Bromsgrove Rail User Group

Early Locomotives

A man named Bishop took over but he resigned in a few weeks and James Edward McConnell was appointed to the position.

McConnell soon realised that for all its power, the Norris locomotives were inherently unsuitable for banking duties since they had only one pair of driving wheels and, in common with all other locomotives at that stage, had a heavy tender at the rear. McConnell had to come up with an early solution and his idea was like all the best ideas simple. He decided a tender was not necessary for such short haul working so he simply got rid. of it! Having stripped PHILADELPHIA of this encumbrance he had a cage tacked on to the rear of the machine for carrying the coke. He fitted tanks either side of the loco to carry the water.