The Stafford locomotive construction company started in 1875 when William Gordon Bagnall took over the millwright business of Massey and Hill.
The first railway locomotive was built the following year. The majority of their products were small four and six-coupled steam locomotives for industrial use, and many were narrow gauge. They were noted for building steam and diesel locomotives in standard and narrow gauges.
Bagnalls introduced several novel type of locomotive valve gear including the Bagnall-Price and the Baguley. They also used marine (circular) fireboxes on narrow gauge engines, a design that was cheap but needed a different firing technique.
Some of the designs of Kerr, Stuart and Co were brought to Bagnalls when they employed the chief Draughtsman of Kerr Stuart and Co.
The firm became W G Bagnall Ltd in 1887.
In 1948 Heenan and Froude acquired W. G. Bagnall Ltd.
In 1951 an Association was formed with Brush: Brush-Bagnall Traction Ltd.
In 1959 W. G. Bagnall was sold to W. H. Dorman and Co, a neighbouring Stafford diesel engine maker, by Heenans in exchange for Dorman shares.
In 1961 English Electric Co acquired W. H. Dorman and Co.
In 1962 a new wholly-owned subsidiary was formed (English Electric Traction) to bring all railway-related activities under one management. These included The Vulcan Foundry, Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns and W. G. Bagnall.
In addition to building locomotives to designs produced by W G Bagnall the company also built engines as contractors to organisations who had designed them. This included designs produced by the GWR and the LMS.
| Supplied To | Class | Date Built | Number Build | Locomotives |
| GWR | 5700 0-6-0PT | 1930-31 | 25 | 8725-8749 |
| GWR | 6700 0-6-0PT | 1930 | 25 | 6700-6724 |
| GWR | 9400 0-6-0PT | 1949-1954 | 50 | 8400-8449 |
| LMS | 3F 0-6-0T | 1926-1928 | 42 | 47310-6, 47452-66 & 47592-601 |
| War Dept | Austerity 0-6-0ST | 1947 | 52 |
- The 6700 class were to the 5700 design but were not fitted with vacuum brakes and no Automatic Train Control fittings as they were designed for shunting duties only.
- The locomotives supplied to the War Department were supplied as a subcontractor to Hunslet Engine Company. 16 of these 68018-20 and 68047-59 were subsequently bought by the LNER in 1944-45.
Preserved Locomotives
I have only included standard gauge locomotives which are preserved in Britain.
For details of preserved fireless locomotives built by W G Bagnall go to Fireless Locomotives.
Preserved Austerity Locomotives built to the Hunslet Design
In addition to building locomotives to designs produced by W G Bagnall the company also built fifty two Austerity 0-6-0ST engines for the War Department during 1944-1946 as a sub contractor to the Hunslet Engine Company. Sixteen (68018-20 & 68047-59) of these were bought by the LNER in 1945-46. Of these none have been preserved.
Seven examples of the fifty two built by Andrew Barclay to the Hunslet Engine Company survives –
| Works No | Built | Name/Number | Location | ||
| 2746 | 1944 | WD75158 68012 The Duke | Ecclesbourne Valley Railway | ||
| 2749 | 1944 | WD75161 | Caledonian Railway | ||
| 2758 | 1944 | WD75170 | Cefn Coed Colliery Museum | ||
| 2759 | 1944 | WD75171 | Caledonian Railway | ||
| 2766 | 1944 | WD75178 | Bodmin & Wenford Railway | ||
| 2777 | 1945 | WD75254 No7 | Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway | ||
| 2779 | 1945 | WD75256 Gamma | Tanfield Railway | ||
Other Preserved W G Bagnall Locomotives
| Works No | Built | Name | Type | Location |
| 2193 | 1922 | Topham | 0-6-0ST | Spa Valley Railway |
| 2221 | 1927 | Lewisham | 0-6-0ST | Foxfield Steam Railway |
| 2469 | 1932 | 0-4-0ST | Buckinghamshire Railway Centre | |
| 2542 | 1936 | Jubilee | 0-4-0ST | East Anglian Railway Museum |
| 2565 | 1936 | 0-4-0ST | Mid Suffolk Light Railway | |
| 2572 | 1937 | Judy | 0-4-0ST | Bodmin & Wenford Railway |
| 2613 | 1940 | Brookfield | 0-6-0PT | Mangapps Farm Railway Museum |
| 2623 | 1940 | Hawarden | 0-4-0ST | Foxfield Steam Railway |
| 2648 | 1941 | Linda | 0-4-0ST | Chasewater Railway |
| 2654 | 1942 | 001 Cherwell | 0-6-0ST | Rushden Historical Transport Society |
| 2655 | 1942 | Byfield | 0-6-0ST | Plym Valley Railway |
| 2668 | 1942 | No2 Cranford | 0-6-0ST | Rocks by Rail |
| 2670 | 1942 | Lamport No3 | 0-6-0ST | East anglia Railway Museum |
| 2680 | 1942 | Courageous | 0-6-0ST | Ribble Steam Railway |
| 2682 | 1942 | Princess | 0-6-0ST | Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway |
| 2702 | 1943 | 0-4-0ST | Private site – North Yorkshire | |
| 2842 | 1946 | 0-4-0ST | Chasewater Railway | |
| 2962 | 1950 | 19 | 0-4-0ST | Bodmin & Wenford Railway |
| 2994 | 1951 | Vulcan No 401 | 0-6-0ST | North Tyneside Steam Railway/Stephenson Railway Museum |
| 2996 | 1951 | Victor No 403 | 0-6-0ST | Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway |
| 3058 | 1953 | Alfred | 0-4-0ST | Bodmin & Wenford Railway |
| 3059 | 1953 | Florence No2 | 0-6-0ST | Foxfield Steam Railway |
| 3061 | 1954 | Empress | 0-6-0ST | Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway |
Preserved British Steam Locomotives 