WILLIAM CORY & SONS, Erith, Kent

William Cory was a well known coal trader and ship owner who owned a coal wharf at the end of a short branch line off the North Kent line at Erith. It was used at that time mainly to tranship cargoes to and from Thames barges. By 1895 the freight line had greatly expanded from serving a single wharf, growing to feed a collection of coal depots, a timber yard, a brick works, and an iron works. By 1909, Erith Iron Works had ceased production at Anchor Bay and in 1911, British Fibro-Cement commenced operation on the same site. Diesel traction was adopted fairly early on at William Cory & Son Ltd's coal depot at Erith. In 1954, a 153 HP 0-4-0 diesel shunter was delivered to the site, which had been ordered by the firm from the Drewry Car Company. The latter in turn subcontracted building of the locomotive to Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns and on arrival at Erith, this was named "Thetis", after a deity of Greek mythology. Earlier, in 1951, William Cory & Son Ltd had also taken delivery of another 0-4-0 shunting locomotive, again ordered from Drewry but this time built by the Vulcan Foundry, named "Taurus". Rail traffic from the wharves ceased during the 1970's and much of the site is now occupied by a supermarket and housing. In addition to activities on the south bank of the Thames, Cory's was also involved in the rubbish dumps in the marshes at Rainham in Essex, where domestic rubbish from London was unloaded from barges, many of them brought downriver by Cory's tug fleet, and burned off. A number of small, old steam locos were kept here on track which was of a very temporary nature, albeit standard gauge.
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