Winson Engineering
Winson Engineering was a British manufacturer of narrow gauge and miniature railway steam locomotives and rolling stock during the 1990s. It built several new locomotives for heritage railways as well as undertaking major rebuilds of existing locomotives.
History
Winson was founded in the mid 1980s, although it was not incorporated until 21 March 1990. The engineering works were initially at the harbour in Porthmadog. In 1988, the company moved to Penrhyndeudraeth. In 1995 the company moved again to Daventry. In June 2001 the company went into receivership and subsequently closed.
Significant Projects
Rebuilds
- Rebuild of Welsh Highland Railway Bagnall Gelert
- Preparation of Ffestiniog Railway Fairlie 0-4-4-0T Livingston Thompson for display in the National Railway Museum
New locomotives
- Winson 7 Bure Valley Railway 2-6-4T Wroxham Broad, built 1992 [1]
- Winson 12 Bure Valley Railway ZB Class 2-6-2 Blickling Hall 15 in (381 mm) gauge, built 1994 [1]
- Winson 14 Bure Valley Railway ZB Class 2-6-2 Spitfire 15 in (381 mm) gauge, built 1994 [1]
- Winson 15 2-6-2T Camila 500 mm (19+3⁄4 in) gauge, built 1995 for Ferrocarril Austral Fueguino, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego.
- Winson 16 Bure Valley Railway ZB Class 2-6-2 Thunder 15 in (381 mm) gauge, built 1996/7 [1]
- Winson 17 Corris Railway 0-4-2ST No.7 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) gauge, built 1999-2004 - work completed at Drayton Designs.
- Winson 19 2-6-2T 2 ft (610 mm) gauge, built 1998 for a Japanese Theme Park (Matsui Damachi).
- Winson 20 Bure Valley Railway ZB Class 2-6-4 Mark Timothy 15 in (381 mm) gauge, built 1999 [1]
At the time of liquidation the company was building a replica of the Manning Wardle locomotive Yeo for the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway. The frames are currently (2010) in storage awaiting further work. Winson 7 Wroxham Broad was actually a major rebuild of a diesel loco (Tracy Jo) originally built in 1964 by G & S Light Engineering of Stourbridge.
Winson 20 Mark Timothy was unsuccessful as built, and underwent a major rebuild by Alan Keef Ltd in 2003.
New rolling stock
- Six carriages for the Welsh Highland Railway[2]
References
- "Winson Engineering". Industrial Railway Record (191). Industrial Railway Society. December 2007.