Ernest E. Baguley

Ernest E. Baguley (1863–1948) was a British engineer.

Baguley served an apprenticeship with R & W Hawthorn Leslie, initially at their Tyneside shipyard and later at their Forth Bank, Newcastle, locomotive works. In 1890 he moved to Stafford and became Chief Draughtsman for W G Bagnall Ltd. While at Bagnalls, he invented the Baguley valve gear for steam locomotives.

Baguley became interested in motor vehicles and, in 1901, he joined the Ryknield Engine Co Ltd of Burton-on-Trent. This company failed in 1905 and Baguley became Manager of its successor, the Ryknield Motor Company. In 1907 Baguley moved to Birmingham as Manager of the newly formed Motor Division of the Birmingham Small Arms Company.

In 1911 he set up Baguley Cars Ltd which took over the assets of the (then defunct) Ryknield Motor Company at Shobnall Road Works, Burton-on-Trent. An agreement was drawn up with the Drewry Car Co. and Baguley began manufacturing railcars for Drewry from 1912. In 1915 Baguley Cars Ltd bought the firm of McEwan, Pratt & Co Ltd (which was in liquidation) and thereby acquired some important orders for petrol locomotives.

Baguley served in the Territorial Army and became Second-in-Command, 6th Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment. At some stage, he acquired the rank of Major. During World War I, he served in France from 1914 to 1915. Baguley Cars Ltd supplied (under the McEwan, Pratt name) a number of 10 hp petrol/paraffin locomotives to the War Department Light Railways.

They did not follow the 'normal' practice of building steam first and then diesel or petrol, but started in the opposite fashion, not building their first steam rail engine until 1920. But even this was almost an 'accident', as the locomotive was intended to be a petrol hydraulic machine but the transmission components were held up because of the 1914 - 18 war, so it was converted to a steam engine. Altogether the company built some 31 steam locos.

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