George Forrester and Company was a British marine engine and locomotive manufacturer at Vauxhall Foundry in Liverpool, established by Scottish engineer George Forrester (b. 1780/81). The company opened in 1827 as iron founders and commenced building steam locomotives in 1834. History The company was noted in Liverpool directories from 1827 as "Iron founders", the works established in the former "Union Mill" cotton factory, known locally as the "Welsh Factory", built by Messrs. Kirkman & Co. on the east side of Vauxhall Road in the late eighteenth century, but closed after a few years, remaining empty for some time thereafter. The factory was later enlarged and the original building demolished. A significant product for the company in its early days was the production of machinery involved in sugar processing for the West Indies, before branching into marine engines. A few Railway locomotives were produced from 1834 to 1847. The Crimean War saw the factory stretched to its maximum output in order to produce ammunition. Locomotives Under Alexander Allan's attendance the first locomotives were types, one early in 1834 for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway called Swiftsure and three later that year, Kingstown, Dublin and Vauxhall for the Dublin and Kingstown Railway. In 1835, the Dublin and Kingstown Railway ordered two tank locomotives, Victoria and Comet, these being the first tank locomotives in public service. Two others of the same type produced for the London and Greenwich Railway between 1836 and 1837 were the first in England. Innovations They were groundbreaking in that for the first time horizontal cylinders were mounted at the front of the locomotive outside the frame. Forrester also used four fixed eccentrics, rather than two loose ones to operate the valve gear. A single linkage operated the whole arrangement at once, rather than having four for the driver to operate, the handles no longer rocking to and fro while the locomotive was in motion. Stability problems Forrester's engines were extremely successful for their time, but the outside cylinders and cranks caused the locomotives to sway so much that they were referred to as "Boxers". From 1834 an extra trailing axle was added for some for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. The Dublin and Kingston Railway also converted all their Forrester engines to well tank engines by 1841, the process being described as "not difficult". 1840s Three 2-4-0 locomotives were supplied to the London & Brighton Railway between October