Records of Vulcan Foundry Limited, Newton le Willows

Charles Tayleur, a Liverpool engineer, founded the Vulcan Foundry at Newton-le-Willows in 1830. In 1832 Robert Stephenson, the railway engineer, joined him in partnership. In 1847 they took over the Bank Quay Foundry in Warrington and in 1852 built their first sea-going iron vessel, the clipper Tayleur, which was tragically wrecked off Dublin in 1854 en route to Australia. The partnership was incorporated as a private company in 1864 as the Vulcan Foundry Co., Ltd. Vulcan locomotives were exported all over the world, with the first locomotives for Russia and Japan supplied in 1837 and 1871 respectively. During World War II the factory built the "Waltzing Matilda" tank and in 1944 Vulcan acquired another locomotive business, Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns Ltd., based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. With the demise of steam, Vulcan turned to diesel and electric locomotives, in conjunction with the English Electric Co., Ltd., becoming full members of that group of companies in 1955. The English Electric Co., Ltd., became part of the G.E.C. group in 1968. In 1970 Rushton Paxton Diesels Ltd., became the manager of G.E.C. Diesels Ltd., and today occupies the Vulcan works. [Information taken from 1990 catalogue]. The collection includes a large number of plans, drawings and photographs, please contact The Archives Centre, Maritime Museum for lists to these parts of the collection or see the attached lists, or contact The Archives Centre for a copy of the catalogue.