To produce Planet Locomotives: A History of F.C. Hibberd & Co Ltd and its Predecessors the author, Frank Jux, has carried out extensive research over a long period of time, resulting in a very detailed work.
The author has traced the history of the Planet locomotives, from a small beginning at the end of World War I when brothers Constantine and William R Honeywill ran a firm, Honeywill Brothers & Co, which dealt in commodities. The brothers purchased Simplex locomotives from the Government surplus list, which they then reconditioned and sold on. The brothers were also involved in another company British Saw Sharpening Machines Ltd, and when the supply of ex-war surplus locomotives grew scarce they moved into production of their own locomotives. Distillers Co Ltd bought the controlling interest in the Honeywill business, which then became Honeywill Bros Ltd, British Saw Sharpening Machines Ltd was put into liquidation and in 1922 Kent Construction & Engineering Co Ltd was formed and, as well as producing other items, the company built standard gauge locomotives, registering “Planet” as a trade name in 1924.
When Frederick C Hibberd joined Kent Construction in 1926 it was as the sole agent of French railway equipment. He was employed to run a department dealing with the sale of the company’s railway equipment, and the equipment supplied to him by the French railway manufacturers. Not long after the company was wound up and Honeywill Bros withdrew from producing machinery. F.C. Hibberd & Co Ltd came into being when Frederick Hibberd and an engineer, David A Dwyer, bought the assets of Kent Construction and proceeded to form a new company.
38 colour and 120 black & white photographs, locomotive line drawings, record sheets, advertising ephemera and 140 pages of Works Lists. Hardback. 368 pages.