GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton

GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Tyseley Shed: gwrt3912

View of the new Power House at Tyseley Locomotive Shed in 1908, with the 200 BHP two cylinder Gas Engine made by Fielding & Platt of Gloucester and the 75kW (100BHP) 250V Generator made by Phoenix Dynamo Manufacturing Co of Bradford.

Fielding & Platt was founded and began manufacturing at the Atlas Ironworks in Gloucester in 1866. They established their reputation building hydraulic machinery (in particular the portable riveting technology developed by Ralph Tweddell), but also manufactured a range of other engineering machinery, including; furnaces, forging presses and lifting gear. They produced their first Gas Engine in 1880.

Phoenix Dynamo Manufacturing was founded in 1895 and made small electric motors for driving machinery and lighting equipment for the textile industry. The company expanded rapidly, building generators, turbines and large motors and acquired the Thornbury Works in Bradford in 1903. During the First World War the company made munitions and flying boats and afterwards became part of the newly formed English Electric Company.

Robert Ferris

back