1880 Townsend Hook

Townsend Hook is a 3 ft 2 1⁄4 in (972 mm) gauge Fletcher, Jennings & Co. 0-4-0T steam locomotive built in 1880 for the Dorking Greystone Lime Co. as works no. 172L. Townsend Hook is currently undergoing a cosmetic restoration at Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre, West Sussex.

 

In the late 1870s the Dorking Greystone Lime Co. of Betchworth, Surrey, decided there was a need for steam locomotives to work the horse drawn narrow gauge lines in their quarry. Following on from the success of their 1877 standard gauge Fletcher Jennings 0-4-0T No. 3 (later named Captain Baxter, now preserved at the Bluebell Railway, they decided on Fletcher Jennings products again. Two new engines, works nos. 172L and 173L (later becoming Townsend Hook and William Finlay respectively) were built in early 1880 at Fletcher Jennings' Lowca Works and dispatched to Betchworth by rail. The locos had some issues, such as the wooden brake blocks catching fire due to the friction caused by braking the heavy loads of chalk. This was remedied by fitting of metal brake blocks on both engines. In time other modifications took place such as replacing the original Friedman injectors mounted underneath the cab with new Penberthy injectors mounted on the tanks tops; and also the addition of cabs. Townsend Hook's boiler was replaced in 1897 with William Finlay's being replaced in 1922. In 1937 Townsend Hook was hit side on by a rake of wagons descending under gravity, knocking it eight feet down a ledge, dislodging the safety valves and enveloping the loco in steam. Fortunately the damage was not too extensive and Townsend Hook was quickly repaired. Townsend Hook was eventually withdrawn in 1952 with a broken axle bearing and was placed into storage.

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