Some years ago I was given a couple of negatives; these weren’t any ordinary negatives though, they were large format, 5″ x 4″ in semitransparent envelopes, the person who gave them to me knew of my interest in railway locomotives. On putting the negatives through the scanner I could see they were of a small standard gauge locomotive rejoicing in the the name of Lily.
A little bit of research soon discovered the locomotive had been built by Peckett’s of Bristol and had been photographed at one of the premises of R S Hayes Ltd in Bridgend. So how did this locomotive get to be at Bridgend to be photographed? Here’s the full but very brief story.
Lily, works number 1197, was built by Peckett & Sons at their Atlas Locomotive Works, Bristol and completed in April 1909. Designated 0-4-0ST which means she had four driving wheels connected by rods and a saddle tank over the boiler as a water supply, she had two cylinders of 12″ stroke by 7″ diameter. Purchased by the Yorktown & Blackwater Gas Co, Yorktown, Surrey, she worked there for very many years until 1944.
By November 1944 she was at a new home at Hirwaun in South Wales at the Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF 25). The factory closed in 1945 and by August 1946 the site had become an Industrial estate and the locomotive was sold as part of the site purchase. Lily continued to work there until 1953 when she was acquired by R S Hayes Ltd of Bridgend, who were dealers in used locomotives as part of their huge scrap empire.
This is the period in which Lily was photographed, during her brief stay at Bridgend. She is looking very smart and has probably just been refurbished for sale. Apart from the two negatives in my possession, I have seen one other photograph of this locomotive at Bridgend. You will notice the tiny driving wheels and short wheelbase which would allow this diminutive locomotive to negotiate some very sharp curves. The houses which can be seen in the background of the first photograph are probably Hayes Terrace off Cemetery Road.
By September 1953 Lily had been sold to Rees Industries Ltd of Bynea near Llanelli and had a useful life there for a further eight years until 1961 but was subsequently scrapped on site around February 1962 after a working life of 52 years. I have also seen a photograph of Lily at this location.
Finally, one from my collection showing the scrapyard of R S Hayes Ltd behind Brackla Street in Bridgend during the early 1960s. The tall building in the centre of the frame, behind the row of houses is the Co-op in the course of construction, now the home of Wilkinsons.
opobs 
Fascinating and very interesting article! Do you know when Hayes scrapyard moved from Hayes Terrace area to behind Brackla St? I recall seeing stored locomotives on the west side of Bridgend station in the summer of 1959 as a young boy. That was the first time they started cutting up BR locos. Would the scrapyard have still been by the “Tondu line” or would it have been at the east side of the station by Brackla St? Best regards.
I don’t remember a scrapyard at or near Hayes Terrace, so presumably if there was one it was gone by the time I was old enough to be interested. Hayes yard behind Brackla Street was there a very long while and is where they would have been cutting up locos in 1959.
Thanks for your reply. Perhaps I misunderstood. For one of the photos of Lily taken at Bridgend you had written “The houses which can be seen in the background of the first photograph are probably Hayes Terrace off Cemetery Road” – so I assumed Hayes scrapyard was there at the time in 1953? Regards, Bill
I’ve talked to my Mum about this, she worked for R S Hayes during and just after the war, she says no scrap yard at Hayes Terrace area. She worked in the office for the foundry, Shepherds, which made heavy machinery. The foundry was managed by the Hayes family at the time, RS in overall charge of the Hayes concern and his son in charge of the foundry. Another son looked after the scrap yard.
I own the last surviving member of this loco class (Peckett No. 2012 of 1941) and would be very interested in obtaining copies of these photos for use in a new book I’m putting together about the engine. Is this possible?
No problem Gary, I don’t have prints but can scan at a large resolution suitable for printing.
Message me at mjs@opobs.co.uk with file size you require.