Hudswell Clarke & Company in Australia

The company that became Hudswell Clarke & Company first opened it’s doors in 1860. Its founders, W S Hudswell and John Clarke had both come from Kitson and Company. Hudswell did his apprenticeship with Kitson while Clarke had been the works manager.

The company’s workshops were located in Leeds and counted Kitson & Company and Manning Wardle as close neighbours.

At first the company built heavy engineering machinery but by 1861 their primary focus was on building steam locomotives and that remained their focus for the next 101 years with a final output of 1807 steam locomotives.

Much of their steam output were 0-4-0 and 0-6-0 industrial tank locomotives for the local and overseas markets and many of their products made their way to Australia for use on a variety of narrow gauge railways.

The last steam locomotive to roll out of Hudswell Clarke and Company’s workshops was a standard gauge 0-6-0T for the UK’s National Coal Board but that was not the last locomotive the company built for they had already begun building petrol powered locomotives as far back as 1928 and dieels in 1936

The first petrol-powered locomotive was an 0-6-0 72 horsepower unit for the CSR Mill at Childers. This locomotive was used at a number of CSR Mills along the Queensland coast until finally being withdrawn in 1954.

Abbreviations

CT	Crane Tank – a tank locomotive permanently fitted with a crane
ST	Saddle tank – a tank locomotive with a water tank that curves over the boiler / firebox but doesn’t reach the running boards of the loco. These tanks are usually filled from a single opening on top of the tank
T	A locomotive fitted with two side tanks – one on each side of the boiler / firebox
WT	Well Tank – a locomotive that is fitted with a tank that is slung underneath the boiler

Hudswell Clarke & Company’s Locomotives in Australia

The first steam locomotive from the company to arrive in Australia was b/n 271 of 1864, a 1067mm 0-6-0ST for the Tasmanian Government Railways while the last was b/n 1863 of 1952, a 610mm 0-6-0 tender loco for CSR’s sugar mill at Ingham in Queensland.

5′ 3″ gauge locomotives

B/n 1203 of 1919 – 0-6-0CT for Victorian Government Railways

Standard gauge locomotives

B/n 290 of 1885 – 0-6-0T for the Rockdale to Lady Robinson’s Beach Tramway, NSW

B/n 196 of 1887 – 0-6-0T for the Rockdale to Lady Robinson’s Beach Tramway, NSW

B/n 297 of 1888 – 0-6-0T for the Ringwood Colliery at Bundanoon, NSW

B/n 320 of 1888 – 0-6-0T for Harbour Light & Breakwater (NSW Government) delivered to Newcastle, NSW

B/n 863 of 1908 – 0-6-0T for the Public Works Department at Port Kembla, NSW

B/n 1006 of 1912 – 0-6-0T for the Public Works Department at Port Kembla, NSW

B/n 1007 of 1912 – 0-6-0T for the Public Works Department at Port Kembla, NSW

B/n 1025 of 1913 – 0-6-0CT for the Commonwealth Railways delivered to Perth WA

B/n 1530 of 1926 – 0-6-0T for the Sydney Municipal Counci, Electrical Lighting Committee for use at the Bunneronge Power Station

B/n 777 of 1906 – a 1067mm 0-4-2ST orginally built for the Wallaroo & Moonta Mining & Smelting Company seen here working for its second owner, the Australian Cement Company at Fyansford Victoria

1067mm gauge locomotives

B/n 271 of 1884 – 0-6-0ST for Tasmanian Government Railways

B/n 377 of 1891 – 0-6-0ST for E Keane, contractor for the construction of the Midland Railway in Western Australia

B/n 378 of 1891 – 0-6-0ST for E Keane, contractor for the construction of the Midland Railway in Western Australia

B/n 379 of 1891 – 0-6-0ST for E Keane, contractor for the construction of the Midland Railway in Western Australia

B/n 380 of 1891 – 0-6-0ST for E Keane, contractor for the construction of the Midland Railway in Western Australia

B/n 381 of 1891 – 0-6-0ST for E Keane, contractor for the construction of the Midland Railway in Western Australia

B/n 382 of 1891 – 0-6-0ST for E Keane, contractor for the construction of the Midland Railway in Western Australia

B/n 387 of 1891 – 0-6-0T for West Australian Government Railways

B/n 396 of 1891 – 0-4-0ST for Wallaroo & Moonta Mining & Smelting Company, Moonta, South Australia

B/n 407 of 1893 – 2-6-2T for Canning Jarrah Timber Co, Western Australia

B/n 483 of 1897 – 2-6-2T for Canning Jarrah Timber Co, Western Australia

B/n 500 of 1898 – 2-6-2T for Canning Jarrah Timber Co, Western Australia

B/n 501 of 1898 – 2-6-2T for Canning Jarrah Timber Co, Western Australia

B/n 550 of 1900 – 0-4-2ST for Wallaroo & Monta Mining & Smelting Company, Moonta, South Australia

B/n 609 of 1902 – 0-4-2ST for Wallaroo & Monta Mining & Smelting Company, Moonta, South Australia

B/n 628 of 1902 – 0-4-0ST for Wallaroo Smelting Works, South Australia

B/n 629 of 1902 – 0-4-0ST for Wallaroo Smelting Works, South Australia

B/n 646 of 1903 – 0-4-2ST for Wallaroo & Monta Mining & Smelting Company, Moonta, South Australia

B/n 774 of 1906 – 0-4-2ST for Wallaroo & Monta Mining & Smelting Company, Moonta, South Australia

B/n 777 of 1906 – 0-4-2ST for Wallaroo & Monta Mining & Smelting Company, Moonta, South Australia

B/n 791 of 1907 – 0-4-2ST for Wallaroo & Monta Mining & Smelting Company, Moonta, South Australia

B/n 928 of 1910 – 0-4-0ST for Wallaroo Phosphate Company, South Australia

B/n 965 of 1911 – 0-4-0ST for South Australian Engineer-in-Chief’s Department, South Australia

B/n 1569 of 1925 – 0-4-0ST for SEC, Victoria

B/n 1570 of 1925 – 0-4-0ST for SEC, Victoria

B/n 1571 of 1925 – 0-4-0ST for SEC, Victoria

914mm gauge locomotives

B/n 282 of 1885 – 0-4-0ST for Australian Gas Light Company, Mortlake, NSW

B/n 385 of 1891 – 0-4-0ST for Australian Gas Light Company, Mortlake, NSW

B/n 408 of 1893 – 0-4-0ST for Australian Gas Light Company, Mortlake, NSW

B/n 910 of 1908 – 0-4-0ST for Australian Gas Light Company, Mortlake, NSW

B/n 1560 of 1925 – 0-4-0ST for Australian Gas Light Company, Mortlake, NSW

B/n 1706 of 1939 – a 610mm 0-6-0 loco originally built for CSR’s Hambledon Surgar Mill at Edmonton Queensland and seen here preserved at the Illawarra Light Railway Museum in NSW

610mm gauge locomotives

B/n 383 of 1891 – 0-4-2ST – ordered by E. Noyes of Sydney for unknown customer – loco lost at sea

B/n 478 of 1896 – 0-4-2ST – for Double Peak Central Sugar Co, Mackay, Qld

B/n 496 of 1898 – 0-6-0ST – for Double Peak Central Sugar Co Ltd, Queensland

B/n 853 of 1908 – 0-4-0ST – for North Eton Central Mill, Queensland

B/n 932 of 1911 – 0-6-0T – for CSR’s Victoria Mill, Ingham, Queensland

B/n 942 of 1911 – 0-6-0ST – for North Eton Mill, Queensland

B/n 1067 of 1914 – 0-6-0 for CSR’s Homebush Mill, Queensland

B/n 1078 of 1914 – 0-4-2T for Moreton Central Mill, Queensland

B/n 1098 of 1915 – 0-6-0 for CSR’s Childers Mill, Childers, Queensland

B/n 1099 of 1915 – 0-6-0 for CSR’s Goondi Mill, Innisfail, Queensland

B/n 1423 of 1922 – 0-4-0WT for the National Portland Cement Company for use at its Maria Island cement factory, Tasmania

B/N 1521 of 1924 – 0-6-0T for Mulgrave Central Mill, Gordonvale, Queensland

B/N 1522 of 1924 – 0-6-0T for Mulgrave Central Mill, Gordonvale, Queensland

B/n 1548 of 1924 – 0-6-0 for CSR’s Macknade Sugar Mill, Ingham, Queensland

B/n 1549 of 1924 – 0-6-0 for CSR’s Hambledon Sugar Mill, Edmonton, Queensland

B/n 1552 of 1924 – 0-6-0 for CSR’s Hambledon Sugar Mill, Edmonton, Queensland

B/n 1553 of 1924 – 0-6-0 for CSR’s Hambledon Sugar Mill, Edmonton, Queensland

B/n 1554 of 1924 0-4-2ST for Amalgamated Sugar Mills, Pleystowe Mill, Queensland

B/n 1555 of 1924 – 0-6-0 for CSR’s Goondi Sugar Mill, Innisfail, Queensland

B/n 1556 of 1925 – 0-4-2ST for Australian Sugar Company, Mourilyan, Queensland

B/n 1559 of 1925 – 0-4-2ST for Amalgamated Sugar Mills, Pleystowe Mill, Queensland

B/n 1622 of 1928 – 0-4-0ST for Amalgamated Sugar Mills, Plestowe Mill, Queensland

B/n 1659 of 1936 – 0-6-0 for CSR’s Victoria Sugar Mill, Ingham, Queensland

B/n 1701 of 1938 – 0-6-0 for CSR’s Victoria Sugar Mill, Ingham, Queensland

B/n 1705 of 1938 – 0-4-2T – a sub-contract for John Fowler & Co for South Johnstone co-op Sugar Mill, Innisfail, Qld

B/n 1706 of 1939 – 0-6-0 for CSR’s Hambledon Sugar Mill, Edmonton, Queensland

B/n 1838 of 1950 – 0-6-0 for CSR’s Hambledon Sugar Mill, Edmonton, Queensland

B/n 1861 of 1952 – 0-6-0 for CSR’s Hambledon Sugar Mill, Edmonton, Queensland

B/n 1862 of 1952 – 0-6-0 for CSR’s Victoria Sugar Mill, Ingham, Queensland

B/n 1863 of 1952 – 0-6-0 for CSR’s Victoria Sugar Mill, Ingham, Queensland

Bibliography

Lowe James W, 1975 reprinted 2014, British Steam Locomotive Builders, Pen and Sword Books Ltd, Barnsley UK

Australasian Locomotive Builders Lists – 1 Hudswell Clarke & Company, Leeds, England, 1987, Light Railway Rersearch Society of Australia, Surry Hills Vic.

Photographs on this web page are by Weston Langford. They are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.