Maybrey Reliance
of Belvedere and Crayford, Kent
1839 George England founded the Hatcham Ironworks and started his company George England and Company. The first products were screwjacks and weaving machines but soon George England started to produce railway locomotives.
1851 One of his early locomotives, Little England, won a Gold Medal for Excellence at The Great Exhibition of 1851.
1860s George England was joined by the renowned locomotive engineer Robert Fairlie.
A Fairlie-type locomotive was ordered for the Festiniog Railway.
1869 England retired because of ill health. The works was taken on lease by Fairlie, George England junior, and J. S. Fraser, under whom the locomotive, "Little Wonder", was completed. George junior died a few months later and locomotive building ceased.
1869 The company was renamed the Fairlie Engine and Steam Locomotive Co.
1871 Avonside Engine Co took over the rights to the Fairlie designs.
1872 The works had been closed for some time, and it was arranged to dispose of the contents by auction sale[1]. They had built some 250 locomotives.
1873 General Engineering and Boiler Co was established.
It took over part of the Hatcham Ironworks.
1935 The Reliance Foundry was formed and ran alongside the General Engine and Boiler Company at the Hatcham Iron Works in New Cross, South London.
1975 All manufacturing was taken over by Reliance Foundry at its new factory in Greenwich.
1986 Mr Douglas Hills was invited to purchase the Reliance Foundry with the intention of merging it with his company, the Hills Diecasting Co of Sydenham, South East London. The combined company was established at Greenwich.
2002 Maybrey Precision Castings of Lower Sydenham was purchased and Maybrey Reliance was formed.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Engineer 1872