Kitson & Son Archives...

Hope I'm posting this in the relevent section...

Does anyone know if a drawings archive(s) exists for locomotives built by Kitsons? And if so, are they publicly accessible?

Thanks!

 

From the Wikipedia page on Kitson & Co:
The last large order in 1924 was for 12 London and North Eastern Railway Improved Director class locomotives. In 1934 the receivers were called in, and the company struggled on until 1938. The patterns, drawings and goodwill were acquired by Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns.

So turning to RSH it merely states: RSH became part of English Electric in 1955.

In 1968, GEC, recently merged with Associated Electrical Industries (AEI) merged with EE; the former being the dominant parter, the English Electric name was then lost.


To answer your question with another; what did RSH do with those drawings? I believe there is some sort of record office either at the NRM or at Euston. Doubtless other users of this forum may provide further help.

 

The current Hunslet Engine Co. website claims intellectual property rights for a number of former loco manufacturers including Kitson, and says they can supply replacement parts. Therefore they presumably have access to drawings.

 

That's quite interesting. Presumably that would mean they could build a locomotive to an original Kitson design?

 

Alas, I think that you'll find very little in the way of Kitson drawings. The goodwill may have gone to RSH, but I fear little else did in the way of archive material. I'd love to be proved wrong, though. The RSH drawings are supposedly at the NRM and those passing to EE are at the Liverpool Archives at Merseyside Maritime Musum.