Penarth Dock, South Wales - the heritage and legacy

Volume Nine - Pre-Victorian to the present day - even more aspects - The Railway Infrastructure of Penarth Dock and Ely Tidal Harbour . . .

The 0-6-0 locomotive 'Penarth'

Thomas Andrew Walker was the major contractor for the Manchester Ship Canal project and it is documented that he used his 0-6-0 saddle-tank steam engine named 'Penarth' during the construction works, being only one of 171 locomotives at work there! The Penarth Dock Extension works, for which Mr. Walker was also the major contractor, commenced in September 1881 and was complete sometime after April 1884.

The locomotive 'Penarth' was built by Manning Wardle & Company in 1882. It was an 'M' Class, works number 840. The builders were based at the Boyne Engine Works (est. 1858) in Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds in the former West Riding of Yorkshire. It, therefore, seems to me highly probable that the 'Penarth' was built for and utilised during the Penarth Dock Extension works although I can find no documental evidence for this assumption. The two photographs below show the locomotive some years later. Thanks to the Railway Archive section of the Transport Archive website for the technical information. [566]

0-6-0 locomotive 'Penarth' at work c.1891. [563] [566]

1894-99 - 'Penarth' working nearby Ashby Magna. [564] [565]

The table below lists Manning Wardle engines built for, or resold to, T. A. Walker at Penarth :

Name	Class	Wheels/ Gauge	Builder	No. / Year	Comment
'Windsor'	E	0-4-0 ST Std	Manning Wardle	794 / 1882	T.A.Walker, Penarth.
'Hafod'	Special F	0-4-0 ST Std.	Manning Wardle	838 / 1885	Cancelled order - Dr. Spiller, Russia, resold to T.A.Walker, Penarth Dock.
'Rhondda'	Special F	0-4-0 ST Std.	Manning Wardle	839 / 1885	Cancelled order - Dr. Spiller, Russia, resold to T.A.Walker, Penarth Dock.
'Penarth'	M	0-6-0 ST Std	Manning Wardle	840 / 1882	T.A.Walker, Penarth.
'Ely'	F	0-4-0 ST Std.	Manning Wardle	932 / 1885	T.A.Walker, Penarth.
'Wimbourne'	F	0-4-0 ST Std.	Manning Wardle	933 / 1885	T.A.Walker, Penarth.
'Taff'	F	0-4-0 ST Std	Manning Wardle	936 / 1885	T.A.Walker, Penarth.
'Cogan'	F	0-4-0 ST Std	Manning Wardle	960 / 1885	T.A.Walker, Penarth.

Both 'Windsor' and 'Penarth' of 1882 were probably used at the Penarth Dock Extension works but the six engines built in 1885, some time after completion of works at Penarth, coincide with the construction of the larger Barry Docks for which Mr. Walker was also the main contractor.

The Manning Wardle engine 'Penarth' should not be confused with an engine of the same name built at Kitson and Hewitson & Company, also of Leeds, for the Taff Vale Railway. It was works number 677 built in 1858 being an 0-6-0 standard gauge engine. However, this early engine is not listed within 'Locomotives of the Taff Vale Railway' by M.C.V.Allchin.

Many thanks to Kris at the Leeds Engine Builders website for the above information. [567]

The 0-6-0 saddle tank locomotive named 'Penarth' in steam.

The 0-6-0 saddle tank locomotive named 'Penarth' was built by Manning Wardle & Co., at the Boyne Engine Works in Leeds during 1882 and is seen here working at Ashby Magna on the Aylstone to Rugby contract in the period 1894 to 1898. As stated above, she was new to Thomas A. Walker for the Penarth Dock extension works being a Class M, 0-6-0, saddle tank, standard gauge, coal fired, steam engine.

After the work at Penarth was completed she then worked in a fleet of 171 locomotives at the Manchester Ship Canal then onto the Aylestone to Rugby project ; then Alexandra Dock at Cardiff followed by the King's Dock at Swansea and it seems ended her days at Burrows Plant Depot at Crumlin? The postcard image is held within the Penarth Dock Collection [001] and is credited to Leicester Museums. The lower image has been colourised and she is back in steam thanks to AI. [001]