English Electric (Vulcan Foundry)

About

English Electric (in its workshop role) operated the Vulcan Foundry at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, a historic locomotive works founded by Charles Tayleur in 1832, alongside electrical works at Bradford, Preston, Stafford and Rugby. EE's predecessor companies (Dick, Kerr & Co. and the British Electric Traction interests) had been involved in electric traction since the 1890s, and the consolidated English Electric Company of December 1918 became one of the principal British heavy-engineering firms.

For British Railways, English Electric and the Vulcan Foundry built the Class 20 (228 built), Class 37 (309), Class 40 (200), Class 50 (50), and Class 55 'Deltic' (22) diesel-electric locomotives. The firm also supplied many of the AC electric locomotives for the West Coast Main Line and the EM2 Class 77 for the Manchester Woodhead Route.

EE acquired Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns of Darlington in 1955, giving it a complete locomotive-building capability. The firm was absorbed into the General Electric Company (GEC) in 1968; the Vulcan Foundry continued in production under GEC and afterwards under Alstom until its closure in 2002.

Locomotives built here

BR 10800 — BR 10800 — single English Electric/Hawthorn Leslie diesel-mechanical mainline locomotive, built 1949 as a Bo-Bo. Used on the LMR for trials; never entered regular service. Sold to Brush in 1962 and used as the test-bed for the development of what would become the Class 47 "Hawk" engine. Not preserved.
BR Class 83 — BR Class 83 (originally AL3) Bo-Bo electric locomotives — built 1960–62 by English Electric. 15 built. 83012 preserved at Barrow Hill.
British Rail Class 20 — The British Rail Class 20 is a Bo-Bo Type 1 (1,000 hp) diesel-electric freight locomotive built by English Electric at Vulcan Foundry and by Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns between 1957 and 1968. 228 were built, the most numerous British Type 1 diesel by a wide margin. The distinctive single-cab "chopper" body — with the engine compartment trailing the cab — was unusual for a British main-line diesel and led to the universal practice of operating Class 20s nose-to-nose in pairs to give cab visibility in both directions. Withdrawn from BR service progressively from the late 1980s, around thirty remain in mainline service in 2026 with Direct Rail Services and GB Railfreight.
British Rail Class 37 — The British Rail Class 37 is a Co-Co Type 3 (1,750 hp) diesel-electric mixed-traffic locomotive built by English Electric at Vulcan Foundry and by Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns at Newcastle between 1960 and 1965. 309 were built, making it the most numerous British Type 3 locomotive class. Powered by the English Electric 12CSVT engine of 1,750 hp and with a robust Co-Co bogie giving good adhesion and broad route availability, the Class 37 became one of the most successful and longest-lived British diesel locomotive classes. Sixty-six years after the first was delivered, around forty Class 37s remain in active mainline service in 2026.
British Rail Class 40 — The British Rail Class 40 is a 1Co-Co1 Type 4 (2,000 hp) diesel-electric main-line locomotive built by English Electric at Vulcan Foundry and by Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns at Newcastle between 1958 and 1962. 200 were built, the first British Type 4 diesel and the standard early-dieselisation main-line locomotive of the West Coast and East Coast main lines. Powered by the English Electric 16SVT Mk II engine of 2,000 hp, the class ran the principal expresses (Royal Scot, Mid-Day Scot, Caledonian, Talisman, Heart of Midlothian) until displaced by the Class 47 and Class 55 Deltic from the early 1960s. Withdrawn from BR service between 1976 and 1985, eight are preserved including the National Collection's pioneer D200.
British Rail Class 50 — BR Class 50 "Hoover" — Co-Co diesel-electric, built 1967–68 by English Electric. 50 built. Originally hired to BR for the West Coast Main Line London-Glasgow non-electrified north of Crewe; transferred to Western Region 1974 onwards as Class 47s replaced them; named after Royal Navy warships. Withdrawn 1990–94. Many preserved including 50007 "Hercules", 50008 "Thunderer", 50015 "Valiant", 50017 "Royal Oak", 50019 "Ramillies", 50026 "Indomitable", 50031 "Hood", 50033 "Glorious", 50035 "Ark Royal", 50042 "Triumph", 50044 "Exeter", 50049 "Defiance".
British Rail Class 55 Deltic — BR Class 55 "Deltic" — Co-Co diesel-electric, built 1961–62 by English Electric/Napier. 22 built for East Coast Main Line expresses, replacing Pacific steam. The most famous British diesel locomotive, with twin Napier Deltic 18-cylinder opposed-piston engines giving 3,300 hp. Withdrawn 1980–82. Six preserved: D9000 "Royal Scots Grey", D9002 "Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry", D9009 "Alycidon", D9015 "Tulyar", D9016 "Gordon Highlander", D9019 "Royal Highland Fusilier".
British Rail Class 86 — BR Class 86 — Bo-Bo electric, built 1965–66 by BR Doncaster/English Electric. 100 built for the West Coast Main Line. Many remain in service in 2026 with freight operators (Freightliner) and as exports (Bulgaria, Hungary).
LMS 10000 / 10001 — H. G. Ivatt's 1947 LMS 10000 and 10001 — the first British mainline diesel-electric locomotives. Co-Co, 1600 hp, English Electric. Built at Derby and Crewe respectively. Worked LMS expresses (often paired) until withdrawal in the early 1960s. Neither preserved (a notable absence).
LMS 1831 — Earliest LMS diesel-electric shunter prototype, 1832 (1932 build). Single locomotive. Predecessor to the LMS 0-6-0DE class that became BR Class 08. Not preserved.
LMS Ivatt 10000/10001 — Britain's first main-line diesel locomotives. Designed by H. G. Ivatt for the LMS in collaboration with English Electric, 10000 was outshopped from Derby Works in December 1947, three weeks before nationalisation, with sister 10001 following in July 1948 under British Railways. Working singly or as a pair, they handled expresses including the Royal Scot, were transferred to the Southern Region in 1953 for comparison with Bulleid's 10201/10202/10203, and returned to the London Midland Region in 1955. Their English Electric 16SVT prime mover went on to power Classes 20, 31, 37, 40, and 50. Both were scrapped in 1968; a new-build replica is under construction by the Ivatt Diesel Re-creation Society.
LNER EB1 Class — Raven's 1914 NER EB1 class — Raven's mineral electric for the NER's Shildon–Newport mineral line electrification. Bo-Bo. 10 built. The line was de-electrified in 1935; locomotives stored, then scrapped.
LNER EB2 Class — Reference to LNER EB2 class — likely Raven NER electric 0-4-4-0 of 1932. None preserved.
SR CC1/CC2 — Bulleid's 1941 SR Co-Co electric locomotives CC1 and CC2 (later 20001/20002) — third-rail electric locomotives for SR mainline freight and parcel work. Two built. Subsequently joined by 20003 of similar but uprated design. None preserved.

Location	Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire
Founded	14 December 1918
Closed	1 September 1968