# Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company

Nasmyth, Gaskell and Company, originally called The Bridgewater Foundry, specialised in the production of heavy machine tools and locomotives. It was located in Patricroft, in Salford England, close to the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the Bridgewater Canal and the Manchester Ship Canal. The company was founded in 1836 and dissolved in 1940.

## Nasmyth

The company was founded in 1836 by James Nasmyth and Holbrook Gaskell. Nasmyth had previously been employed in Henry Maudslay's workshop in Lambeth and his interest was mainly, but not limited to, specialist machine tools.

## Modern materials handling

The Bridgewater Foundry is an example of modern materials handling that was part of the evolution of the assembly line.
The buildings were arranged in a line with a railway for carrying the work going through the buildings. Cranes were used for lifting the heavy work, which sometimes weighed in the tens of tons. The work passed sequentially through to the erection of the framework and final assembly.

## Locomotives

The company produced nine locomotives in 1839, thirteen in 1840, eight in 1841 and sixteen in 1842. These were sub-contracted from other makers such as Edward Bury, and produced to their designs. Those for the Midland Counties and London and Southampton Railways were 2-2-0 with 5-foot-6-inch (1.676 m) driving wheels and 12-by-18-inch (305 mm × 457 mm) cylinders, similar to those railway's Bury machines. (One Midland Counties locomotive was 2-2-2, and had smaller drivers, with 5 ft 0 in (1.524 m) and 14-by-18-inch (356 mm × 457 mm) cylinders.) In 1841 the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway had found some American Norris 4-2-0 locomotives very successful, especially on the notorious Lickey Incline, and the company built six similar ones for the line.

## Expansion

In 1850 the name of the firm was changed to James Nasmyth and Company, then in 1857 to Patricroft Ironworks. In 1867 Robert Wilson and Henry Garnett became the principal partners and the company's name changed again to Nasmyth, Wilson and Company.
From about 1873 the demand for locomotives from overseas increased. By 1938 over 1,650 locomotives had been produced, over one thousand of which were exported.
In 1883, Nasmyth Wilson and Co. produced the very first design of Prairie or 2-6-2 locomotives in the world, for the New Zealand Railways Department. These locomotives entered traffic between 1885 and 1890 after a somewhat rough start. several were dumped in rivers as flood protection in the 1920s, and have since been exhumed for preservation.

## Decline and closure

During World War I the factory was mainly engaged in munitions work, but it built twenty 2-8-0 locomotives for the French Chemin de fer de l'État (140-251 to 140-270) and 32 for India, along with a hundred small petrol driven locomotives.
Sales continued after the end of the war but by the early 1930s orders had begun to dwindle. In 1934 the works supplied four standard gauge N class 0-6-0T shunters to Palestine Railways. These were evidently satisfactory as Palestine Railways bought four more in 1935, two in 1936 and a final pair in 1938.
The last locomotive order was for two 2-6-4T metre gauge tank locomotives, Works No. 1649 and 1650, dispatched in 1938 to the South Indian Railways. Only two other locomotives were produced in 1938; these were the last pair of N class 0-6-0Ts for Palestine Railways, Works No. 1651 and 1652.
As part of a planned reorganisation of the industry, the company ceased manufacture of locomotives and handed over all its drawings and patterns to the British Locomotive Manufacturers Association. The company continued to make steam hammers and machine tools.
On 1 June 1940 the Ministry of Supply took over the factory and it became an engineering Royal Ordnance Factory, ROF Patricroft. The company, however, was formally wound up on 7 November 1940, having reported a loss of £2,663 for 1939.
In 1987, the Royal Ordnance Factories were bought by British Aerospace and in 1989 the Patricroft engineering works was closed down. The site, including some of the original buildings, is now used as a business and technology centre.
By 2009, a large section (the central building) had been demolished.

## Locomotive production list

| Serial numbers | Year | Quantity | Customer | Class | Wheel arrangement | Road numbers | Notes |
| 25–32 | 1841 | 8 | Great Western Railway | Firefly | 2-2-2 | various names | 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) gauge. |
| 35–42 | 1842 | 8 | Great Western Railway | Firefly | 2-2-2 | various names | 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) gauge. |
| 43–46 | 1842 | 4 | Great Western Railway | Hurcules | 0-6-0 | various names | 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) gauge. |
| 120–124 | 1872 | 5 | Great Eastern Railway | 477 | 0-6-0 | 507–511 | Renumbered 0507–0511 in 1899. |
| 216–223 | 1882 | 8 | Bengal Central Railway | H | 4-4-0 | 1–8 | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge. Two to Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway, six to Eastern Bengal Railway |
| 252–261 | 1884 | 10 | New Zealand Government Railways | V | 2-6-2 | various | |
| 262–263 | 1884 | 2 | Provincia de Santa Fe Railway | 1a | 2-6-0/4 | various | Road numbers 1-2 |
| 264–266 | 1884 | 3 | Provincia de Santa Fe Railway | 2a | 4-4-0/4 | various | Road numbers 3-5 |
| 272–281 | 1885 | 10 | New Zealand Government Railways | P | 2-8-0 | various | |
| 282–284 | 1885 | 3 | Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company | V | 2-6-2 | 6–8 | later New Zealand Government Railways 450–452 |
| 287–290 | 1885 | 4 | Provincia de Santa Fe Railway | 1a' | 4-6-0/4 | various | Road numbers 6-9 - Different wheel arrangement than 1a Class |
| 291–293 | 1886 | 3 | Provincia de Santa Fe Railway | 2a | 4-4-0/4 | various | Road numbers 10-12 |
| 294–295 | 1886 | 2 | Provincia de Santa Fe Railway | 2a' | 2-6-0/4 | various | Road numbers 13-14 - Larger diameter wheels than 2a Class |
| 298 | 1886 | 1 | Nippon Railway | W3/3 | 0-6-0T | 22 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 1100 1106 |
| 300-303 | 1887 | 4 | Japanese Government Railways | J | 2-4-2T | 69-75 (odds) | later Japanese Government Railways Class 400 400-403 |
| 305-306 | 1887 | 2 | Japanese Government Railways | I | 0-6-0T | 55, 57 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 1100 1100-1101 |
| 307-308 | 1887 | 2 | Nippon Railway | W3/3 | 0-6-0T | 23-24 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 1100 1107-1108 |
| 309 | 1887 | 1 | Japanese Government Railways | I | 0-6-0T | 60 | later Taiwan Government-General Railway E12 |
| 310 | 1887 | 1 | Japanese Government Railways | I | 0-6-0T | 63 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 1100 1102 |
| 326-331 | 1887 | 6 | Nippon Railway | W2/4 | 2-4-2T | 31-36 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 600 602-607 |
| 334-335 | 1888 | 2 | Japanese Government Railways | L | 2-4-2T | 121, 123 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 600 665-666 |
| 336-337 | 1888 | 2 | Japanese Government Railways | AB | 2-6-2T | 74, 76 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 3080 3080-3081 |
| 338-339 | 1888 | 2 | Hokkaidō Colliery Railway | ニ | 0-6-0T | 17-18 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 1100 1112-1113 |
| 340 | 1887 | 1 | Japanese Government Railways | I | 0-6-0T | 124 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 1100 1104 |
| 342-343 | 1888 | 2 | Nippon Railway | W2/4 | 2-4-2T | 40-41 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 600 608-609 |
| 346-347 | 1889 | 2 | Japanese Government Railways | L | 2-4-2T | 86, 88 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 600 663-664 |
| 354–365 | 1889 | 15 | Queensland Railways | B15 | 4-6-0 | 206–219 | |
| 369-374 | 1889 | 6 | Nippon Railway | Wt3/4 | 2-6-0 | 54-59 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 7600 7600-7605 |
| 383-388 | 1889 | 6 | Nippon Railway | W2/4 | 2-4-2T | 42-47 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 600 610-615 |
| 390-395 | 1890 | 6 | Japanese Government Railways | L | 2-4-2T | 169-179 (odds) | later Japanese Government Railways Class 600 667-672 |
| 396-401 | 1890 | 6 | Nippon Railway | W2/4 | 2-4-2T | 48-53 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 600 621. 616-620 |
| 425–430 | 1892 | 6 | London, Tilbury and Southend Railway | 1 | 4-4-2T | 31–36 | to Midland Railway 2140–2146 in 1912 |
| 435–440 | 1892 | 6 | Elgoibar-San Sebastián | 130T | 2-6-0T | various | To Ferrocarriles Vascongados in 1906. |
| 455–456 | 1894 | 2 | Elgoibar-San Sebastián | 130T | 2-6-0T | various | To Ferrocarriles Vascongados in 1906. |
| 460–462 | 1895 | 3 | Cambrian Railways | | 0-4-4T | 3, 5, 7 | to Great Western Railway 10, 11, 15 in 1922 |
| 488-490 | 1896 | 3 | Chūetsu Railway | 1 | 0-6-0T | 1-3 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 1050 1050-1052 |
| 494-496 | | 3 | Nanao Railway | 甲1 | 0-6-0T | 1-3 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 1200 1206-1208 |
| 498 | 1896 | 1 | Sangū Railway | 2 | 2-4-0T | 5 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 100 100 |
| 501-503 | 1897 | 3 | Toyokawa Railway | 機1 | 0-6-0T | 1-3 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 1280 1280 |
| 505-506 | 1897 | 2 | Kansai Railway | 磨墨 (Surusumi) | 2-4-2T | 21-22 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 870 870-871 |
| 513-515 | 1897 | 3 | Chūgoku Railway | 2 | 0-6-0T | 2-4 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 1220 1221-1223 |
| 519-520 | 1897 | 2 | Ohmi Railway | 甲1 (Kou1) | 2-4-2T | 1-2 | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge. |
| 542-547 | 1898 | 6 | Kansai Railway | 磨墨 (Surusumi) | 2-4-2T | 46-51 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 870 872-877 |
| 550–551 | 1894 | 2 | Elgoibar-San Sebastián, Biscay Central | 130T | 2-6-0T | various | To Ferrocarriles Vascongados in 1906. |
| 552–557 | 1899 | 6 | Furness Railway | 7 | 0-6-0 | 7–12 | to LMS 12468–12473 in 1923 |
| 558–560 | 1899 | 3 | Cambrian Railways | | 0-4-4T | 8, 9, 23 | to Great Western Railway 19–21 in 1922 |
| 561–562 | 1899 | 2 | Neath and Brecon Railway | | 0-6-0ST | 7–8 | to Great Western Railway 2174–2175 in 1922 |
| 584–586 | 1900 | 3 | Brecon and Merthyr Railway | | 0-6-0T | 27–29 | later Great Western Railway 2171–2173 |
| 588–593 | 1900 | 6 | North Staffordshire Railway | 159 | 0-6-0 | 159–164 | to LMS 2351–2356 in 1923 |
| 619-620 | 1901 | 2 | Kansai Railway | 磨墨 (Surusumi) | 2-4-2T | ? | later Japanese Government Railways Class 870 878-879 |
| 635-638 | 1902 | 4 | Kansai Railway | 磨墨 (Surusumi) | 2-4-2T | 74-77 | later Japanese Government Railways Class 870 880-883 |
| 689–693 | 1904 | 5 | Furness Railway | 98 | 0-6-2T | 98–102 | to LMS 11625–11629 in 1923 |
| 697–700 | 1904 | 4 | Donegal Railway | 4 | 4-6-4T | 12–15 | 3 ft (914 mm) gauge. To County Donegal Railways Joint Committee in 1906; renumbered 9–12 in 1937 |
| 701–706 | 1904 | 6 | East Indian Railway | | 0-4-0ST | 1/980 to 6/980 | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge. Construction locomotives. |
| 748–750 | 1905 | 3 | East Indian Railway | | 0-4-0ST | 7/85 to 9/885 | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge. Construction locomotives. |
| 794–798 | 1907 | 5 | East Indian Railway | M | Railmotor | 1350–1354 | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge. Rebuilt as works shunters between 1927 and 1929 |
| 800–809 | 1907 | 10 | Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway | 8B | 2-6-2T | 289–298 | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge. Renumbered 3401–3410 in 1912; to Ferrocarril General Roca in 1948 |
| 828–833 | 1907 | 5 | County Donegal Railways Joint Committee | 5 | 2-6-4T | 16–20 | 3 ft (914 mm) gauge. Renumbered 4–8 in 1937; three preserved |
| 834–836 | 1908 | 4 | Federated Malay States Railways | H2 | 4-6-2 | 131–134 | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge. |
| 839–842 | 1908 | 4 | Federated Malay States Railways | H2 | 4-6-2 | 79–82 | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge. |
| 864–869 | 1908 | 6 | Assam Bengal Railway | K/2 (BESA G) | 4-8-0 | 130–135 | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge. |
| 870–875 | 1908 | 6 | Assam Bengal Railway | C/1 (BESA T) | 2-6-2T | 70–75 | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge. |
| 911 | 1910 | 1 | Buenos Aires Midland Railway | F | 4-6-0 | 38 | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge. |
| 929–933 | 1911 | 5 | Great Northern Railway (Ireland) | NQG | 0-6-0 | 9, 109, 112, 38–39 | 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) gauge. |
| 945–947 | 1911 | 3 | Eastern Bengal Railway | SP | 4-4-0 | 265–267 | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge. Renumbered 406–408. |
| 950 | 1911 | 1 | Great Northern Railway (Ireland) | NLQG | 0-6-0 | 165 | 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) gauge. |
| 951–955 | 1911–12 | 5 | East Indian Railway | G | 2-8-0 | 990–994 | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge. |
| 956–958 | 1912 | 3 | County Donegal Railways Joint Committee | 5A | 2-6-4T | 2A, 3A, 21 | 3 ft (914 mm) gauge. Renumbered 2, 3, 1 in 1937; one preserved |
| 995–1000 | 1913 | 6 | Bombay Port Trust | A | 2-6-0T | 1–6 | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge |
| 1009–1013 | 1913 | 5 | Kenya-Uganda Railway | EE | 2-6-4T | 391–395 | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge. To East African Railways and Harbours Corporation 1001–1005; EAR&H class 10 |
| 1024–1023 | 1913 | 10 | Bengal Nagpur Railway | B5 | 2-8-2 | 0066–0075 not in order | 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge. |
| 1026–1031 | 1914 | 6 | East Indian Railway | BT | 2-6-4T | 159–164 | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge. Five renumbered 26821–26825 in all-India scheme. |
| 1032–1033 | 1914 | 2 | Bombay Port Trust | A | 2-6-0T | 7–8 | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge |
| 1041–1043 | 1913 | 3 | Kenya-Uganda Railway | EE | 2-6-4T | 396–398 | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge. To East African Railways and Harbours Corporation 1006–1008; EAR&H class 10 |
| 1054–1059 | 1914 | 6 | East Indian Railway | ST | 0-6-0T | 677–682 | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge. Renumbered 34364–36369 in all-India scheme. |
| 1060–1065 | 1915 | 6 | South African Railways | J | 2-6-4T | 341–346 | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge. |
| 1087–1094 | 1915 | 8 | Bengal Nagpur Railway | BS1 | 2-8-2 | 0076–0083 | 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge. |
| 1106–1111 | 1915 | 6 | Bombay Port Trust | A | 2-6-0T | 9–14 | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge |
| 1115–1119 | 1921 | 5 | Great Northern Railway (Ireland) | T2 | 4-4-2T | 1–5 | 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) gauge. Subcontracted to Beyer, Peacock & Co. |
| 1120–1139 | 1916–17 | 20 | Chemins de fer de l'État | 140-101 | 2-8-0 | 140-251 to 140-270 | |
| 1244–1267 | 1917–1918 | 24 | Railway Operating Division | ROD 2-8-0 | 2-8-0 | 1701–1724 | |
| 1269–1280 | 1919 | 12 | Taff Vale Railway | A | 0-6-2T | various | to Great Western Railway in 1922 |
| 1281–1288 | 1919 | 8 | Railway Operating Division | ROD 2-8-0 | 2-8-0 | 1725–1732 | |
| 1322–1332 | 1921 | 11 | Assam Bengal Railway | H/7 (BESA M) | 4-6-0 | 143–153 | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge. |
| 1352 | 1921 | 1 | Assam Bengal Railway | H/7 (BESA M) | 4-6-0 | 154 | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge. |
| 1357–1358 | 1922 | 2 | Bombay Port Trust | H | 2-10-2T | 25–26 | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge hump shunters |
| 1359–1368 | 1921 | 10 | Bombay Port Trust | A | 2-6-0T | 15–24 | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge. |
| 1371–1375 | 1922 | 5 | Bengal Nagpur Railway | BS3 | 2-8-2 | 0096–00100 | 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge. Renumbered 632–636 in 1957 all-India scheme |
| 1412-1413 | 1924 | 2 | Royal State Railways of Siam | | 2-8-2 | 311-312 | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge. |
| 1423–1427 | 1924 | 5 | Great Northern Railway (Ireland) | T2 | 4-4-2T | 21, 30, 115, 116, 139 | 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) gauge. |
| 1428–1432 | 1924–25 | 5 | Great Northern Railway (Ireland) | SG2 | 0-6-0 | 15–19 | 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) gauge. |
| 1435–1439 | 1924 | 5 | Great Northern Railway (Ireland) | T2 | 4-4-2T | 142–144, 147, 148 | 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) gauge. |
| 1448–1452 | 1925 | 5 | London, Midland and Scottish Railway | 3P | 4-4-2T | 2120–2124 | Continuation of London, Tilbury and Southend Railway 79 class |
| 1453–1462 | 1925 | 10 | London, Midland and Scottish Railway | 2P | 0-4-4T | 15260–15269 | Continuation of Caledonian Railway 431 Class |
| 1471–1476 | 1926 | 6 | Nigerian Railways | | 4-6-2 | 405–410 | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge. |
| 1482–1486 | 1926 | 5 | Barsi Light Railway | F | 2-8-2 | 19–23 | 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge. Renumbered 712–716 in 1957 all-India scheme |
| 1487–1488 | 1926 | 2 | Great Indian Peninsula Railway | B/1 | 2-8-2 | 13–14 | 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge. Renumbered 770–771 in 1957 all-India scheme |
| 1489–1491 | 1926 | 3 | Ceylon Government Railway | B8 | 4-6-0 | 229–231 | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge. |
| 1497–1504 | 1927 | 8 | South Indian Railway | K | 0-6-0 | K58–K65 | 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) gauge. Renumbered 37059–37066 in all-India scheme |
| 1525–1526 | 1927 | 2 | Barsi Light Railway | F | 2-8-2 | 29–30 | 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge. Renumbered 717–718 in 1957 all-India scheme |
| 1531–1532 | 1928 | 2 | North Western Railway (India) | ZE | 2-8-2 | 190–191 | 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge. Renumbered 221–222; renumbered 93–94 in all-India scheme |
| 1533–1536 | 1928 | 4 | Nigerian Railways | | 4-6-2 | 411–414 | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge. |
| 1539–1543 | 1928 | 5 | Barsi Light Railway | G | 4-6-4 | 31–35 | 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge. Renumbered 728–732 in 1957 all-India scheme |
| 1550–1554 | 1928 | 5 | Eastern Bengal Railway | YB | 4-6-2 | 409–413 | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge. To Assam Bengal Railway 251–255 in 1936 |
| 1563–1566 | 1929 | 4 | Bengal Nagpur Railway | RD | 2-6-2 | 07–010 | 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge, for Raipur–Dhamtari line; renumbered 687–690 in 1957 all-India scheme |
| 1574–1576 | 1929 | 3 | Barsi Light Railway | F | 2-8-2 | 36–38 | 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge. Renumbered 719–721 in 1957 all-India scheme |
| 1586–1587 | 1930 | 2 | Barsi Light Railway | G | 4-6-4 | 4–5 | 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge. Renumbered 725–726 in 1957 all-India scheme |
| | 1934 | 4 | Palestine Railway | N | 0-6-0T | | |
| | 1935 | 4 | Palestine Railway | N | 0-6-0T | | |
| 1649–1650 | 1938 | 2 | South Indian Railway | ST | 2-6-4T | ST1–ST2 | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) gauge. Renumbered 37366–37367 in all-India scheme |
| 1651–1652 | 1938 | 2 | Palestine Railway | N | 0-6-0T | | |