Sharp, Stewart and Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Locomotive manufacturing |
| Predecessor | Sharp, Roberts & Co. |
| Founded | 1852 in Manchester, England |
| Fate | Merged to form North British Locomotive Company in 1903 |
| Headquarters | Manchester (until 1888), Glasgow (from 1888) , United Kingdom |
| Products | Steam locomotives |
Sharp, Stewart and Company was a manufacturer of steam locomotives originally located in Manchester, England. Founded in 1843 following the breakup of Sharp, Roberts & Co., the company moved to Glasgow, Scotland in 1888. There, it eventually combined with two other Glasgow locomotive producers to establish the North British Locomotive Company.
Early days
Around 1828, iron merchant Thomas Sharp and engineer Richard Roberts created Sharp, Roberts & Co. to produce textile machinery and machine tools, setting up the Atlas Works in Manchester. Their early output included several stationary steam engines, and in 1833 they constructed the locomotive Experiment for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. This four-wheeled 2-2-0 engine featured vertical cylinders positioned above the leading wheels but caused track wear at higher speeds.
In 1834, engineer Charles Beyer joined the firm and played a major role in advancing locomotive design as Roberts began delegating most design responsibilities to him. A new 2-2-2 configuration was introduced with horizontal inside cylinders located beneath the smokebox and additional crank axle bearings. Between 1837 and 1857, roughly 600 of these "Sharp Single" locomotives were produced, with early units sold to the Grand Junction Railway. These "Sharpies" became a benchmark alongside rival "Bury" locomotives.
Sharp Brothers and Company
Following Roberts' departure in 1843, the enterprise was renamed 'Sharp Brothers and Company. Between 1846 and 1848, it delivered eight 2-2-2 passenger locomotives and two 0-4-2 freight engines to the Lynn and Dereham Railway. From 1851 to 1853, twenty locomotives based on James Edward McConnell's "Bloomers" design were built for the London and North Western Railway, subcontracted from Wolverton.
Sharp, Stewart and Company
In 1852, John Sharp retired and was succeeded by Charles Patrick Stewart; the company name changed to Sharp, Stewart and Company. Thomas Sharp also retired around this time, with Stephen Robinson taking his place. The firm obtained exclusive rights to Giffard's patented injector in 1860 and became a limited liability company in 1864.
Among their productions were several 0-4-0 tender locomotives for the Furness Railway, including Number 20 (1863), which has since been restored by the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway. In 1862, Sharp, Stewart expanded into larger locomotives by manufacturing 4-6-0 saddle tank engines for the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, followed by production of 0-8-0 types for Indian railways by 1865.
Between 1871 and 1874, six JGR Class 160 locomotives were constructed for Japan by Sharp, Stewart.
Move to Glasgow
The company's diversification into brassware, ironmongery, and machine tools led to its relocation in 1888 to the former premises of the Clyde Locomotive Company in Springburn, Glasgow, where it was renamed Atlas Works.
In 1889, they built compound locomotives for the Argentine Central Railway, including both 4-4-0 and 2-8-0 configurations. By 1892, Sharp, Stewart had secured an order for seventy-five locomotives—4-4-0s and 0-6-0s—from the Midland Railway. Although well established internationally with various models of 4-6-0 engines, their first British contract from Glasgow came in 1894 with the "Jones Goods" class for the Highland Railway. By the end of the century, Sharp, Stewart had become a worldwide supplier.
From 1898 until 1901, sixteen 4-6-0 and four 4-8-0 locomotives were delivered to the New Zealand Railways Department. The B class (4-8-0) remained operational until steam traction ended; some were either preserved or converted into We class (4-6-4T) tank engines. The delivered 4-6-0 locomotives were eventually repurposed as erosion control structures, with three examples preserved today.
North British
By 1903, having built in excess of 5,000 locomotives, the firm combined forces with Neilson, Reid and Company and Dübs and Company, resulting in the creation of the North British Locomotive Company.
See also
Sources
- Lowe, J.W., (1989) British Steam Locomotive Builders, Guild Publishing
- Articles with short description
- Locomotive manufacturers of the United Kingdom
- Defunct companies based in Manchester
- Manufacturing companies based in Glasgow
- Manufacturing companies based in Manchester
- Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1852
- Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1903
- British companies established in 1852
- British companies disestablished in 1903
- Springburn
- 1852 establishments in England
- 1903 disestablishments in Scotland