Huntley & Palmers started out in 1822, with Joseph Huntley baking biscuits in the back of his small shop at 72 London Street in Reading and by 1846 the firm had grown to such an extent that a large factory on the Kings Road in Reading was purchased. Expansion continued at a pace and by 1898 the business had grown to become the largest biscuit manufacturer in the world, employing over 5,000 people on a twenty four acre site that spanned both banks of the River Kennet and which led to Reading becoming known as ‘Biscuit Town’.
Peckett Works No. 831/1900 was built new for Huntley & Palmers of Reading, along with 832/1900 and a small two road locomotive shed was constructed at the north-east corner of the Huntley & Palmers factory site, adjacent to the Wokingham line, to accommodate them both. Locomotive 831/1900 received the Huntley & Palmers works designation of ‘C’ and operated across the extensive private sidings, which by the 1930s were seeing the movement of 15,000 wagons per year.
This limited edition freight pack recreates the atmosphere of the freight sidings at Huntley & Palmers’ factory, featuring the intricate Huntley & Palmers Ltd liveried Peckett W4 at the beginning of the 20th century, as well as three of the distinctive liveried, numbered, Huntley & Palmers Ltd six plank wagons.
The Peckett W Class comprised of 6 separate variations, from the W2 of 1884 to the W7 of 1938 and were of a standard design that represented more of an update, over the years, rather than a development of the class. The W4 design represents a classic late Victorian four-coupled, medium range, industrial saddle tank design.
The locomotives were built at the Atlas Engine Works in St. George, Bristol, Peckett & Sons Ltd having taken over the business established there by Fox, Walker & Company in 1880. Their steam locos, noted for their fine rivet work on the cabs and tanks and the generous use of brass and copperwork, continued to be built at Atlas Works until June 12, 1958. Eventually, Peckett & Sons were bought out by Reed Crane & Hoist Company during 1961, having produced 140 W4 locomotives between April 1885 and February 1906.
Peckett themselves described their core market as “Collieries, Ironworks, Contractors, Tinplate Works etc.” and took pride in turning their locos out in a lined Works grey livery. Utilising many standard components, the nature of the locos’ end use meant there were a number of ‘specials’ and alterations carried out, particularly reduced height versions for operating in smelting works and collieries