Locomotives of the Furness Railway

The Furness Railway Company owned many different types of locomotives, built by several locomotive building companies, including Sharp, Stewart and Company. Others were built by the Furness' constituent companies - the Whitehaven and Furness Junction Railway, among others.

Furness Railway locomotives
The classes listed below are not the official FR designations; they were made popular by author Bob Rush in his books about the Furness Railway.

Cleator and Workington Junction Railway
The FR entered into a working agreement with the Cleator and Workington Junction Railway (C&WJR), where it would work the company's mainlines while the branch lines were worked by native engines. The loco list previously shown on this page has been amended thus:

C&WJR locomotives
All the nameplates used on this company's locomotives were named after residences of C&WJR company directors. Until recently there was uncertainty about the name of No. 2 but the personal notebook of the Company Accountant shows otherwise. The engine never ran in service with the name Ennerdale.

An outside cylinder 0-4-0T Built in 1894 by Fletcher Jennings Ltd for C&WJR. Builders No. 187. Nameplates carried: Brigham Hill (1882–1894) and Rothersyke (1894–1897) Renumbered: No known renumbering of this engine. Disposal: To West Stanley Colliery Coy. County Durham in 1897 An outside cylinder 0-4-0ST. Built circa 1875 by Barclay & Co. (not an Andrew Barclay Sons & Co. product). Built originally for Ward, Ross & Liddlelow, railway contractors to the C&WJR, No. 2 was purchased second hand in 1882. No. 2 was originally named Ennerdale but the nameplates were removed after acquisition by the C&WJR on the order of the Managing Director. Nameplates Carried: None from 1882 to 1897. The redundant plates from engine No.1 Rothersyke were fitted when it was decided to sell the engine. Renumbered: No known renumbering of this engine. Disposal: To SD Coasdell of Workington in July 1898 for £150. An outside cylinder 0-6-0ST of 1884, built by Robert Stephenson and Company for the C&WJR. Builders No. 2553. The saddle tank did not cover the smokebox. Nameplates carried: South Lodge. (1884 to 1920) Renumbered: No known renumbering of this engine. Disposal: To J.F. Wake Ltd., Dealers, Darlington, County Durham, July 1920 An outside cylinder 0-6-0ST built in 1885 by the Lowca Engineering Co. Ltd. for the C&WJR. Builders No. 196. Similar in appearance to No. 3 and the saddle tank did not cover the smokebox. Nameplates carried: Harecroft (1885 to 1915) Renumbered: After disposal by new owner to 46 Disposal: Withdrawn September 1915 and sold to Workington Iron & Steel Company. An outside cylinder 0-6-0ST built in 1890 by Robert Stephenson and Company for the C&WJR. Builders No. 2692. The saddle tank did not cover the smokebox. Nameplates carried:  Moresby Hall (1890 to 1919) Renumbered: No known renumbering of this engine. Disposal: Withdrawn and scrapped 1919. An outside cylinder 0-6-0ST built in 1894 by Robert Stephenson and Company for the C&WJR. Builders No. 2813. The saddle tank did not cover the smokebox. Nameplates carried:  Brigham Hall (1894 to 1920) Renumbered: Allocated 11564 by the LMS in 1923 after the grouping, but not known if it was repainted into LMS colours. Disposal: Withdrawn 11/12/1926 and scrapped by the LM&SR An outside cylinder 0-6-0ST built in 1896 by Robert Stephenson and Company for the C&WJR. Builders No. 2846. The saddle tank did not cover the smokebox. Nameplates carried: Ponsonby Hall (1886 to 1926) Renumbered: Allocated 11565 by the LMS in 1923 after the grouping, but not known if it was repainted into LMS colours. Disposal: Withdrawn 18/12/1926 and scrapped by the LM&SR An 0-6-0ST built in 1907 by Peckett and Sons for the C&WJR. Builders No. 1134. Nameplates carried: Hutton Hall (1907 to 1927) Renumbered: Allocated 11566 by the LMS in 1923 after the grouping, and repainted into early LMS black goods livery. Disposal: Withdrawn 3/12/1927 and scrapped by the LM&SR An outside cylinder 0-6-0ST built in 1919 by Peckett and Sons for the C&WJR. Builders No. 1340. Nameplates carried: Millgrove (1919 to 1928) Renumbered: Allocated 11567 by the LMS in 1923 after the grouping, and repainted into early LMS black goods livery. Disposal: Withdrawn 5/12/1928 and scrapped by the LM&SR An outside cylinder 0-6-0ST built in 1920 by Hudswell Clarke & Co. for the C&WJR. Builders No. 1400. Nameplates carried: Skiddaw Lodge (1920 to 1932) Renumbered: Allocated 11568 by the LMS in 1923 after the grouping, and repainted into early LMS black goods livery. Disposal: Withdrawn 1932 by LM&SR and sold to Hartley main Collieries Northumberland, via Robert frazer & Sons Ltd., Hebburn, County Durham.
 * No. 1 Brigham Hill (1st) and Rothersyke (1st)
 * No. 2 Unnamed for fifteen years, then Rothersyke (2nd)
 * No. 3 South Lodge
 * No. 4 Harecroft
 * No. 5 Moresby Hall
 * No. 6 Brigham Hall
 * No. 7 Ponsonby Hall
 * No. 8 Hutton Hall
 * No. 9 Millgrove
 * No. 10 Skiddaw Lodge

Preserved locomotives


Three very early Furness Railway locomotives have been preserved:


 * Furness Railway No. 3 – "Old Coppernob" 0-4-0 tender engine of 1846, preserved at the National Railway Museum in York.
 * Furness Railway No. 20 – Sharp Stewart Class A5 0-4-0 tender engine of 1863, now at Ribble Steam Railway in Lancashire. This is Britain's oldest working standard-gauge steam locomotive.  It had been converted to a saddle-tank locomotive, but has now been restored to its original tender locomotive design.
 * Furness Railway No. 25 – Sharp Stewart Class A5 0-4-0 tender engine of 1865, now at Ribble Steam Railway awaiting restoration. Unlike No. 20 (above), this locomotive remains in its later saddle-tank format.
 * Furness Railway No. 115 – Sharp Stewart Class D1 0-6-0 tender locomotive of 1881. The locomotive was lost when a mine working collapsed at Lindal-in-Furness on 22 September 1892; only the tender was rescued, which was then used on a loco to replace 115. The locomotive remains buried 200 ft underground, but is technically still in existence.