The Peckett W Class locomotive was a four-coupled, medium powered, industrial saddle tank. Six separate variations covered developments in design and build from the W2 of 1884 to the W7 of 1938. 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.
Peckett Works No.882/1902 Niclausse was built for Willans and Robinson of Queensferry, Wales, who were manufacturers of water tube boilers and special steels. The locomotive was named after a type of French designed field-tube boiler used in some of the last pre-dreadnought battleships.
Peckett was noted for fine rivet work on cabs and tanks and the generous use of brass and copperwork continued at Atlas Works until June 1958. Describing their core market as “Colleries, Ironworks, Contractors Tinplate Works etc.” Peckett took pride in turning their locos out in a lined Works livery and utilised many standard components in their construction, however the nature of the locomotives’ end use meant there were a number of alterations carried out, particularly as reduced height versions for operating in smelting works and collieries.
Although producing a serviceable 200bhp diesel locomotive design like most steam locomotive builders Peckett & Sons were unable to survive the changing rail freight patterns and availability of surplus ex-BR shunting engines. The company was bought out by Reed Crane & Hoist Company during 1961, having produced 140 W4 locomotives between April 1885 and February 1906.
The Peckett company name was still recorded by Companies House as a dormant company until the 1990s and surviving company records and drawings are now held by the National Railway Museum.