 1949. 10.
  50. News: Battery Electric Canteen. Commercial Motor. 16 September 1949. 41.
  51. News: Spares for Brush 4-wheelers. Commercial Motor. 1 December 1950. 34.
  52. Web site: Brush Pony. National Motor Museum. 3 September 2016.
  53. Web site: Brush Bread Van HYN 86 . The Transport Museum, Wythall. 3 September 2016.
  54. Web site: Brush Pony Electric Van. Ipswich Transport Museum. 7 July 2018. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110929021350/http://www.ipswichtransportmuseum.co.uk/upv982.htm. 29 September 2011.
  55. Web site: The Falcon . National Tramway Museum.