Details of the narrow-gauge Manning Wardle Locomotives for the Royal Arsenal
Works No. 353 Lord Raglan
This was described by the makers as a small engine designed especially for Woolwich Arsenal. The cylinders were 6in bore x 8in stroke, wheelbase 3ft 3in and wheels 1ft 8in diameter. For particulars see Drawings Order No. 5750. This engine was afterwards altered at the trailing end by the owners to the same style as those that were made under Order No. 8070 [author’s note: it is difficult to see how this could have been accomplished without strengthening or even replacement of the mainframes].
Other details as built: Order No. 5750; specified materials: copper firebox (Bibby’s); brass [sic] tubes (Greens); boiler plates iron (Coopers); tyres and axles steel (Vickers and Taylors respectively); steam tested 21 February 1871; sent away 9 March 1871. Owner: Secretary of State for War, Woolwich Arsenal.
Works No. 477 Victoria (renamed Boxer, presumably in 1901 or 1902)
In general this engine was the same as number 353 but with considerable alteration at the trailing end in the design of canopy, coke boxes, footplating, frames, bufferbeams and drawgear, etc. For full particulars see drawings and list of tracings under Order No. 8070 in the drawing office. One new boiler supplied under Order No. 20570 on 15 June 1883 with steel plate boiler and firebox shell (strengthened round mud holes) and best Yorkshire iron smokebox plates.
Other details as built: Order No. 8070; specified materials: firebox and tubes as Works No. 353; boiler plates iron (Farnley); tyres and axles as 353; steam tested 25 October 1873; sent away 3 November 1873. Owner: Secretary of State for War, Woolwich Arsenal.
Works No. 482 Albert Edward
This was described as being the same as the previous locomotive. A new copper firebox with plates 0.62in thick was supplied in July 1881 under Order No. 17785 with another of ordinary thickness being supplied on 9 May 1903 under Order No. 53575. New firebars were supplied to customer drawings on 9 November 1920 under Order No. 81231, a set previously supplied to the standard specification being found not to fit [author’s note: this engine had been reboilered by the Arsenal in 1914, almost certainly being fitted with a longer firebox at the time. The date of supply of this component was clearly after the locomotive had been sold by the Arsenal, but no details were given as to the customer].
Other details as built: Order No. 8070; specified materials: firebox as 353; tubes brass [sic] (Munty); boiler plates iron (Farnley); tyres and axles as 353; steam tested 19 December 1873; sent away 29 December 1873.
Works No. 555 RL 2 (Rocket after 1891)
This was described as being the same as number 477. A new boiler was supplied on 27 July 1885 under Order No. 23501. This incorporated the following details: riveted mud-hole patches and expansion angle irons; centres of crown stays altered to 4in; copper firebox 0.62in thick all through; tubes Munty metal and smokebox tube plate 0.62in thick.
Other details as built: Order No. 9860; specified materials: firebox as 353; tubes as 482; boiler plates, tyres and axles as 353; steam tested 21 April 1875, sent away 27 April 1875. Owner: Secretary of State, Royal Laboratory, Royal Arsenal.
Works No. 605 RCD 2 (Norman Ramsey after 1891)
This was described as being the same as number 477 but with front drawgear to special instructions.
Other details as built: Order No. 11020; specified materials: firebox, tyres and axles as 353; tubes as 482; boiler as 477; steam tested 20 March 1876; sent away 21 March 1876. Owner: Secretary of State for War, Royal Carriage Department, Royal Arsenal.
Works No. 612 Trumpeter
This was described as being the same as number 605.
Other details as built: Order No. 11020; specified materials: firebox, tyres and axles as 353; tubes and boiler as 477; steam tested 20 March 1876; sent away 21 March 1876. Owner: Secretary of State for War, Royal Gun Factory, Woolwich Arsenal.
Works No. 613 RL 3 (Shrapnel after 1891)
This was described as being the same as number 605.
Other details as built: Order No. 11120; specified materials: firebox, tubes, boiler, tyres and axles same as 612; steam tested 9 June 1876; sent away 15 June 1876. Owner: Secretary of State for War, Royal Laboratory, Woolwich Arsenal.
Works No. 685 Vauban
This was described as being the same as number 605 but with the following modifications: two bosses for mud plugs forged on corners of back plate 7in from bottom; one mud plug in centre of front plate 4in from bottom; one in back plate 2.5in to left of centre and 2.5in above longitudinal stays. Whistle to be fixed on front end of tank on centreline and of deeper tone than usual. Name to be on brass plate with 2.5in letters. New copper firebox, tubes and Bessemer steel wheels were supplied under Order No. 23816 of October 1885. New cast-iron eccentric straps of maker’s standard B and C pattern were supplied on 21 January 1901 (Order No. not given).
Other details as built: Order No.13000; specified materials: firebox, tyres and axles as 353; tubes as 482; boiler as 477; steam tested 22 November 1877; sent away 26 November 1877. Owner: Secretary of State, Manufacturing Department, Woolwich Arsenal.
Works No. 696 Coehorn
This was described as being the same as number 477, but with all the latest alterations including a special canopy with weather screens front and back; whistle on top of canopy outside; mud plugs as number 685. New crucible steel tyres 3.75in wide and 2.8in thick were supplied under Order No. 25929 on 8 July 1887.
Other details as built: Order No. 13600; specified materials: firebox, tyres and axles same as 353; tubes same as 482; boiler plates same as 477; steam tested 14 March 1878; sent away 18 March 1878. Owner: Secretary of State for War, Manufacturing Department, Woolwich Arsenal.
Works No. 939 RL 4 (Fusee after 1891)
The boiler barrel of this engine had lap-jointed plates and mud-plug bosses welded onto the corners of the firebox wrapper. It was described as a duplicate of number 613 [at this juncture the confidence of the manufacturer in gaining future orders for locomotives of the same basic type despite the recent supply of a successful larger design by Leeds rivals Hudswell Clarke & Co. must be emphasized] and the maker’s records go on to specify that:
in future the following alterations must be made for engines ordered for the Royal Laboratory Department – brake screw 2½ in shorter; hole in brake screw bracket to be made smaller; whistle too long; special style of painting, yellow [author’s note: this would appear to refer to the lining, as there is no other evidence to suggest that any of these locomotives were painted in a yellow livery]; wood not required for back footplating; back footplating to be made parallel with coke boxes; handrails not required on tank; no fire iron brackets; safety valve chimney to be made in two parts; stay to canopy from tank; points of canopy to be left off.
Other details as built: Order No. 22000; specified materials: firebox same as 353; tubes same as 482; boiler plates same as 477; tyres and axles Vickers steel; steam tested 17 July 1884; sent away 21 July 1884. Owner: Secretary of State for War, Royal Laboratory, Woolwich Arsenal. [Author’s note: the later name of this locomotive was incorrectly recorded as ‘Furzee’ by the makers. Photographic evidence has been found to authenticate the true spelling.)
Works No. 986 RCD 5 (Gordon after 1891)
This locomotive was described as being the same as number 612 with the following alterations: strengthening patches riveted on bottom of firebox shell for mud plugs; ashpan bottom and sides all in one 0.25in plate; brass pillar for pressure gauge made 11in long; pressure gauge special 4in dial indicating 250psi [author’s note: this would have been for boiler-testing purposes]; special spring balances 5in range; and special-gauge glass protector and lamp-holder combined. The leading springs consisted of eight plates and the trailing set six. The trailing spring links were 0.38in longer than those on 353 to give more clearance for the bottom of the spring. A Manning Wardle no. 4 injector was fitted, mounted in the vertical position. The frames were merchant plates double-worked and the tank corners HM steel 0.19in thick. The tank top and saddle plates were all in one piece with no joint in the middle of the tank. The coke boxes were of wrought iron plate construction, while the axles were of crucible steel. Brass replacements for the original cast-iron bevel wheels were supplied under Order No. 24443, with new cast-iron eccentric straps (maker’s standard B and C pattern) under an unspecified order no. on 31 January 1901.
Other details as built: Order No. 23600; specified materials: firebox and tyres same as 353; tubes same as 482; boiler plates same as 477; axles MN & Co.; steam tested and sent away 1 March 1886. Owner: Secretary of State for War, Royal Carriage Department, Royal Arsenal.
Works No. 1043 RL 5 (Torpedo after 1891)
This was described as a duplicate of number 986 with the following alterations and additions: frame plates and tanks plates of steel; Dewrance’s asbestos-packed automatic water gauge with bottoms same as 5600 [author’s note: 5600 was not a Royal Arsenal locomotive] made to suit pitch and thread of water gauges and screwed in firebox shell plate, to diameter of seating (bottom). Special protector and lamp-holder combined for water gauge. Brake screw shortened by 2in. The bevel gears for the brake screw were made of brass and no handrail was fitted to the saddle tank. The footplates were made of chequer plate and one Roscoe no. 1 lubricator was fitted to each side of the saddle tank, with the usual pattern of turned brackets. The lubricator pipes were connected to the steam pipes with the ordinary pattern of union screwed onto the bosses on the pipes. The springs were of the same pattern as locomotive 986. [Author’s note: the confidence of the makers at this stage is once again demonstrated by a comment to the effect that ‘in any future engine the whistle must be taken through the canopy, chimney shortening by 6 in. for spark arrester; mud plugs hollow; two toolboxes. Painting [lining?] should be in bronze style, outside black.’]
Other details as built: Order No. 26030; specified materials: firebox, tyres and axles as 353; tubes Elliot’s brass; boiler plates as 477; steam tested 22 September 1887; sent away 23 September 1887. Owner: Secretary of State for War, Royal Laboratory, Royal Arsenal.
Works No. 1130 Arquebus
This locomotive was described as the same as number 612 except that it was fitted with a special canopy with weather screens front and back. A Beck’s patent whistle was fitted on top of the canopy, while the locomotive was fitted with Dewrance’s asbestos-packed water gauges [author’s note: this was apparently a mistake as no other narrow gauge Royal Arsenal Manning Wardle built was with two water gauges] with handles on the left-hand side for shut-off. A brass chimney cap was fitted and there were no hand rails on the tank. New slide blocks, increased in length, were employed along with brass bevel gears for the handbrake, while a spark arrester was fitted in the smokebox.
Other details as built: Order No. 28020; no further surviving materials specification; steam tested 22 March 1889; sent away 23 March 1889. Owner: Secretary of State for War, Royal Gun Factory, Royal Arsenal.