The Skylark class were a series of 0-4-2T narrow-gauge steam locomotives that were constructed by Kerr, Stuart & Co. for narrow gauge railways across the United Kingdom and overseas.
History[]
Skylark class locomotives began to be produced by Kerr Stuart & Co. in the mid to late 1890s, originally designed for railways and even some light railways/tramways overseas. Though they became somewhat popular for British use at the turn of the century. A large number of Skylark locomotives were exported to Mauritius for use on sugar plantations and ford use at Hadfields East Hecla steelworks in Sheffield, England.
The last Skylarks were manufactured around the mid 1910s, when the company became defunct in 1930 as a result of dodgy dealings most of the designs including the Skylark were sold to the Hunslet Engine Co. of Leeds, Yorkshire, however the Skylark was not added to their catalogue.
Preservation[]
Two examples are known to still exist:
- Works No. 742 of 1901 named Lukee is currently operational on the Red Cliffs Historical Steam Railway in Victoria, Australia.
- Works Nos. 813, 814, or 1360 of 1903 or 1915 which is displayed outside in Mauritius where it worked on the Beau Sejour sugar cane plantation.
Stock List[]
Image | Loco Name | Works No. | Build date | Operator(s) | Status | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
- | 117 | 1896 | Jardine Matheson & Co., Yokohama, Japan | Scrapped | ||
No. 1 Mexico | 126 | 1897 | Tlahvalilo cotton estate, Mexico | Scrapped | ||
No. 2 Espana | 127 | 1897 | Tlahvalilo cotton estate, Mexico | Scrapped | ||
Pioneer | 636 | 1898 | Contractor Francis Allen, Tunis, Tunisia | Scrapped | ||
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Princess | 717 | 1900 | C&MLR Colliery Railway
Campbeltown & Machrihanish Light Railway (C&MLR) |
Scrapped | Used as spare parts for the C&MLR's Chevalier and scrapped. |
- | 718 | 1900 | Westonia Firewood Co., Western Australia | Unknown | Originally operated on the Peak Hill Tramway with No. 739. | |
- | 739 | 1900 | Peak Hill Goldfields Ltd., Western Australia | Scrapped | ||
No. 2 | 740 | 1900 | Sugar plantation/ St. Lucia,, West Indies | Scrapped | ||
Lord Roberts | 741 | 1900 | Carnanee Quarry, Portrush, Northern Ireland | Scrapped | Originally sold to A. Kellett of Frankley, Worcestershire, England. | |
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Lukee | 742 | 1901 | Red Cliffs Historical Steam Railway | Operational | |
Rajah | 743 | 1901 | Martin & Co., Calcutta, India | Scrapped | ||
Rafaela | 744 | 1901 | Unknown, Madrid, Spain | Scrapped | ||
No. 2 Anie | 753 | 1902 | PWD Subiaco Sewerage Works, Western Australia | Unknown | Originally operated on the Kalgoorlie & Boulder Firewood Co. Beria tramway. | |
- | 796 | 1902 | Unknown, Singapore. | Scrapped | ||
McDonald | 797 | 1903 | Unknown, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. | Scrapped | ||
- | 798 | 1902 | Mauritius plantation. | Scrapped | ||
No. 1 | 799 | 1902 | L. P. P. Co. Ltd., Talara, Peru. | Scrapped | ||
Gwalia | 801 | 1902 | Sons of Gwalia Ltd., Western Australia. | Scrapped | ||
No. 2 Skylark | 802 | 1902 | Lovatt & Co., Hartington, Derbyshire, England | Scrapped | Later sold to Snailbeach District Railway in 1923, and scrapped by them in 1950. | |
Skylark | 803 | 1902 | G. F. Norton & Co., Lisbon, Portugal | Scrapped | ||
- | 811 | 1903 | Smeed Dean Brickworks, Sittingbourne, Kent, England | Scrapped | ||
Dolcoath (1) | 812 | 1903 | Dolcoath mine, Cambourne, Cambridgeshire, England | Scrapped | ||
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No. 1/2/3 Beau Sejour | 813/814/1360 | 1903/1915 | Beau Sejour sugar estate. | Plinthed in Mauritius | Exact identity unknown. One of three possibilities. |
No. 1 | 824 | 1903 | Mauritius plantation. | Scrapped | ||
No. 5 | 825 | 1907 | Hadfields East Hecla Steel Steelworks, Sheffield, England | Scrapped | ||
St. Antoine (1) | 826 | 1903 | Mauritius plantation. | Scrapped | ||
- | 835 | 1903 | Mauritius plantation. | Scrapped | ||
No. 4 St Antoine (2) | 864 | 1910 | Mauritius plantation. | Scrapped | ||
Pieterboth | 865 | 1910 | Mauritius plantation. | Scrapped | ||
Beau Vallon | 866 | 1910 | Mauritius plantation. | Scrapped | ||
Dolcoath (2) | 1169 | 1911 | Dolcoath mine, Cambourne, Cambridgeshire, England | Scrapped | ||
- | 1170 | 1910 | Mauritius plantation. | Scrapped | ||
No. 3 San Souci | 1171 | 1910 | Mauritius plantation. | Scrapped | ||
No. 2 La Baraque | 1199 | 1910 | Mauritius plantation. | Scrapped | ||
Hawk | 1213 | 1914 | Harbury Cement Works | Scrapped | Sold to Holborough Cement Co. | |
No. 1458 | Hadfields East Hecla Steel Steelworks, Sheffield, England | Scrapped | ||||
No. 1459 | Hadfields East Hecla Steel Steelworks, Sheffield, England | Scrapped | ||||
No. 2140 | Hadfields East Hecla Steel Steelworks, Sheffield, England | Scrapped | ||||
No. 2386 | 1913 | Hadfields East Hecla Steel Steelworks, Sheffield, England | Scrapped | |||
Henri | 1201 | 1913 | Mauritius plantation. | Scrapped | ||
No. 4223 | Hadfields East Hecla Steel Steelworks, Sheffield, England | Scrapped | ||||
No. 4 Alma | 1358 | 1914 | Mauritius plantation. | Scrapped | ||
- | 1359 | 1914 | Mauritius plantation. | Scrapped | ||
No. 3033 | 2424 | 1915 | Hadfields East Hecla Steel Steelworks, Sheffield, England | Scrapped | ||
No. 3034 | 2425 | 1915 | Hadfields East Hecla Steel Steelworks, Sheffield, England | Scrapped | ||
- | 2426 | 1915 | Hadfields East Hecla Steel Steelworks, Sheffield, England | Scrapped | ||
- | 2427 | 1915 | Hadfields East Hecla Steel Steelworks, Sheffield, England | Scrapped | ||
- | 2478 | 1915 | Hadfields East Hecla Steel Steelworks, Sheffield, England | Scrapped | ||
- | 2479 | 1915 | Hadfields East Hecla Steel Steelworks, Sheffield, England | Scrapped | ||
- | 2480 | 1915 | Hadfields East Hecla Steel Steelworks, Sheffield, England | Scrapped | ||
- | 2481 | 1915 | Hadfields East Hecla Steel Steelworks, Sheffield, England | Scrapped |