Peckett and Sons
Defunct British manufacturer of industrial steam locomotives based in Bristol.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Peckett and Sons was a British locomotive manufacturer that operated from the Atlas Engine Works in the Bristol area. The business began in 1864 as Fox, Walker and Company, producing compact steam locomotives for industrial railways, mines, quarries, works railways and other specialist users. Its early range included four- and six-coupled saddle-tank locomotives, while the company also made stationary steam engines and experimented with steam tramcars. A tramcar was tested in Bristol in 1877, reflecting the works' broader engineering capabilities beyond conventional industrial locomotives. The company changed hands in 1880 when Thomas Peckett took over the business, after which it traded as Peckett and Sons. It subsequently operated as a limited-liability company. By 1900, the Fox Walker and Peckett businesses together had built more than 400 locomotives. The manufacturer became particularly associated with small, robust steam locomotives designed for industrial shunting and short-haul work. Its products were commonly built to customer specifications, but the company also benefited from standardised designs and interchangeable parts, an approach that helped it serve a wide range of industrial operators. Most of the company's production consisted of small tank locomotives, especially 0-6-0 types, although it also built locomotives in 0-4-0, 2-4-0, 0-4-2 and other wheel arrangements. Its customers were not confined to Britain: a substantial portion of output was exported. Notable work included six narrow-gauge 2-4-2 trench locomotives supplied to the Royal Engineers at Chatham in 1878, using Henry Handyside's apparatus for working steep gradients. The company also built nine 0-6-0 saddle-tank locomotives for the Somerset and Dorset Railway. Peckett's largest locomotive was an 0-8-0 built in 1931 for the Christmas Island Phosphate Company. The works were connected to the railway network by a branch line running from near Kingswood Junction on the Midland line. The approximately one-mile branch served the Atlas works and collieries in the Speedwell area, although little physical evidence of it remains apart from a bridge abutment on Whitefield Road. The works experienced especially strong demand during both World Wars, when industrial and government-related transport requirements increased. After the Second World War, however, the market for small steam locomotives contracted rapidly as customers adopted diesel traction and industrial activity changed. By 1950, trade had largely declined. Peckett made an attempt to enter the diesel-mechanical locomotive market in 1956, but this did not restore the business. The final steam locomotive was completed in 1958. On 23 October 1961, the company was taken over by Reed Crane & Hoist Co. Ltd.; that successor later entered liquidation. Although the manufacturer is defunct, its locomotives have had a substantial afterlife in railway preservation. Many examples survive in working order or under restoration on heritage railways in Britain and overseas. The last Peckett steam locomotive, works number 2165 built in 1958, is preserved at Sandstone Estates in South Africa. An earlier legacy is represented by Karlskoga, an 0-6-0 saddle tank locomotive built by Fox Walker in 1873, which became the first locomotive of the Nora Bergslags Railway in Sweden and was steamed again at Nora in 1982.
History
Peckett and Sons originated in 1864 at the Atlas Engine Works in St. George, Bristol, as Fox, Walker and Company. The works manufactured engineering equipment as well as locomotives, including stationary steam engines and early steam tramcars. Its locomotive business concentrated on small machines for industrial railways, where compact dimensions, high tractive effort and straightforward maintenance were more important than speed or long-distance performance. Early locomotives included four- and six-coupled saddle-tank types, while production also covered several other wheel arrangements. The company demonstrated an interest in unusual railway applications during its first period. In 1877 it tested a steam tramcar in Bristol. In 1878 it supplied six 18-inch-gauge 2-4-2 trench locomotives to the Royal Engineers at Chatham. These machines incorporated Henry Handyside's steep-gradient apparatus. The company also supplied nine 0-6-0 saddle-tank locomotives to the Somerset and Dorset Railway. Export business was important, and many of its locomotives went to industrial users outside Britain. Thomas Peckett took over the business in 1880, after which it became known as Peckett and Sons and was associated with the Atlas Engine Works, Bristol. The company later adopted limited liability. By 1900, the predecessor and successor businesses had produced more than 400 locomotives. During the twentieth century, Peckett developed a strong specialist identity in the industrial-locomotive sector. Rather than competing primarily in the market for large main-line locomotives, it built small engines for private systems operated by mines, factories, quarries, ports, plantations and other industrial concerns. Its catalogue included numerous 0-6-0 saddle tanks as well as 0-4-0, 2-4-0, 0-4-2 and other configurations. Designs could be adapted to individual customers, but the use of standardised components and carefully specified layouts helped the company control production and maintenance requirements. This combination of customisation and standardisation was central to Peckett's reputation. The locomotives were generally simple, durable machines capable of sustained shunting and short-distance industrial work. The Atlas works stood between Fishponds and Kingswood in Bristol. A private branch connected the works with the Midland railway network near Kingswood Junction and extended for roughly one mile eastward. The branch also served collieries around Speedwell. Later changes removed most visible traces of the route; a bridge abutment on Whitefield Road is identified as one of the surviving remnants. Peckett remained active through both World Wars, when demand for industrial transport equipment and locomotives was particularly strong. The post-war environment was less favourable. Industrial customers increasingly considered diesel traction, and the reduction or modernisation of traditional heavy industries weakened the market for new steam locomotives. By 1950, the company's trade had substantially declined. In 1956, it tried to broaden its business through a diesel-mechanical locomotive project, but the move came too late to reverse the wider contraction of the steam market. The final steam locomotive was completed in 1958. The company was subsequently taken over by Reed Crane & Hoist Co. Ltd. on 23 October 1961. Reed Crane & Hoist later went into liquidation, ending the corporate succession associated with the Atlas works. The historical importance of Peckett and Sons is now preserved mainly through surviving locomotives. Many examples remained serviceable because their industrial owners valued rugged construction and continued using them under demanding conditions. A number of Peckett locomotives survive on heritage railways around the world. Works number 2165, the final Peckett steam locomotive, is preserved at Sandstone Estates in South Africa. The earlier Fox Walker-built Karlskoga, an 0-6-0 saddle tank from 1873 and the first locomotive of Sweden's Nora Bergslags Railway, was steamed again at Nora in 1982.
- 1982
Karlskoga steamed again at Nora
[1]The surviving 1873 Fox Walker locomotive Karlskoga is steamed at Nora in Sweden, illustrating the preservation legacy of the company's predecessor.
- 1961
Acquisition by Reed Crane & Hoist
[1]Reed Crane & Hoist Co. Ltd. takes over Peckett and Sons on 23 October.
- 1958
Final steam locomotive completed
[1]Works number 2165 becomes the last steam locomotive built by Peckett and Sons.
- 1956
Diesel-mechanical market entry attempted
[1]Peckett attempts to diversify into diesel-mechanical locomotives in response to changing industrial traction preferences.
- 1950
Industrial locomotive trade declines
[1]The company's business has largely dried up as the market for new small steam locomotives contracts.
- 1931
Largest locomotive constructed
[1]Peckett builds an 0-8-0 locomotive for the Christmas Island Phosphate Company, identified as the largest locomotive produced by the manufacturer.
- 1900
More than 400 locomotives produced
[1]The predecessor and Peckett businesses together have built more than 400 locomotives by the turn of the century.
- 1880
Thomas Peckett takes over the business
[1]The company changes ownership and begins trading under the Peckett and Sons name.
- 1878
Trench locomotives supplied to the Royal Engineers
[1]Six 18-inch-gauge 2-4-2 locomotives are produced for the Royal Engineers at Chatham, incorporating equipment intended for steep gradients.
- 1877
Steam tramcar tested in Bristol
[1]Fox, Walker and Company pioneers a steam tramcar, with the first example tested in Bristol.
Products and positioning
Specialist British manufacturer of compact, durable industrial steam locomotives for factories, mines, quarries, plantations, railway works and other private railway systems.
Industrial railway equipment · 1864
Industrial steam locomotives
Peckett's core product was the compact industrial steam locomotive. These engines were intended for private railway systems at mines, factories, quarries, ports and similar sites rather than for high-speed main-line service. They were built in a variety of wheel arrangements and could be adapted to customer requirements. Rugged construction, strong low-speed hauling ability and maintainability were important characteristics.
Steam locomotive · 1864
Saddle-tank locomotives
Four- and six-coupled saddle-tank locomotives formed a major part of the company's output. The saddle tank placed water capacity over the boiler, producing a compact layout suitable for confined industrial sites. Six-coupled 0-6-0 saddle tanks were particularly associated with industrial shunting and short-distance freight work.
Narrow-gauge steam locomotive · 1878
Narrow-gauge trench locomotives
The predecessor company built six 18-inch-gauge 2-4-2 locomotives for the Royal Engineers at Chatham in 1878. These specialised machines used Henry Handyside's steep-gradient apparatus and demonstrate the works' ability to produce equipment for military engineering and unusual railway environments.
Steam-engine equipment · 1864
Stationary steam engines
Before and alongside its locomotive business, the Atlas works produced stationary steam engines. These products formed part of the company's wider engineering activity and complemented its expertise in boilers, steam machinery and industrial power systems.
Steam tramway equipment · 1877
Steam tramcars
Fox, Walker and Company pioneered steam tramcars and tested its first example in Bristol in 1877. The project represented an early attempt to apply steam traction to urban or street railway operation, although the company's enduring identity remained tied to industrial locomotives.
Diesel locomotive · 1956
Diesel-mechanical locomotives
In 1956, Peckett attempted to enter the diesel-mechanical locomotive market as industrial customers moved away from steam. The available reference material confirms the diversification effort but does not provide sufficient detail about a complete product range or sustained commercial production.
Brand decisions
1956
Attempted diversification into diesel tractionStrategyBackground
By the post-war period, demand for small industrial steam locomotives had declined as diesel traction became more attractive to industrial operators.
Action taken
Peckett attempted to enter the diesel-mechanical locomotive market.
Aftermath
The initiative did not prevent the completion of the final steam locomotive in 1958 or the takeover of the company in 1961.
1880
Business transferred to Thomas PeckettOtherBackground
The original Fox, Walker and Company business entered a new ownership phase after Thomas Peckett took it over.
Action taken
The company began trading as Peckett and Sons at the Atlas Engine Works in Bristol.
Aftermath
The Peckett name became associated with the Bristol works and its subsequent industrial-locomotive production.
Sources1 sources
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