F. C. Hibberd & Co.

Hibberd 0-4-0DM No. 2102 at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre

F. C. Hibberd & Co Ltd was a British locomotive-building company founded in 1927 to build industrial petrol and diesel locomotives. In 1932 the company acquired the goodwill of James and Frederick Howard Ltd. and the company moved to Park Royal, London, and began manufacturing locomotives there.^[1]

Many of Hibberd's locomotives were small machines with final drive by roller chain but it also built some larger ones with side-rod drive. The latter bore a strong resemblance to Hudswell Clarke products.

Hibberd used the name Planet for their locomotives but this should not be confused with the much earlier Planet steam locomotive.

Other companies

From 1956 Thomas Hill (Rotherham) Ltd, THR, sold Hibberd locomotives to non-Hibberd customers on an informal commission basis until 1960. The relationship ended because Hibberd were becoming worried that THR would sell their own locomotives to customers in preference to the Hibberd product.

The company was acquired by Butterley Engineering in the early 1960s and in 1964 production was moved to Ripley, Derbyshire. The last locomotive built to a Hibberd design was delivered in 1968.^[1]

History of the Planet name

The origin of the "Planet" petrol locomotive can be traced back to the Kent Construction and Engineering Company of Ashford, Kent.^[2] After World War I, Kent Construction purchased a large number of Government-surplus petrol locomotives which they reconditioned and offered for sale. These included both Motor Rail "Simplex" and American Baldwin Locomotive Works products. Kent Construction later produced a range of locomotives to their own designs. These were based on the Motor Rail "Simplex" but were given the name "Planet". They were sold through Honeywill Brothers of London.

Kent Construction closed in 1926 and "Planet" locomotives were then manufactured by Stableford and Company, wagon builders, of Coalville, Leicestershire until they went out of business in 1928. From this time "Planet" locomotives were built by Bedford Engineering, crane makers, of Bedford but they failed in 1932. "Planet" locomotives were then built by Hibberd.

Preservation in the United Kingdom

Sources for this list include the UK Heritage Railways database.^[3]

The following list is incomplete so please expand it if you can. All locomotives are standard gauge except where shown in the notes:

Name or number	Industrial owner	Works no.	Build date	Wheels	Power (bhp)	Preserved at	Notes
	City of Chichester Sewage Works	1980	1936	4wDM		Amberley Museum Railway	2' 0'' gauge
Nippy	Mines and Safety Research, Buxton, Derbyshire	2014	1936	4wDM	20HP National Twin-Cylinder	Irish Steam Preservation Society	3' 0" gauge
	Preston Irwell Valley Water Board (ordered by Gravelworks Ltd)	2025	1937	4wDM	12-16hp Lister CE Twin-Cylinder Diesel	Amerton Railway	2' 0" gauge
	Ramsey Pier Tramway, Isle of Man	2027	1937	4wPM	4-cylinder Ford (car) petrol engine	Jurby Transport Museum (Manx transport Trust Ltd), Isle of Man	3' 0" gauge
Berrylands	GLC Berrylands Sewage Works	2201	1939	4wDM	16hp Lister CE Twin-Cylinder Diesel	Devon Railway Centre	2' 0" gauge
T1	Shell-Mex and BP	2102	1938	4wDM	75	Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
Tom Bombadil	Butterley & Blaby Brick Companies	2415	1941	4wDM		Leighton Buzzard Light Railway	2' 0" gauge
	Ministry of Defence depot, Liphook	2528	1941	4wDM	National Twin-Cylinder	Old Kiln Light Railway	2' 0" gauge
Frank		2896	1944	4wDM	35	Nene Valley Railway
4007	Canning Town Glass Works	3147	1947	4wDM	52	Colne Valley Railway
Carpenter	Guinness, Park Royal, London	3270	1948	0-4-0DM	144	Cholsey and Wallingford Railway
Ashover	Ashover Light Railway	3307	1948	0-4-0DM		Ffestiniog Railway	1' 11½" gauge
Ivan		3317	1948	0-4-0DM	4 cylinder Petrol	North Gloucestershire Railway	2' gauge
Walrus	Guinness, Park Royal, London	3271	1949	0-4-0DM	144	Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
Dudley	Barking Power, London	3294	1948	4wDM		Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills	^[4]
	National Benzole Stanlow refinery	3438	1950	4wDM		East Lancashire Railway
23	Irish Shell	3509	1951	4wDM	79	Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, Whitehead	5' 3" gauge
Upnor Castle	Chattenden and Upnor Railway	3687	1954	4wDM	180	WHR (Caernarfon)	1' 11½" gauge
Rochester Castle	Royal Navy, Chatham	3738	1955	4wDM		Chatham Historic Dockyard	^[5]
Upnor Castle	Royal Navy, Chatham	3742	1955	4wDM
Leeds Castle	Royal Navy, Chatham	3745	1955	4wDM
Dover Castle	Royal Navy, Chatham	3770	1955	4wDM
Cooling Castle	Royal Navy, Chatham	3771	1955	4wDM
Deal Castle	Royal Navy, Chatham	3772	1955	4wDM
Tarmac	Tarmac, Hayes, Middlesex	3765	1955	4wDM	57	Buckinghamshire Railway Centre
Pluto	Royal Navy, Rosyth	3777	1955/6	4wDM	105	Derwent Valley Light Railway, York	^[6]
Conway Castle	RNAD, Ernesettle, Plymouth	3831	1958	4wDM	180	WHR (Caernarfon)	1' 11½" gauge
Previously Kingsley	British Industrial Sand Ltd, Redhill	3832	1957	4wDM	117	Bideford Railway Heritage Centre	^[7]
ARC Powell Duffryn		3890	1958	4wDH		Garw Valley Railway
Planet		3947	1960	4wDM	74.5	Dean Forest Railway
Hylton		3967	1961	4wDH		Northamptonshire Ironstone Railway Trust
		4006	1963	4wDH		Garw Valley Railway
ULLR	Sanders & Forster Ltd	4008	1963	4wDM	9hp Lister FR1 Diesel	Steeple Grange Light Railway	^[8]

Notes

DH = diesel-hydraulic locomotive
DM = diesel-mechanical locomotive
PM = petrol-mechanical locomotive

Preservation in Ireland

"Nippy" a former Mines and Safety Research engine from Buxton, Derbyshire, works number 2014 and built in 1936, is currently preserved at the Stradbally Woodland Express Railway. It is run on occasion for demonstration purposes. Several Guinness brewery Planets have been preserved also, surviving in the Guinness Storehouse museum, The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in Cultra, Antrim and three at the Cavan and Leitrim Railway in Dromod

1936 built Planet engine "Nippy" preserved at Stradbally Co. Laois

Preservation in Italy

Locomotive 3944, built in 1960 is now located as a static 'gate guardian' display at the premises of Vaia Car, Calvisano, in Italy.

Preservation in Australia

Australia

Planet #1 at the Bennett Brook Railway's Friends of Thomas the Tank Engine Day

In 1976, The Western Australian Light Railway Preservation Society acquired a 1938 model Planet Locomotive^[9] from the Kalgoorlie Lake View and Star Gold mine for a total of $500AU, including spares. After considerable restoration work, the locomotive was moved to Whiteman Park in Perth in 1983 and moved under its own power for the first time in 1985. In recent years, the WA Light Railway Preservation Society bought a 1968 model planet locomotive.^[10]

The 1938 Planet (Known as Planet #1) is now the mainstay of the Bennett Brook Railway's Diesel Fleet. The 1968 Planet (Planet #2) is currently under restoration at BBR. Both locomotives run on 2' gauge track.

Over the years, multiple modifications have been made to Planet #1, including: The installation of a Vacuum brake system, the addition of a Jones Coupler style coupler along with the already installed Link and Pin Couplers and Raising the roof of the cab.

Another preserved Planet locomotive is #54 at the Richmond Vale railway line, New South Wales.

New Zealand

Two Planet locomotives from the Grassmere Salt Works are preserved at the Ferrymead Two Foot Railway in New Zealand. Another is preserved at a pioneer village in Kaikohe.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to F. C. Hibberd and Company locomotives.

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, April 26, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.