Vulcan Foundry Timeline

We are always on the lookout for articles material &  photographs to populate this list, this page also contains links to other relevant on and off site pages.

YEAR Foundry Number & Description Article Photo Document
1828 First document we have dated to 1828 and shows the land to be purchased laid out with the works managers house and a rudimentary square for the works. The 'Warrington Railway' is shown to the West with the proposed 'Railway to Wigan' later part of the West Coast Main Line to the East as a broken line. Penciled on the map at the top is the faint line of the works reservoir. Map
1829 Horatio Allen assistant engineer of the delaware and Hudson Canal Company comes to England and becomes involved with George Stephenson whilst organising the purchase of Locomotives. 
1833 The first complete locomotives are produced at the works, Locomotive No.1 'Tayleur' and No. 2 'Stephenson' named after the works co-founders.

The Vulcan Foundry develops the swiveling bogie truck thus enabling early locomotives to cope with the rigours of poorly laid track in North Americas then agricultural economy.

 Drawing

Drawing
1835 Horatio Allen returns to England and the Vulcan Foundry purchasing three bogie locomotives, Cinncinnati, Allen and Kentucky for the South Carolina Railroad Company these simple, durable locomotives set the standard for subsequent American locomotive design. Drawing
1838 The Raleigh and Gaston Railroad of North Carolina choose Vulcan Locomotives in preference to the then unreliable domestic product opting for an improved version of the Vulcans original 1833 Type 'A' locomotive 'Tayleur'. Drawing
1864
13th June		 Thomas Qullem Roberts the Vulcans first employee to be eaten by a Tiger is consumed in Jamalpore India whilst working as a foreman at the erecting shop.

Photo
1873 The Vulcan build's the worlds last flangeless locomotive for the Tredegar Iron Company who are still using an angled rail network dating back to at least 1805. Photo
1899 A rolling road 'friction wheel set' is designed, installed and tested at the Vulcan Foundry for the static testing of locomotives. The set consisted of three cast iron drums mounted on journals with steel tyres shrunk on at the various gauges used in the erecting shop. The whole assembly was set in a cast iron pit and lined up with the existing multi-gauge track.
1907 The last of the 'Old Part' of the foundry is destroyed by fire. This part of the foundry was the last remaining part of the original foundry as built by Stephenson and Tayleur in the 1830's. The fire starts around 1AM on Tuesday 15th January. Article
1930
January		 The Vulcan are the first company in the world to transport locomotives by road, the foundry is besieged by reporters and photographers. Photo
1934 Twenty-four remarkable locomotives are built for the Chinese Government for use on Chinese National Railways, the 4-8-4 locomotives were the largest locomotives ever built at the works at 93'2½" (28.41m). The locomotives were equipped with booster engines that could drive either the locomotives rear or the tenders front bogies.
1935
November		 Vulcan commences production of Light Infantry Tanks for the War Office. Photo
1936 The first Oil Engine (Diesel) is built at the Vulcan Foundry a Vulcan-Frichs 275-300hp Air Start Engine Photo
1936
October		 Vulcan entrusted with the design of the Matilda Tank for the War Office.
1938
March		 The first of the 'Waltzing' Matilda tanks produced at the foundry was completed and made ready for trials. Photo
1940
6th September		 It is a Friday between approximately 4 & 5pm and the Foundry is subjected to some attention by the Luftwaffe, fortunately its only for the benefit of the aerial photographer. Photo
1941 The foundry is visited by their Majesties the King & Queen and tour the factory guided by Messrs Whalley & Saunders amid scenes of great enthusiasm. Photo

1944
April

 The Vulcans workforce reaches an all time high with 4128 employees on the books including 850 female employees.
1962 Foundry records, some dating back to the 1840's are destroyed under English Electric supervision despite the protestation of Vulcan staff on the pretence that they were taking up space. Small quantities of material were filched from under the eyes of the English Electric staff and stashed in various safe houses and forms part of the material on the site.