Locomotion: The National Railway Museum at Shildon hosts a bi-monthly series of talks by Curators from the National Railway Museum.
The next talk in the series will take place in the Hackworth Room, Collection Building, on Thursday 20th July, starting at 1.45pm.
The title of the talk is The Lowca Legacy and the speaker is Anthony Coulls, Senior Curator of Rail Transport & Technology.
Throughout the 19th Century, many companies across the UK began to make steam locomotives. Some began from nothing; others were established firms seeking new income. A number grew into major concerns lasting over the century; others came and went.
The Cumbrian town of Whitehaven seems an unlikely location for a steam locomotive works, but for nearly 70 years, an engineering company there produced more than 200 locomotives.
Fletcher and Jennings took over the business of Tulk and Ley in 1857. From then, until 1884, the company concentrated on four and six-coupled industrial tank locomotives, although other goods such as bridge girders, and blast-furnace shells for the burgeoning local iron industry, were also produced.
This talk looks at the history of the Lowca Engineering Works and the firms that operated it, and finishes with information on where you can see the surviving engines from the site in operation or on display in the 21st Century.
Tickets for the talk are £5 each; this includes tea/coffee and a scone. Tickets are available from the gift shop at Locomotion: The NRM at Shildon or from www.locomotionmodels.com.
For more information, call the Locomotion team on 01904 685780.
Shildon & District's local community newspaper.
