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Avonside Engine Company
The Avonside Engine Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Avon Street, St Philip's, Bristol, England. The business originated in 1837 under the name of Henry Stothert and Company, and was reorganised twice before assuming the Avonside name in 1864.The company was wound up in 1934.
The firm was originally started by Henry Stothert in 1837 as Henry Stothert and Company. Henry was the son of George Stothert (senior), founder of the nearby Bath engineering firm of Stothert & Pitt. Henry's brother, also named George, was manager of the same firm.
The company was given an order for two broad gauge (7 ft (2,134 mm)) 2-2-2 Firefly class express passenger engines Arrow and Dart, with 7 ft (2.1 m) driving wheels, delivered for the opening of the Great Western Railway (GWR) from Bristol to Bath on 31 August 1840. This was soon followed by an order for eight smaller 2-2-2 Sun class engines with 6 ft (1.8 m) driving wheels.
Edward Slaughter joined the company in 1840, when it became known as Stothert, Slaughter and Company. By 1844 their works were named "Avonside Ironworks". In 1846 built Avalanche the first of five six-coupled saddle tank banking engines for the GWR. The year 1846 also saw the delivery of six 2-2-2 tender locomotives for the opening of the Waterford and Limerick Railway in Ireland. Another large order came for ten broad gauge passenger 4-2-2s with 7 ft 6 in drivers and eight goods engines from the Bristol and Exeter Railway for the independent operation of that line from 1 May 1849.
During 1843, the company built and launched its first ship, the screw driven iron hulled steam packet Avon. This was followed by three more vessels (Severn, Mitau and Crete) across 1844 and 1845. In 1851 the company leased a shipbuilding yard, of which Henry Stothert took charge as a separate undertaking; by 1854 this was being run as a separate company by his nephew George Kelson Stothert in partnership with E.T. Fripp (1855–1856), F.J. Dickinson (briefly during 1856) and then G.P. Marten (1859–1862). By 1862 Stothert had sole control and the company was operating as G.K. Stothert & Co.
In 1856 Henry Grüning became a partner of Edward Slaughter at the locomotive works, which then became Slaughter, Grüning and Company.
In 1864, the time-limited partnership came to an end and the company took advantage of the Companies Acts and became the Avonside Engine Company Ltd, with Edward Slaughter still as managing director. Henry Grüning continued his involvement by becoming a director. At this time, the works received a large order (the first from the GWR for some years following the development of Swindon Works) for twenty 2-4-0 Hawthorn class engines with 6 ft drivers.
The Avonside Engine Company and its predecessors were unusual in that most of the production before 1880 consisted of main line locomotives largely for British railway companies but also for export. However, by 1881 main line locomotives were getting much bigger and exceeding the capacity of the manufacturing equipment. They made a positive decision to concentrate on smaller industrial railway locomotives within the capacity of the existing plant. In part, this change was forced on the company as a result of financial difficulties following Edward Slaughter's death. Edwin Walker of the Bristol Engineering firm Fox, Walker & Co. joined Avonside and endeavoured to turn the company round, but without success.
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Avonside Engine Company
The Avonside Engine Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Avon Street, St Philip's, Bristol, England. The business originated in 1837 under the name of Henry Stothert and Company, and was reorganised twice before assuming the Avonside name in 1864.The company was wound up in 1934.
The firm was originally started by Henry Stothert in 1837 as Henry Stothert and Company. Henry was the son of George Stothert (senior), founder of the nearby Bath engineering firm of Stothert & Pitt. Henry's brother, also named George, was manager of the same firm.
The company was given an order for two broad gauge (7 ft (2,134 mm)) 2-2-2 Firefly class express passenger engines Arrow and Dart, with 7 ft (2.1 m) driving wheels, delivered for the opening of the Great Western Railway (GWR) from Bristol to Bath on 31 August 1840. This was soon followed by an order for eight smaller 2-2-2 Sun class engines with 6 ft (1.8 m) driving wheels.
Edward Slaughter joined the company in 1840, when it became known as Stothert, Slaughter and Company. By 1844 their works were named "Avonside Ironworks". In 1846 built Avalanche the first of five six-coupled saddle tank banking engines for the GWR. The year 1846 also saw the delivery of six 2-2-2 tender locomotives for the opening of the Waterford and Limerick Railway in Ireland. Another large order came for ten broad gauge passenger 4-2-2s with 7 ft 6 in drivers and eight goods engines from the Bristol and Exeter Railway for the independent operation of that line from 1 May 1849.
During 1843, the company built and launched its first ship, the screw driven iron hulled steam packet Avon. This was followed by three more vessels (Severn, Mitau and Crete) across 1844 and 1845. In 1851 the company leased a shipbuilding yard, of which Henry Stothert took charge as a separate undertaking; by 1854 this was being run as a separate company by his nephew George Kelson Stothert in partnership with E.T. Fripp (1855–1856), F.J. Dickinson (briefly during 1856) and then G.P. Marten (1859–1862). By 1862 Stothert had sole control and the company was operating as G.K. Stothert & Co.
In 1856 Henry Grüning became a partner of Edward Slaughter at the locomotive works, which then became Slaughter, Grüning and Company.
In 1864, the time-limited partnership came to an end and the company took advantage of the Companies Acts and became the Avonside Engine Company Ltd, with Edward Slaughter still as managing director. Henry Grüning continued his involvement by becoming a director. At this time, the works received a large order (the first from the GWR for some years following the development of Swindon Works) for twenty 2-4-0 Hawthorn class engines with 6 ft drivers.
The Avonside Engine Company and its predecessors were unusual in that most of the production before 1880 consisted of main line locomotives largely for British railway companies but also for export. However, by 1881 main line locomotives were getting much bigger and exceeding the capacity of the manufacturing equipment. They made a positive decision to concentrate on smaller industrial railway locomotives within the capacity of the existing plant. In part, this change was forced on the company as a result of financial difficulties following Edward Slaughter's death. Edwin Walker of the Bristol Engineering firm Fox, Walker & Co. joined Avonside and endeavoured to turn the company round, but without success.