Foster, Rastrick and Company

Foster, Rastrick and Company

Company type	Partnership
Industry	Steam locomotive manufacturing, engineering
Founded	June 1819 (1819-06)
Founder	James Foster, John Urpeth Rastrick
Defunct	June 20, 1831 (1831-06-20)
Headquarters	Stourbridge , United Kingdom
Products	Steam locomotives, machinery, structural elements

Foster, Rastrick and Company was an innovative steam locomotive manufacturer situated in Stourbridge, Worcestershire (currently part of the West Midlands). Established in mid-1819 by ironmaster James Foster and engineer John Urpeth Rastrick, who had formed a partnership three years earlier in 1816, the firm specialized in producing machinery, structural elements, and locomotives. Notably, Rastrick acted as a judge during the 1829 Rainhill Trials. The company ceased operations on 20 June 1831.

Origins

James Foster was the half-brother of John Bradley, founder of John Bradley & Co, which had leased land adjacent to a canal in Stourbridge in 1800 to establish ironworks. By 1813, Foster and Bradley were the only shareholders; following Bradley’s death in 1816, Foster assumed full control of the business, including the Stourbridge Iron Works.

Born in Morpeth, Northumberland in 1780, John Urpeth Rastrick trained under his father in steam engine technology before gaining experience at Ketley Ironworks and collaborating with Bridgnorth engineer John Hazledine. In 1808 he constructed a locomotive for Richard Trevithick and later was responsible for building Chepstow Bridge, which opened in 1816. After ending his partnership with Hazledine in 1817, Rastrick moved to West Bromwich.

In June 1819, Foster and Rastrick launched Foster, Rastrick & Company next to the Stourbridge Iron Works. Between 1820 and 1821, they erected a new foundry to support their manufacturing activities.

Products

The firm produced a variety of engineering goods including steam engines, testing devices for chain cables, saws, mills, and boilers. It also fabricated structural components for construction projects such as buildings, bridges, and gas installations. Their facilities allowed for casting industrial parts like beams, cylinders, and flywheels as well as some domestic items. By 1825, their offerings had expanded to include railway materials such as rails, sleepers, and chairs.

Locomotives

During the late 1820s, Foster, Rastrick and Company constructed steam locomotives for two railway ventures: one based in America and another near their Stourbridge premises. The local scheme originated from an arrangement between James Foster and Francis Downing—agent for John William Ward, 4th Viscount Dudley and Ward—to build a three-mile railway connecting coal mines at Shut End to a canal basin at Ashwood on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. Simultaneously, the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company in the United States was developing a rail-canal connection between Carbondale coal mines and the Hudson River. Foster, Rastrick manufactured four steam locomotives equipped with vertical cylinders driving four coupled wheels via grasshopper beams—three were sent to America while one served on the Kingswinford Railway within the Black Country.

For America

By 1828, the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company had completed a 108-mile canal stretching from Rondout on the Hudson River to Honesdale near the Carbondale coalfields. To link the mines with this canal, Chief Engineer John Jervis designed a sixteen-mile railway. He appointed Horatio Allen to acquire rails and locomotives during his visit to England. Allen purchased four locomotives—three from Foster, Rastrick and Company and one from Robert Stevenson & Co.

Among these was the Stourbridge Lion (1828), recognized as the first locomotive to operate on rails in America. After being shipped from Liverpool in April 1829, it underwent static tests on blocks in May before being transported by boat to Honesdale in July. Its maiden run covering three miles of track took place on August 8, 1829. However, due to track instability caused by its weight, it was retired following a second trial on September 8. Subsequently, the railway relied on gravity power, stationary engines, and horse-drawn transport instead.

For England

The fourth engine, Agenoria, was constructed for the Shutt End Colliery Railway located in Kingswinford, Staffordshire. With a weight of 11 tons, it featured four coupled wheels each measuring 4 ft ¾ in in diameter, and was powered by two cylinders sized at 8.5 inches by 36 inches. Notably, Agenoria is believed to be the earliest locomotive to incorporate mechanical lubrication for its axles. Its boiler extended 10 feet in length and had a diameter of 4 feet, complemented by an exceptionally tall chimney reaching 14 feet 4 inches, setting it apart from The Stourbridge Lion. The standard gauge line commenced operation on 2 June 1829, covering approximately three miles; however, two inclined planes were too steep for the locomotive, limiting its use to about two miles of level track.

During the inaugural day, Agenoria hauled eight carriages carrying 360 passengers at a speed of 7.5 mph, followed by twenty carriages—twelve loaded with coal and eight with passengers—at 3.5 mph. Unlike its predecessors, this locomotive enjoyed an extended operational period before being retired around 1864. After falling into neglect and being found dismantled, Mr. E.B. Marten obtained permission from owner William Orme Foster to restore it for display at an exhibition in Wolverhampton in 1884. Foster later gifted Agenoria to the Science Museum (London), where it remains on permanent exhibit at the National Railway Museum in York.

Dissolution

Although the company was instrumental in early locomotive innovation, it became outdated following the debut of Robert Stephenson's Rocket in 1829, which established new standards for steam locomotives. Consequently, the firm discontinued locomotive manufacturing and officially dissolved on 20 June 1831. Its holdings were integrated into the Stourbridge Iron Works operated by John Bradley & Co.—a firm involved in iron production and coal mining—where James Foster was already a principal partner and assumed full ownership after 1832.

The factory building today

The original factory on Lowndes Road, where both Stourbridge Lion and Agenoria were produced, remains standing despite suffering near collapse following a fire in 2004. Restoration efforts began in 2012 to transform the site into a healthcare facility named the Lion Medical Practice, honoring the historic locomotive. This medical center opened its doors in April 2014.

Sources

• Foster Rastrick & Co. Stourbridge – company overview
• Senate House Library, University of London, John Bradley & Co (Stourbridge) Ltd., Ironfounders. Retrieved 22 April 2005 – confirms Foster family involvement and company timeline.
• Lowe, J.W., (1989) British Steam Locomotive Builders, Guild Publishing

External links

• Brief history by the Malvern Industrial Archaeology Circle