Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns

Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Ltd (RSH) was a locomotive builder with works in North East England.

History

Builders plate from NZGR Ew 1805 locomotive

The company was formed in September 1937 when Robert Stephenson and Company, which was based in Darlington took over the locomotive building department of Hawthorn Leslie and Company, based in Newcastle upon Tyne.^[1] The goodwill of Leeds locomotive builders Kitson & Co. was obtained in 1938.

RSH locomotive numbering began at 6939, this being the first number following the sum total of locomotives built by Robert Stephenson & Co. and Hawthorn Leslie, (6938).

RSH became part of English Electric in 1955.

Locomotive building at the Newcastle upon Tyne works ended in 1961 and at Darlington in 1964.

Diesel locomotives

RSH entered the diesel locomotive market in November 1937 with a "direct reversing" locomotive fitted with a Crossley two-stroke engine. There was no reversing gearbox and the diesel engine itself was reversible, as in marine practice. When starting, in either direction, power was supplied by compressed air until the engine fired.^[2] One of these locomotives, Beryl (RSH 7697/1953), is preserved at the Tanfield Railway. After the 1955 modernisation plan of British Railways RSH responded by building the following class of diesel locomotives some of which are preserved (Including D306 & D318).

• Class 04
• Class 20
• Class 37
• Class 40

Preservation

Location		Name	Works Number	Built	Arrangement	Gauge
Avon Valley Railway	GB		7151	1944	0-6-0T	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Stored awaiting overhaul.
Bressingham Steam Museum	GB	Millfield	7070	1942	0-4-0CT	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Static display.
Chatham Historic Dockyard	GB	Ajax	7042	1941	0-4-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Operational, worked for the Ministry of Defence
East Somerset Railway	GB	Meteor	7609	1950	0-6-0T	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Undergoing restoration
Battlefield Line Railway	GB	Richard III	7537	1949	0-6-0T	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Undergoing overhaul
Colne Valley Railway	GB	Jupiter	60	1951	0-6-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Built for the Corby Ironstone works. Undergoing overhaul
Electric Railway Museum, Warwickshire	GB	Doug Tottman	7284	1945	Bo-Bo	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Built for Kearsley Power Station, rebuilt as battery electric for Heysham Power Station
Dales Countryside Museum	GB	67345	7845	1955	0-6-0T	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	On display, built for CEGB Hams Hall Power Station
Darlington Railway Preservation Society	GB	No. 39	6947	1938	0-6-0T	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	On display
East Anglian Railway Museum	GB	Pen Green (now Thomas)	7031	1941	0-6-0ST (now with side tanks also)	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Operational, converted into a Thomas the Tank Engine replica in March 2008, boiler ticket expires in 2018
Didcot Railway Centre	GB	Bonnie Prince Charlie	7644	1951	0-4-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	On static display awaiting overhaul
Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway	GB	Beano	7661	1959	0-4-0	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Stored awaiting overhaul
Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway	GB	Norman	7086	1943	0-6-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Operational; built as Austerity WD 75050
Ferrymead Heritage Park, Christchuch, NZ	NZ	EW 1806		1951	Bo-Bo-Bo	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)	New Zealand EW class locomotive
Fulstow Steam Centre	GB	Fulstow	7680	1950	0-4-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Operational
Gwili Railway	GB	Olwen	7058	1942	0-4-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Undergoing overhaul
Gwili Railway	GB	Welsh Guardsman	7170	1944	0-6-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Operational following a return to service in 2014; built as Austerity WD 71516
Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway	GB	71515 Mechanical Navvy	7169	1945	0-6-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Operational; built as Austerity WD 71515
Foxfield Railway	GB	Roker	7006	1940	0-4-0CT	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	On static display awaiting overhaul
Chasewater Railway	GB	Nechells No. 4	7648	1951	0-6-0T	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Stored awaiting overhaul
Keighley and Worth Valley Railway	GB	Southwick	7069	1942	0-4-0CT	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Stored awaiting overhaul
Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway	GB	Moorbarrow	7849	1955	0-6-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Operational
Mainline Steam Heritage Trust	NZ	EW 1805	7491	1951	Bo-Bo-Bo	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)	New Zealand EW class electric
Midland Railway - Butterley	GB	Castle Donington Power Station No. 1	7817	1954	0-4-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	On static display, awaiting overhaul
Midland Railway - Butterley	GB	George	7215	1945	0-4-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Undergoing restoration
Museum of Science and Industry	GB	Agecroft No. 1	7416	1948	0-4-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Operational
National Coal Mining Museum	GB	Progress	7298	1946	0-6-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Static display
Foxfield Light Railway	GB	Eustace Forth	7063	1942	0-4-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Undergoing overhaul
Great Central Railway (Nottingham)	GB	Ruddington	7667	1950	0-6-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Stored awaiting overhaul
Great Central Railway (Nottingham)	GB	Corby	7761	1954	0-6-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Operational
North Tyneside Steam Railway	GB	No. 1 Ted Garrett	7683	1951	0-6-0T	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Static display awaiting restoration
Lincolnshire Wolds Railway	GB	Zebedee	7597	1949	0-6-0T	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Awaiting overhaul
Peak Rail	GB	Royal Pioneer	7136	1944	0-6-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Undergoing overhaul, built as Austerity WD 75186
Ribble Steam Railway	GB	Agecroft No. 2	7485	1947	0-4-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	On static display awaiting overhaul
Snibston Discovery Park	GB	Mars No. 2	7493	1948	0-4-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Awaiting restoration
Lincolnshire Wolds Railway	GB	Birkenhead	7386	1948	0-4-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Operational
Spa Valley Railway	GB	Samson	7668	1950	0-6-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Restoration on hold
Spa Valley Railway	GB	Ugly	7673	1950	0-6-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Operational
Spa Valley Railway	GB	North Downs	7846	1955	0-6-0T	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Stored awaiting overhaul
Strathspey Railway	GB		7097	1943	0-6-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Awaiting overhaul; built as Austerity WD 75061
Whitwell and Reepham Railway	GB	Agecroft No. 3	7681	1951	0-4-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Undergoing overhaul
Tanfield Railway	GB		7078	1944	Bo-Bo	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Built for 500v DC overhead system at Kearsley Power Station
Tanfield Railway	GB	Beryl	7697	1953	0-6-0DM	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Awaiting repair
Tanfield Railway	GB	CEGB No. 21	7797	1954	0-4-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Awaiting overhaul
Tanfield Railway	GB	Lysaghts	7035	1940	0-6-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Awaiting restoration
Tanfield Railway	GB	NCB No. 49	7098	1943	0-6-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Awaiting overhaul; built as Austerity WD 75062
Tanfield Railway	GB	NCB No. 16	7944	1957	0-6-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Awaiting restoration
Tanfield Railway	GB	NCB No. 38	7763	1954	0-6-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Awaiting overhaul
Tanfield Railway	GB	NCB No. 44	7760	1953	0-6-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Awaiting restoration
Tanfield Railway	GB	No. 47	7800	1954	0-6-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Awaiting restoration, ex Celynen South Power Station
Tanfield Railway	GB	Hendon	7007	1940	0-4-0CT	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Awaiting restoration
Tanfield Railway	GB	Sir Cecil A. Cochrane	7409	1948	0-4-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Operational
Tyseley Locomotive Works	GB	Fred	7289	1945	0-6-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Undergoing overhaul; built as Austerity WD 71480
Weardale Railway	GB	NCB No. 40	7765	1954	0-6-0T	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Undergoing overhaul
Private site	GB	Norwood	77		0-6-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Undergoing restoration off site
Private site	GB	Castle Donington Power Station No. 2	7818	1954	0-4-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Awaiting overhaul
Garw Valley	GB	7705	7705	1952	0-4-0ST	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)	Undergoing restoration

References

1. http://apps.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=183-dshl&ci
2. Industrial Railway Record no. 169, June 2002, pp 146-158, ISSN 0537-5347

• Industrial Railway Society : Various publications.