Acknowledgements:
The family of the late Peter Humphreys for their permission to use his documented history
The family of the late Peter Humphreys for their permission to use his documented history
Waverley Excursions and the Balmoral preservation Group for their photographs of Sirron Diesels and MV Balmoral
Newbury News for their assistance and for the use of their press cuttings
The National Maritime Museum for the photographs of a model Sirron in their possesion.
Tony Smith (Radamec) for a wealth of information and pictures
Darrin Pearce for the use of his father's personal photographs.
Christer Nilsson for personal pictures of the final days.
Thanks to the family of the late Peter Tidbury for his personal pictures of Plenty reciprocating compound steam engines.
Peter was an extremely skilled pattern maker for the Plenty castings division in Kings Road Newbury.
revision 24.3
The
NEWBURY DIESEL
COMPANY
and
SIRRON DIESELS
1932 - 1981
The factory in Kings Road Newbury, originally the Plenty boiler shop, became the Plenty-Still Company in 1928 and eventually the Newbury Diesel Company in 1932 when the two businesses separated. It produced, during its life, a range of marine diesels designed by H Kent-Norris. These were given the trade name of Sirron Diesels, Norris in reverse, and which, along with smaller high speed auxiliary engines driving pumps and generators, became the standard engines of the Everard Shipping Company. Everard's in 1936 took a controlling interest in the Newbury Diesel Co which eventually became Newbury Diesel Controls Ltd in 1981 until the eventual sale of the business to Radamec in Newbury in 1987