THE INDUSTRIAL RAILWAY RECORD

No. 54 - p252-255

© JUNE 1974

MARQUIS

TREVOR J. LODGE

    Roger West's drawing of MARQUIS represents an early Manning Wardle side tank (non-standard) which was featured in a series of drawings in Zerah Colburn's "Locomotive Engineering". The elevation is exactly as it appears in Colburn's work, where it is entitled "Tank Goods Engine by Messrs Manning, Wardle & Co, Engineers, Leeds." Despite the claim on the worksplate that the drawing represents Manning Wardle 250 of 1867 this is far from being the case! A search of Manning's works list for the 1866‑68 period shows only one likely contender for MARQUIS, assuming that the original drawing is not entirely fictitious. This is Manning Wardle 227 of 1867, a six‑wheel standard gauge side tank of their "West Yorkshire Railway" type with 15in by 22in cylinders. Named QUEEN, it was sent new on 21st February 1867 to John Bradley & Company at Kingswinford (Staffs), presumably to work at their Shut End collieries and ironworks. (One of Colburn's drawings shows the cylinder diameter to be 15in: confirming scaling proves the cylinder stroke to be 22in and the wheel diameter 3ft 10in.) It would seem to have been the intention of Manning Wardle to produce a "fictitious" drawing based on a real locomotive, achieved by alteration of works number and name. But why bother to identify the drawing by works number and name anyway? According to the Manning Wardle "Engine Book", 250 was a 5ft 6in gauge outside cylinder 0‑4‑0 saddle tank of standard class H design with 3ft 6in wrought iron wheels and 12in by 18in cylinders. Ordered by Simpson & Co for the Indian Government Department, it was intended for Abyssinia but was actually despatched to Calcutta on 30th September 1868. No name is originally shown for this engine (although it is recorded as NAPIER at some later date), and the only contemporary locomotive in any way connected with a "Marquis" was 230 of 1867, a standard gauge class M 0‑6‑0 saddle tank despatched new to the Marquis of Bute at Cardiff Docks on 12th March 1867: this had 13in by 18in inside cylinders and was carried on wheels of 3ft 0in diameter.

QUEEN (Manning Wardle 227 of 1867) during the time she was owned by the Earl of Dudley at Round Oak Works, Staffordshire. (collection F. Jones)

MARQUIS

Tank Goods Engine by Messrs Manning Wardle and Co , Engineers , Leeds

    Roger feels that there is little doubt that the drawing is from the same set of Manning Wardle drawings from which QUEEN was built. There are, however, one or two alterations on QUEEN (see photograph) not accounted for by owners "whims" or wear and tear. The main one is the box casing over the steam manifold, which on QUEEN is immediately in front of the cab weatherboard, whereas on the drawing it is some distance apart. Between the frames (from the rear buffer to the rear axle) is a substantial back tank of 200 gallons capacity which is not too readily apparent. Note that it is completely separate from the main framing, unlike the integral continental back and well tanks discussed in recent issues of the RECORD. It is not clear from any of the drawings how far the right hand side tank extends towards the rear of the loco, but it would seem likely to stop somewhere in line with the cab weatherboard. The driver in the photograph of QUEEN seems to be standing on a raised platform or box (by the reversing lever), or else he is 8ft 6in tall! Thanks are due to member B.W. Lacey who first drew our attention to the existence of the original drawing.


    "We are in receipt of your enquiry of the 15th inst for Steam Locomotive for North Brazil, and in reply thereto, we have to say we have made all sizes and types of Locomotives, but not of the Garrett [sic] type, and for one locomotive only we should not be prepared to quote for this model, as we have no drawings or patterns."

    (Extract from a letter, dated 16th March 1935, received by John Miller & Co. Ltd, Liverpool, from Hudswell, Clarke & Co Ltd, Leeds As revealed by Ron Redman in Appendix 3 of "The Railway Foundry Leeds 1839-1969" (Goose & Son Publishers Ltd, 1972), Hudswell Clarke about this time were publicising a speculative 2‑6‑6‑2 diesel mechanical locomotive, virtually a non‑steam Garratt. Could the artist's impression of this proposal (which was given wide coverage in the technical press of the day) have prompted the initial Brazilian enquiry? - TGT/TJL)

    (A Hudswell Clarke & Co advertisement of 1885. The engraving is almost certainly based on TATHAM (works number 214), built in 1879 and supplied new to the Lofthouse Colliery of the Leeds & Yorkshire Co‑operative Coal Mining Co Ltd. Built to standard gauge, this locomotive had 14in by 20in cylinders and was carried on wheels of 3ft 6½in diameter. - TJL)

    '200 ground-workers are wanted immediately, constant work, full wages, between Hackney and Edmonton, on the Great Eastern line. Lucas Brothers, contractors. Apply on the works." (From the first issue of "The Labour News" dated 30th August 1871. - PC)