The Blackpool Tramway is a British icon, one of the oldest electric tram systems in the world and a symbol of Blackpool's rich history. Stretching along the Lancashire coastline, the network has been intrinsically tied to Blackpool's evolution as a beloved seaside...
Manchester Victoria Station, A Journey Through Time
A Royal Beginning (1844) Manchester Victoria Station opened its doors on January 1, 1844, marking the start of what would become a long and storied history. It holds the distinction of being the first station in the UK to be named “Victoria,” thanks to the special...
And Now for Something Completely Different – Railway Reflections No.9
Douglas Earle Marshall, Locomotive, Carriage & Wagon Superintendent of the London Brighton & South Coast Railway was on a roll. The company was pleased with the success of his I3 class 4-4-2 tank engines, so much so that Douglas was given free reign to design...
Railway Reflection No8. – The Last Loco
In this case the last loco was not some last of its class high-performance main line express engine that once grabbed the headlines but a lowly tank locomotive that attracted little attention. On week ending 16 February 1952, British Railways officially withdrew...
Oasis, a Britpop Legacy & Manchesters Most Iconic Band
In the mid-'90s, Manchester was more than just a city; it was the beating heart of the British music scene, pulsing with the energy of a new generation of bands ready to take on the world. Among them, one band emerged like a lightning bolt, electrifying not just the...
The History of Wartime Rationing
The Second World War was a period of profound upheaval for the United Kingdom, not only on the battlefields but also on the home front. As bombs fell and men went off to fight, the people left behind faced a different kind of challenge: making do with less. Rationing,...
The Last Night of the Proms
For over a century, the Last Night of the Proms has been the crowning jewel of the BBC Proms, an annual musical festival that has become synonymous with British culture and identity. With its roots steeped in history, the Last Night has evolved from a simple concert...
The Magic of Olympic Closing Ceremonies
The Olympic Games are more than just a display of athletic prowess; they are a celebration of unity, culture, and the human spirit. While the Opening Ceremonies are often grand spectacles that set the tone for the Games, the Closing Ceremonies hold a special place in...
Trailblazing Women in U.S. Political History: From Geraldine Ferraro to Kamala Harris
The journey of women in U.S. political history is marked by perseverance, resilience, and groundbreaking achievements. From the pioneering efforts of Geraldine Ferraro to the historic ascension of Kamala Harris, women have continuously shattered glass ceilings and...
The Amazing Barefoot Marathon Victory of the 1960 Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome witnessed one of the most iconic moments in the history of athletics. Ethiopian runner Abebe Bikila, running barefoot, triumphed in the marathon, becoming the first black African to win an Olympic gold medal. His victory not only...
Little Willie – Railway History
During 1924, Beyer Peacock & Co of Gortonbuilt its first Garratt standard gauge articulated steam locomotive for use in the UK. However, the customer wasn’t one of the country’s major railway companies, it was if fact Vivian & Sons Hafod Copper Works near Swansea.
Keen to sell Garratts into UK industry, Beyer Peacock came up with a 0-4-0+0-4-0 weighing 61.5 tons. Designed to tackle steep gradients and traverse tight curves, the small size of its water tank (950 gallons + 550 gallons in rear tank) and coal bunker (twelve tons) marked the engine out as one that wouldn’t be straying too far from home.
According to a letter written by Vivian’s managing director Sir Hugh Vivian on 1 January 1925, he was ‘entirely satisfied’ with the way the engine (number 10 in their fleet) was performing and that it could do the work of two 0-4-0 tank engines. Sir Hugh also noted that the number 10 brought with it operational savings when compared to two 0-4-0 tank engines. It consumed 25 per cent less coal as well as saving the wages bill of one engine crew.
Despite proactive advertising, Beyer Peacock sold just three more of these Garratts into UK industry.
During 1931, Sneyd Colliery, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent was Beyer Peacock’s second customer. The Garratt’s tractive effort of 27,884 pounds (12,648 kg), enabled it to make light work of the Sneyd Colliery line’s gradient of 1 in 20 (5 per cent).
During 1934, Guest, Keen & Baldwins Iron & Steel Co, became the third customer ordering one for their East Moors Works, Cardiff.
The fourth and final UK industrial Garratt was supplied to the Baddesley Colliery Co, Atherstone, Warwickshire, during 1937.
It was named William Francis after the son of the founder of the colliery Sir William Francis Dugdale and was the third engine at the colliery to carry the name. Given its length and weight William Francis soon attracted the nickname Little Willie.
However, money was not lavished on Little Willie. Where the other three locomotives sported polished brass boiler bands and dome, Little Willie had to make do with plain steel.
Little Willie earned its keep replacing two conventional engines over the numerous gradients, the steepest being 1 in 23 as the colliery line rose nearly 240 ft (73.1 metres) in under two miles (3.21 km) from its connection to the main line in the Trent Valley.
As well as the gradients, Little Willie had to tackle a curve with a radius of just 97 ft (29.56 metres).
During 1956 Little Willie was sent back to Gorton for a general overhaul.
However, in 1963 the National Coal Board (NCB) decided Little Willie’s days were over and ordered a new diesel locomotive as a replacement. There is a story that on the day the shiny new diesel was officially handed over and was supposed to show off its capabilities before an invited audience, it struggled to get up Baddesley’s notorious gradients then failed completely.
Thankfully Little Willie was in steam and was put back to work. By 1966, the engine was effectively worn out. It was leaking so much steam that an extra lookout had to be posted to stand in front of the smokebox. Lookouts were nothing unusual at Baddesley. The inclines were such that locomotives pushed wagons up hill with a lookout standing in the front wagon. When it came to going downhill, the locomotive was always on the front of train to provide braking power should it be needed.
At this time, Little Willie could manage eighteen wagons whereas the NCB’s more modern 0-6-0STs at the colliery could haul/push sixteen.
When Little Willie was finally withdrawn from service it was the sole survivor of its
little gang of four, the other three having already been scrapped.
Within the railway enthusiast movement there was a flurry of activity. Enthusiasts interested in industrial railways were well aware of William Francis’s existence whilst many of those solely interested in British Railways had never heard of the machine.
As Little Willie was the only surviving standard gauge Beyer Garratt in the UK, it came as something of a shock when the news broke that a group of Canadian railway enthusiasts were interested in buying the engine. Even more so when Beyer Peacock never managed to break into the North American market for these locomotives.
The engine was eventually bought by a Mr J R Price and by 1968 Little Willie was at the Bressingham Steam Museum, Diss, Norfolk.
Bressingham was the brainchild of Alan Bloom, a horticulturist and railway enthusiast who’d developed the 220-acre estate from the early 1960s. In 2023 Little Willie is still at Bressingham, though in 2009 it visited the Manchester Museum of Science & Industry, Manchester, as part of the centenary celebrations of the construction of the first Beyer Garratt.
Clive is our Transport and Railway writer, with years of experience he is a fount of knowledge on all things transport nostalgia.
Blackpool Heritage Trams
The Blackpool Tramway is a British icon, one of the oldest electric tram systems in the world and a symbol of Blackpool's rich history. Stretching along the Lancashire coastline, the network has been intrinsically tied to Blackpool's evolution as a beloved seaside...
Manchester Victoria Station, A Journey Through Time
A Royal Beginning (1844) Manchester Victoria Station opened its doors on January 1, 1844, marking the start of what would become a long and storied history. It holds the distinction of being the first station in the UK to be named “Victoria,” thanks to the special...
And Now for Something Completely Different – Railway Reflections No.9
Douglas Earle Marshall, Locomotive, Carriage & Wagon Superintendent of the London Brighton & South Coast Railway was on a roll. The company was pleased with the success of his I3 class 4-4-2 tank engines, so much so that Douglas was given free reign to design...
Railway Reflection No8. – The Last Loco
In this case the last loco was not some last of its class high-performance main line express engine that once grabbed the headlines but a lowly tank locomotive that attracted little attention. On week ending 16 February 1952, British Railways officially withdrew...
Oasis, a Britpop Legacy & Manchesters Most Iconic Band
In the mid-'90s, Manchester was more than just a city; it was the beating heart of the British music scene, pulsing with the energy of a new generation of bands ready to take on the world. Among them, one band emerged like a lightning bolt, electrifying not just the...
The History of Wartime Rationing
The Second World War was a period of profound upheaval for the United Kingdom, not only on the battlefields but also on the home front. As bombs fell and men went off to fight, the people left behind faced a different kind of challenge: making do with less. Rationing,...
The Last Night of the Proms
For over a century, the Last Night of the Proms has been the crowning jewel of the BBC Proms, an annual musical festival that has become synonymous with British culture and identity. With its roots steeped in history, the Last Night has evolved from a simple concert...
The Magic of Olympic Closing Ceremonies
The Olympic Games are more than just a display of athletic prowess; they are a celebration of unity, culture, and the human spirit. While the Opening Ceremonies are often grand spectacles that set the tone for the Games, the Closing Ceremonies hold a special place in...
Trailblazing Women in U.S. Political History: From Geraldine Ferraro to Kamala Harris
The journey of women in U.S. political history is marked by perseverance, resilience, and groundbreaking achievements. From the pioneering efforts of Geraldine Ferraro to the historic ascension of Kamala Harris, women have continuously shattered glass ceilings and...
The Amazing Barefoot Marathon Victory of the 1960 Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome witnessed one of the most iconic moments in the history of athletics. Ethiopian runner Abebe Bikila, running barefoot, triumphed in the marathon, becoming the first black African to win an Olympic gold medal. His victory not only...