Private company

Vulcan Foundry

Logo: Rodhullandemu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons3

British locomotive manufacturer, 1833–1969

The Vulcan Foundry Limited was an English locomotive builder sited at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire (now Merseyside).2 It was founded in 1832.1 It is part of English Electric.1 It ceased to exist in 1962.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 20, 2026.

Overview

1832Founded1
  • Industrylocomotive manufacturing1
  • HeadquartersNewton-le-Willows1
  • Legal formprivate company limited by shares1

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LMS 3F 47406 Vulcan Foundry 3177.1926 edited-2
Photo: RuthAS, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons5

The Vulcan Foundry Limited was an English locomotive builder sited at Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire (now Merseyside).2

Corporate structure

Vulcan Foundry is part of a group headed by English Electric. 11 entities, 2 countries on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

Built from subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0); major holders from Schedules 13D and 13G. Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

The Vulcan Foundry opened in 1832, as Charles Tayleur and Company to produce girders for bridges, switches, crossings and other ironwork following the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. Due to the distance from the locomotive works in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, it seemed preferable to build and support them locally. In 1832, Robert Stephenson became a partner for a few years. The company had become The Vulcan Foundry Company in 1847 and acquired limited liability in 1864. From the beginning of 1898, the name changed again to The Vulcan Foundry Limited, dropping the word 'company.'

Vulcan Halt

The site had its own railway station, Vulcan Halt, on the former Warrington and Newton Railway line from Earlestown to Warrington Bank Quay. The wooden-platformed halt was opened on 1 November 1916 by the London and North Western Railway, and closed on 12 June 1965.

From Wikipedia’s article on Vulcan Foundry, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Subsidiaries and ownership

Parent company

Subsidiaries

From Wikidata.1

Acquisitions

  1. 1944Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns became a subsidiary1

Timeline

  1. 1962Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. 1957Acquired Acquired by English Electric1
  3. 1832Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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