Foster, Rastrick and Company was one of the pioneering steam locomotive manufacturing companies of England. It was based in Stourbridge, Worcestershire (now part of Dudley, West Midlands). James Foster, an ironmaster, and engineer John Urpeth Rastrick became partners in 1816, forming the company in 1819. Rastrick was one of the judges at the Rainhill Trials. The company built only four locomotives, but is notable for building the Stourbridge Lion in 1829, the first locomotive to be tried in America. This and two others, Delaware and Hudson were sold to the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company . One other, Agenoria was built for the Shutt End Railway. Agenoria was probably the first to use mechanical lubrication for its axles. Unlike the first three, it had a long life and, at the end, was presented to the Science Museum (London) in 1884. It is now at the National Railway Museum in York.
The company was officially dissolved on June 20 1831, the assets being absorbed into the Stourbridge Iron Works of John Bradley & Co., where James Foster was the major partner and eventual sole owner.
References
- Brief biographies of major mechanical engineers. Retrieved February 9 2005 — company overview.
- Senate House Library, University of London, John Bradley & Co (Stourbridge) Ltd., Ironfounders. Retrieved April 22 2005 — verifies Foster family connections and company dates.
- Lowe, J.W., (1989) British Steam Locomotive Builders, Guild Publishing
