Works Shunters - GRCW

[grcwmaaron91]

Hi everyone,

I am currently researching a local rolling stock manufacturer from my home town of Gloucester. The company was called the Gloucester Railway Carriage and Wagon Company, formerly the Gloucester Wagon Company. During there history they used 7 locomotives, I have listed them below. Sadly, the information below and that given in the "Industrial Locomotives of Central Southern England" produced by the Industrial Railway Society is all the information I have. I do not have any information as to wheel sizes, classes, etc. Could anyone shed any light on them for me please? I have also attached some photos from https://glostransporthistory.visit-gloucestershire.co.uk/GRCWShunters.htm and the Gloucestershire Archives D4791/16 album collection. These are the only photos I have found/sourced, if anyone has any they are happy to share, they would be gratefully recieved.

Manning Wardle and later rebuilt by Hudswell Clarke of Leeds 0-4-0ST "TIGER",
Sharp Stewart of Glasgow 0-4-0ST "SIAM" (Ebbw Vale Steel Iron and Coal Company)
Manning Wardle 0-4-0ST "HENRY WRIGHT". I have been told this is a Manning Wardle Class F.
Avonside Engine Company 0-4-0ST "FOX" built for the Great Western Railway Avonside Engine
Avonside 0-6-0ST "ABERDARE" Previously owned by contractors Topham, Jones and Railton
Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST "PHOENIX" (Tharsis Sulphur and Copper Company of Cardiff)
Bagnall 0-4-0F "BADGEWORTH HALL"

Thank you all in advance.

 

[Gloster]

Fox was built by Avonside as 913 of 1872 for the West Cornwall Railway and passed to the GWR on 1 February 1876 as 1391. It was rebuilt at Swindon in January 1897 and used around the southern part of the GWR until sold to the GRCW in July 1912. Sold to Cashmore’s at Newport for scrap in 1948.

Avonside 1411 of 1900 was delivered new to contractor Topham, Jones and Railton for the Queen Alexandra Dock contract at Cardiff and named Aberdare. Sold 1911 to Ton Phillip Rhondda Coliery Co. in 1911.

Phoenix was Andrew Barclay 1285 of 1914 built for Colin McAndrew, Redford contract, Edinburgh.

Sources: The Locomotives of the GWR, part 3, RCTS, 1956 (reprint) for Fox. Industrial Locomotive Society for the others.

 

[Rescars]

I wonder why GRWC chose to go fireless with BADGEWORTH HALL. It looks to be the youngest member of the fleet.

 

[Gloster]

The Colin McAndrew contract on which Phoenix was used was probably Redford Barracks. The loco was probably sold on to Tharsis around 1915; AB 1223 appears to have been sold from the contract to them in that year, which seems to be the year that the work was completed.

 

[grcwmaaron91]

The Colin McAndrew contract on which Phoenix was used was probably Redford Barracks. The loco was probably sold on to Tharsis around 1915; AB 1223 appears to have been sold from the contract to them in that year, which seems to be the year that the work was completed.

According to "Industrial Locomotives of Central Southern England" produced by the Industrial Railway Society it mentions that Phoenix 1285 was built in 1914 and was purchased by GRCW from Tharsis Sulphur & Copper Co. Ltd, Cardiff by 1938 before being sent to A.R. Adams & Son, Newport, Mon c.1949. Thats as far as my knowledge and information on 1285 goes. I know a bit about 1223 as I used to volunteer at Chasewater Railway, where it used to be based.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 7 Jan 2026 ==

I wonder why GRWC chose to go fireless with BADGEWORTH HALL. It looks to be the youngest member of the fleet.

I have no clue why they chose to go fireless. BADGEWORTH HALL, was indeed the youngest and last member of the fleet. It was built in 1947 and was new to GRCW until it went to Hayes Metals (Gloucester) Ltd, for scrap in March 1963 and was finally scrapped in December 1963.

 

[Gloster]

As McAndrew does not seen to have been a major player in contracting, I can’t find any other major contracts for the company, I presume that the locos were bought for this one big contract. There are signs on old maps of a line running from the end of Slateford Yard to the barracks. Once the contract was complete, McAndrew presumably decided to sell the locos rather than keeping them in case they won any subsequent contracts, something that was quite common with the regular contractors. As this was probably 1915, locos are likely to have fetched a fair price due to the demand for them as industry geared up for war production.

Where Tharsis used them is not clear as they seem to have had several works in the UK, but it is highly unlikely that they went to Spain as their line’s gauge there appears to have been 1220 mm. Nor can I trace any event that might have led to Tharsis selling the locos despite it being relatively new.

 

[Dodrzet]

Have you tried Manning Wardle & Company Ltd: Locomotive works list by F. W Mabbott, published by Thomas Aleksandr, 1982? That should help with two off the list.

 

[Gloster]

Something that I failed to make clear. Fox was the name of the loco that was built for the West Cornwall Railway from when it was built and retained it through its time with the GWR; the West Cornwall did not use numbers.

EDIT: There is information on the Ebbw Vale Coy’s locos on Facebook, but I won’t have any truck with that. There is probably an IRS book as well.

 

[Rescars]

I have no clue why they chose to go fireless. BADGEWORTH HALL, was indeed the youngest and last member of the fleet. It was built in 1947 and was new to GRCW until it went to Hayes Metals (Gloucester) Ltd, for scrap in March 1963 and was finally scrapped in December 1963.

Why the name BADGEWORTH HALL I wonder? It surely had some significance. The residence of a company director perhaps, or was it the only Hall name not to have been snapped up the GWR?

 

[grcwmaaron91]

It

Why the name BADGEWORTH HALL I wonder? It surely had some significance. The residence of a company director perhaps, or was it the only Hall name not to have been snapped up the GWR?

It might have something to do with one of the company's Chairmen Sir Harold Leslie Boyce he became chairman in 1931. He was an MP for Gloucester and also a High Sheriff of Gloucestershire from 1941 to 1942. On the 24th November 1952 he was created a Baronet of Badgeworth in the County of Gloucester. I think he may have lived in Badgworth Hall, I know he definitely lived in the village of Badgeworth.

 

[Rescars]

It

It might have something to do with one of the company's Chairmen Sir Harold Leslie Boyce he became chairman in 1931. He was an MP for Gloucester and also a High Sheriff of Gloucestershire from 1941 to 1942. On the 24th November 1952 he was created a Baronet of Badgeworth in the County of Gloucester. I think he may have lived in Badgworth Hall, I know he definitely lived in the village of Badgeworth.

This seems a likely explanation. Maybe he was disappointed that the GWR didn't use the name on a 49xx!

 

[Gloster]

It

It might have something to do with one of the company's Chairmen Sir Harold Leslie Boyce he became chairman in 1931. He was an MP for Gloucester and also a High Sheriff of Gloucestershire from 1941 to 1942. On the 24th November 1952 he was created a Baronet of Badgeworth in the County of Gloucester. I think he may have lived in Badgworth Hall, I know he definitely lived in the village of Badgeworth.

I have had a look at old 25” maps, the latest from 1921, and I can find no Badgeworth Hall in or around the village south-west of Cheltenham; there is a Court and a Manor. My local library has some old Who’s Whos, so I will look it up next time I am in town.

 

[grcwmaaron91]

I have had a look at old 25” maps, the latest from 1921, and I can find no Badgeworth Hall in or around the village south-west of Cheltenham; there is a Court and a Manor. My local library has some old Who’s Whos, so I will look it up next time I am in town.

The only thing I have been able to find are references to Badgeworth Hall, I've had a look and the nearest thing to a Hall is Badgeworth Court which is a Georgian Manor House now a care home in the village.

 

[stuving]

In the 1939 register Sir Harold Leslie Boyce and his wife Lady Maybery B[rowse] Boyce are residing in the Moorend Park Private Hotel. The notes say they are travelling, and he is MP, barrister at law, and director of a public company (not named). The hotel was in Charlton Kings UD, Glos., which may have included Badgeworth. Note, however, that the notes and their titles were amended much later than 1939.

Boyce is credited with rescuing and then leading the GRCW, as well as other businesses in Gloucestershire. He moved from Hillfield, Eldersfield (about ten miles away) to Badgeworth End in 1944, and its name was changed (at least as far as he was concerned) to Badgeworth Hall. He styled himself, once a baronet, as "of Badgeworth Hall" - and most press reports followed his lead - though the official roll has just "of Badgeworth". He died in 1955 at the age of 59.

 

[Gloster]

Having had a look at old OS maps, the Court and the Manor both appear to be in Badgeworth End, which seems to the bit of Badgeworth down by the church south-west of the village. So perhaps he either renamed one of these two, at least in his mind as they are back to the old names, or built a new property. However, at a different time there appears to be a house called Badgeworth End out to the west of the church. Curiouser and curiouser

 

[Rescars]

The GWR could have had a COURT or MANOR instead of a HALL of course, but I can't see corporate humour stretching to a class of ENDs!