Buckley & Taylor facts for kids

Buckley & Taylor

Industry	Engineering
Successor	Brightside Foundry and engineering Co. Ltd., Sheffield
Founded	1861
Founder	Samuel Buckley, James Taylor
Defunct	1947 (Take over)
Headquarters	Oldham
Number of locations	1 (Castle Ironworks, Greenacres)
Products	Stationary steam engines
Owner	1861- Samuel Buckley, James Taylor

Buckley & Taylor was a British engineering company that made large stationary steam engines. These powerful engines were used in places like textile mills to make machines work. The company was the biggest engine maker in Oldham, Lancashire, England. They built engines for mills in Oldham and also sent them to countries like India, Holland, and Brazil.

A Powerful Start

Buckley & Taylor began in 1861. They started by making different types of steam engines for mills and factories. By 1867, they were already building many mill engines. Many of their first engines were very large "compound beam engines." By 1870, they were well-known for their "horizontal twin tandem compounds."

Their first workshop, called Castle Ironworks, was in Greenacres. It started as a small area, about half an acre. But by 1880, it grew to three acres! They also had a special workshop for shaping metal in Openshaw. In 1890, about 400 people worked for them. They built their last engine in 1926.

The Founders

The company was started by two engineers, Samuel Buckley and James Taylor.

Samuel Buckley was born in 1837. He started working in a mill when he was only six years old. Even while working, he studied and learned about engineering. Before he was 20, he became the chief engineer at two mills. Samuel Buckley was also interested in local government. He was the Mayor of Oldham three times.

James Taylor was born in 1838. He learned his engineering skills through an apprenticeship. Both men were engineers. James Taylor focused on the practical building of the engines. Samuel Buckley handled the business side of things.

In 1861, they set up their Castle Ironworks in Oldham. When James Taylor passed away, Samuel Buckley ran the company by himself. In 1902, the company became an official corporation. James Taylor's son, William, then took charge. In 1947, another company called Brightside Foundry bought Buckley & Taylor. However, the company kept operating under its original name.

Types of Engines They Built

Between 1861 and 1926, Buckley & Taylor built over 200 mill engines. These engines had a total power of more than 160,000 horsepower!

Horizontal Twin Tandem Engines

These were common engines preferred by many mills in Oldham. An early example was a 1,000-horsepower engine built for the North Moor spinning company in 1876. At first, their design was quite traditional. But by 1883, they started using newer parts like "Corliss valves" and "rope drives." These became standard by the 1890s. For example, in 1892, they built a huge 2,000-horsepower engine for Pearl Mill.

Beam Engines

In the 1890s, Buckley & Taylor started building "beam engines" again. They built at least 11 of these. Two of the biggest beam engines ever put in a cotton mill were built by them. These were for Nile Mill and Tay Mill. Each of these engines delivered 2,500 horsepower and cost over £10,000!

Marine Type Mill Engines

"Marine type engines" were vertical engines that needed less space. From about 1899, Buckley & Taylor started to specialize in these. They built 29 of these engines between 1899 and 1916. One of the largest was an 1,800-horsepower engine for Regent Mill in 1906. This engine ran until 1958! It helped power 60,000 spindles (parts of spinning machines). It had a huge 26-foot flywheel with 26 ropes.

Engines Around the World

Buckley & Taylor also expanded their business internationally.

Around 1865, they worked with another Oldham company, Platt Bros. Together, they built parts for a jute mill in Bombay, India. Later, they also worked in Narayanganj.

Their steam engines were also popular in Brazil. Before World War I, many mills and factories in Minas Gerais, Brazil, used Buckley & Taylor engines. This was before electricity became common there in the 1920s.

Mills That Used Their Engines

Here are some of the mills that used engines built by Buckley & Taylor:

• Sun Mill, Chadderton (1867)
• Lees & Wrigley No.3. Mill, Glodwick (1875)
• Pearl Mill, Oldham (1878)
• Nile Mill
• Tay Mill
• Don Mill, Middleton (1901)
• Regent Mill, Failsworth (1906)
• Orb Mill, Waterhead (1908)
• Wye No.2 Mill, Shaw (1926)