Museum of Science and Industry

MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry) is celebrating 100 years since the development of one of the world’s most successful steam locomotives with a new archive display on Beyer-Garratts. The Museum has also put out an appeal for a mass gathering of model and full-size Beyer-Garratts in August.

The display of photos, drawings and business records about Manchester-based firm Beyer, Peacock’s first articulated locomotive opens this week in the Collections Centre, while MOSI’s own Garratt engine is on permanent display in the Power Hall. The Museum also wants to hear from people who own Beyer-Garratt models or locomotives or worked at the company’s factory in Gorton, to converge at MOSI between 14-16 August 2009.

Beyer, Peacock, which was based in Gorton, Manchester, exported its steam locomotives all over the world, but its standard products often couldn’t cope with the difficult terrain overseas. In 1909 Herbert William Garratt designed an articulated locomotive to help trains cope with sharp bends and steep gradients. The locomotive type became known as the Beyer-Garratt, and the design became so successful that a total 1636 Garratts were produced by various companies, which ran on 86 railways in 48 countries.

The archive display at MOSI is part of a series of events held at the Museum in 2009 to celebrate the centenary of the first Beyer-Garratt.

MOSI director Steve Davies said: “The development of the Beyer-Garratt marked a significant turning point in steam locomotive history. Garratt’s design allowed mass transport for thousands more people and larger amounts of freight per engine through some of the most difficult terrain in the world. We’re delighted to mark its centenary with a series of events and we also hope to hear from anyone who has their own Beyer-Garratt locomotive, of any size, or who worked at the Gorton factory. As part of our centenary celebrations in August we want to gather Beyer, Peacock’s former employees.

He added: ”You can see just how impressive the Beyer-Garratt was from our own collection at MOSI and our archive display helps to show how the Garratt was developed and became one of Manchester’s most significant exports.”

MOSI’s archive display focuses on drawings and photos of the design and manufacture of Garratt’s first model, the K1 Garratt produced for the Tasmanian Government Railway in Australia. The K1 still operates today on the Welsh Highland Railway. The Museum owns a 1930 Beyer-Garratt, which was built for the South African Railways, and ‘Pender’ the tank engine, built in 1874 by Beyer, Peacock for the Isle of Man.

Beyer, Peacock was founded in Gorton, Manchester in 1854 by Charles Frederick Beyer and Richard Peacock. The factory closed in 1966 and the company became dormant although the name was resurrected in 1990 as a trading name, based in Devon.

The Centenary of First Beyer-Garratt is an archive display which is open to the public (Tuesday – Saturday) 10.00am – 4.30pm in the MOSI Collections Centre and runs until 31 March. Other archive displays on the Beyer-Garratt will be held between 7 July – 30 September and the Collections Centre will hold a Beyer Garratt open day on 15 August.

For more information on taking part in the mass gathering of Beyer-Garratts on 14-16 August please contact Chris Barnett on Tel: 0161 606 0214 c.barnett@mosi.org.uk

For more information, photography requests or archive images please call Sarah Roe on 0161 606 0176 m: 07847 372647 or Diane Inglis on Tel: 0161 606 0173. www.mosi.org.uk

Back to news