Bury, Curtis, and Kennedy
Encyclopedia
Bury, Curtis and Kennedy was a steam locomotive
manufacturer in Liverpool
, England
.
Edward Bury
(1794-1858) set up his works in 1826, under the name of Edward Bury and Company. He employed James Kennedy, who had gained experience of locomotive production under Robert Stephenson
and Mather, Dixon and Company
, to be his works foreman, later becoming a partner. About 1828 the firm moved to bigger premises in Love Lane, Liverpool, known as the Clarence Foundry.
Their first engine was built in 1830. Called Dreadnought, it ran on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
. It was objected to because it was on six wheels and was sold to the Bolton & Leigh Railway
. The second, the four-coupled Liverpool, later in 1830, used a cranked driving axle, and was also objected to (by George Stephenson) because the 6 ft diameter wheels were too big.
However, they refined their designs and the resulting 2-2-0
and 0-4-0
locomotives quickly became a standard which was emulated by many other manufacturers, becoming known as the "Bury type".
Distinguishing features of their engines was the use of the wrought-iron bar frame
, which gave them a light appearance, and the round firebox (D-shaped in plan), with a large domed top surmounted by a safety valve.
In 1836 Edward Bury contracted to run the trains of the London and Birmingham Railway
at a farthing per mile per passenger at a speed not to exceed 22.5 mph, the L&BR providing locomotives to Bury's specification. This contract was annulled in July 1839 because of the unexpected growth in traffic and the increased speed required, and Bury acted thereafter as Locomotive Superintendent of the L&BR in the normal way. The engines he had specified were built by eight different firms, Bury's firm providing 45 of the original stock of 90.
For other railways thirteen were supplied to the Great Northern Railway
(six of them being sub-contracted to William Fairbairn & Sons
), and they became the standard classes on the Eastern Counties Railway
, the Midland Counties Railway
, the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal Navigation and Railway Company
, the Lancaster and Preston Railway and the North Union Railway
. Several were exported to the USA, more than from any other British company except R. Stephenson & Co., and where Bury's "bar-frames" became standard. The firm had a reputation for good workmanship, cheapness and reliability.
In 1842, Bury took Kennedy, Timothy Abraham Curtis and John Vernon as partners, and the company changed its name to Bury, Curtis and Kennedy.
Bury continued as Locomotive Superintendent of the London & Birmingham Railway but a few months after it had become part of the London & North Western Railway he resigned in March 1847. In February 1848 he was appointed Locomotive Superintendent of the Great Northern Railway, and in June 1849 became also its general manager.
Meanwhile the firm of Bury, Curtis & Kennedy continued building locomotives, some of advanced design which had a great influence on subsequent practice, such as the 2-2-2s for the L&NWR which led directly to the "Bloomers", as well as one-offs such as the gigantic 6-2-0 Crampton "Liverpool", which was the most powerful locomotive in the world in 1848.
Two of the firm's locomotives have been preserved, Furness Railway 0-4-0 No. 3
(nicknamed "Old Coppernob" or "Coppernob"), built in 1846, now in the National Railway Museum, York and Great Southern & Western Railway 2-2-2 No 36, built in 1847, now at Glanmire Road (Kent) station, Cork.
In all, B, C & K's Clarence Foundry built about 415 locomotives, but they produced much else besides, from church bells to iron ships. At its height, the firm employed 1,600 men.
The firm lost heavily in making the components for a large swing-bridge over the River Neva at St Petersburg — for which the Russian Government never paid, according to Bury's widow. This, plus a serious decline in the shipbuilding trade in Liverpool
led to the firm's closing down in 1851.
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
manufacturer in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Edward Bury
Edward Bury was an English locomotive manufacturer.Edward Bury was born in Salford, Lancashire, the son of a timber merchant, and was educated at Chester. By 1823 he was a partner in Gregson & Bury's steam sawmill at Toxteth Park, Liverpool, but in 1826 he set himself up as an iron-founder and...
(1794-1858) set up his works in 1826, under the name of Edward Bury and Company. He employed James Kennedy, who had gained experience of locomotive production under Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson FRS was an English civil engineer. He was the only son of George Stephenson, the famed locomotive builder and railway engineer; many of the achievements popularly credited to his father were actually the joint efforts of father and son.-Early life :He was born on the 16th of...
and Mather, Dixon and Company
Mather, Dixon and Company
Mather, Dixon and Company was a Locomotive manufacturer in Liverpool, England.Established in 1826 at the Bath Street Foundry, the first engine was a small four-coupled tank locomotive in 1827, in addition to a steam traverser and two mobile cranes...
, to be his works foreman, later becoming a partner. About 1828 the firm moved to bigger premises in Love Lane, Liverpool, known as the Clarence Foundry.
Their first engine was built in 1830. Called Dreadnought, it ran on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway
Liverpool and Manchester Railway
The Liverpool and Manchester Railway was the world's first inter-city passenger railway in which all the trains were timetabled and were hauled for most of the distance solely by steam locomotives. The line opened on 15 September 1830 and ran between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester in North...
. It was objected to because it was on six wheels and was sold to the Bolton & Leigh Railway
Bolton and Leigh Railway
The Bolton and Leigh Railway was the first public railway in the historic county of Lancashire, England. It opened in 1828 for goods.-History:...
. The second, the four-coupled Liverpool, later in 1830, used a cranked driving axle, and was also objected to (by George Stephenson) because the 6 ft diameter wheels were too big.
However, they refined their designs and the resulting 2-2-0
2-2-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-2-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, two powered driving wheels on one axle, and no trailing wheels...
and 0-4-0
0-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-4-0 represents one of the simplest possible types, that with two axles and four coupled wheels, all of which are driven...
locomotives quickly became a standard which was emulated by many other manufacturers, becoming known as the "Bury type".
Bury Bar Frame locomotive
The Bury Bar Frame locomotive was an early type of steam locomotive, developed at the works of Edward Bury and Company, later named Bury, Curtis, and Kennedy....
Distinguishing features of their engines was the use of the wrought-iron bar frame
Bury Bar Frame locomotive
The Bury Bar Frame locomotive was an early type of steam locomotive, developed at the works of Edward Bury and Company, later named Bury, Curtis, and Kennedy....
, which gave them a light appearance, and the round firebox (D-shaped in plan), with a large domed top surmounted by a safety valve.
In 1836 Edward Bury contracted to run the trains of the London and Birmingham Railway
London and Birmingham Railway
The London and Birmingham Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway ....
at a farthing per mile per passenger at a speed not to exceed 22.5 mph, the L&BR providing locomotives to Bury's specification. This contract was annulled in July 1839 because of the unexpected growth in traffic and the increased speed required, and Bury acted thereafter as Locomotive Superintendent of the L&BR in the normal way. The engines he had specified were built by eight different firms, Bury's firm providing 45 of the original stock of 90.
For other railways thirteen were supplied to the Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
(six of them being sub-contracted to William Fairbairn & Sons
William Fairbairn & Sons
William Fairbairn and Sons, was an engineering works in Manchester, England.-History:William Fairbairn opened an iron foundry in 1816 and was joined the following year by a Mr. Lillie, and the firm became known as Fairbairn and Lillie Engine Makers, producing iron steamboats.Their foundry and...
), and they became the standard classes on the Eastern Counties Railway
Eastern Counties Railway
The Eastern Counties Railway was an early English railway company incorporated in 1836. It was intended to link London with Ipswich via Colchester, and then on to Norwich and Yarmouth. Construction began in late March 1837 on the first nine miles, at the London end of the line.Construction was...
, the Midland Counties Railway
Midland Counties Railway
The Midland Counties Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom which existed between 1832 and 1844, connecting Nottingham, Leicester and Derby with Rugby and thence, via the London and Birmingham Railway, to London. The MCR system connected with the North Midland Railway and the...
, the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal Navigation and Railway Company
Manchester and Bolton Railway
The Manchester and Bolton Railway was a railway in the historic county of Lancashire, England, connecting Salford to Bolton. It was built by the proprietors of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal Navigation and Railway Company who had in 1831 converted from a canal company...
, the Lancaster and Preston Railway and the North Union Railway
North Union Railway
The North Union Railway was an early British railway company, formed in 1834.-Origins:The North Union Railway resulted from the first railway amalgamation in British history. The two companies were the Wigan Branch Railway and the Wigan and Preston Junction Railway...
. Several were exported to the USA, more than from any other British company except R. Stephenson & Co., and where Bury's "bar-frames" became standard. The firm had a reputation for good workmanship, cheapness and reliability.
In 1842, Bury took Kennedy, Timothy Abraham Curtis and John Vernon as partners, and the company changed its name to Bury, Curtis and Kennedy.
Bury continued as Locomotive Superintendent of the London & Birmingham Railway but a few months after it had become part of the London & North Western Railway he resigned in March 1847. In February 1848 he was appointed Locomotive Superintendent of the Great Northern Railway, and in June 1849 became also its general manager.
Meanwhile the firm of Bury, Curtis & Kennedy continued building locomotives, some of advanced design which had a great influence on subsequent practice, such as the 2-2-2s for the L&NWR which led directly to the "Bloomers", as well as one-offs such as the gigantic 6-2-0 Crampton "Liverpool", which was the most powerful locomotive in the world in 1848.
Two of the firm's locomotives have been preserved, Furness Railway 0-4-0 No. 3
Furness Railway No. 3
Furness Railway No.3, "Old Coppernob", is a preserved English steam locomotive. It acquired its nickname because of the copper cladding to its dome-shaped "haystack" firebox....
(nicknamed "Old Coppernob" or "Coppernob"), built in 1846, now in the National Railway Museum, York and Great Southern & Western Railway 2-2-2 No 36, built in 1847, now at Glanmire Road (Kent) station, Cork.
In all, B, C & K's Clarence Foundry built about 415 locomotives, but they produced much else besides, from church bells to iron ships. At its height, the firm employed 1,600 men.
The firm lost heavily in making the components for a large swing-bridge over the River Neva at St Petersburg — for which the Russian Government never paid, according to Bury's widow. This, plus a serious decline in the shipbuilding trade in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
led to the firm's closing down in 1851.