Baguley Cars Ltd

Share of the Baguley Cars Ltd, issued 29. January 1913

Baguley Cars Ltd (later Baguley (Engineers) Ltd, then E. E. Baguley Ltd) was a British engineering company, specializing in railway locomotives. They were founded in 1911 by Ernest E. Baguley and were acquired by Baguley-Drewry in 1962.

Baguley Cars Ltd.

A 1914 Baguley Cars 4-cylinder car
Baguley Cars Locomotive Rishra now resident at the Leighton Buzzard Light Railway.
Baguley works number 774, the first of their 20hp petrol locomotives, now preserved at the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum

In 1911, engineer Ernest E. Baguley set up Baguley Cars Ltd, taking over the assets of the (then defunct) Ryknield Motor Company at Shobnall Road Works, Burton-on-Trent. The company produced a range of motor vehicles. In 1912, Baguely entered into an agreement with the Drewry Car Co. to manufacture railcars for Drewry from 1912. In 1915 Baguley Cars Ltd acquired the firm of McEwan, Pratt & Co Ltd (which was in liquidation)[1] and thereby acquired some important orders for 10hp petrol/paraffin locomotives for the War Department Light Railways.

The company did not follow the 'normal' practice of building steam first and then diesel or petrol, but started in the opposite fashion, not building their first steam rail engine until 1920. But even this was almost an 'accident', as the locomotive was intended to be a petrol hydraulic machine but the transmission components were held up because of the 1914 - 18 war, so it was converted to a steam engine. Altogether the company built some 31 steam locos.

Baguley (Engineers) Ltd

After the War there was a decline in the production of road vehicles (probably due to competition from other manufacturers) and an increase in the production of railway equipment. Because of this, the name of the company was changed from Baguley Cars Ltd to Baguley (Engineers) Ltd on 10 April 1923.

During the 1920s there was some friction because Drewry complained that Baguley was failing to produce more modern designs of engine and chassis. Drewry began to move their business to the English Electric Company. Baguley (Engineers) Ltd went into decline and entered liquidation in 1931. Most of the plant and effects were sold at auction on 10 November 1931.

E. E. Baguley Ltd

Ernest Baguley set up a small repair business for Baguley products at Clarence Street, Burton-on-Trent, together with the brothers W. E. C. and F.C. Souster. A new company, E. E. Baguley Ltd, was registered on 30 April 1932 and was soon building locomotives again. In 1934 E. E. Baguley Ltd moved to larger premises at Uxbridge Street, Burton-on-Trent. This company survived until 1962, when it was acquired by Drewry Cars Ltd. to form Baguley-Drewry Ltd.

Baguley Precision Engineers Limited

Baguley under new ownership and still based in Burton-on-Trent continue to manufacture new spare parts for classic locomotives along with the repair and refurbishment of locomotive wheel and axle assemblies.

References

  1. ↑ Quine, Dan (March 2017). "Baguley 774 and the Pennal Tramway". Industrial Railway Record.

Sources

  • "The Drewry Car Company:1906-1970". Industrial Railway Record. Industrial Railway Society (40). 1972.
  • Marsden, Colin J., (2003) The Diesel Shunter, Oxford Publishing, ISBN 0-86093-579-5
  • The Railway Products of Baguley-Drewry Ltd and Its Predecessors, Civil, A, and Etherington, R, (2008), The Industrial Railway Society, ISBN 978-1-901556-44-5
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.