c30 large format files of drawings for steam locomotives, tenders, boilers and other components and arrangements, produced by the Vulcan Foundry drawing office. Includes drawings in folders sorted by component type as well as folders covering specific locomotive orders. Most drawings dated between 1935 and 1956. Includes drawings for the Chinese National Railways 4-8-4 KF class, the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration Liberation Class, the LNER B1 class, Nigerian Railways River Class, Victorian Railways J Class, as well as for locomotives for Indian Government Railways, Ministry of Supply, Burma Railways, Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway, Turkish State Railway, Gold Coast Railway, Argentine Railways, Queensland Government Railways, Tasmanaian Government Railways, Egyptian State Railways, East African Railways, Iranian State Railways, Iraqi Railways, Antofagasta Railway (Chili and Bolivia), North Borneo Railway and Nyasaland. Most folders include an index of drawings. Some folders are incomplete.

The Vulcan Foundry was originally opened in 1830 at Newton-le-Willows, as Charles Tayleur and Company. It produced its first locomotive in 1832, shortly after Robert Stephenson briefly became a partner at the company. Vulcan Foundry was a major producer of steam locomotives up until the 1950s. In 1946 the company began building diesel and electric locomotives in partnership with English Electric. The two companies merged in 1955.

The drawings in this collection mostly relate to the last two decades of steam locomotive production at Vulcan between 1935 and 1956. Most of the locomotives were large freight and express passenger locomotives for export. Only the LNER B1 class were built exclusively for use in the UK, although many of the 2-8-0 austerity locomotives built for the Ministry of Supply were used on railways in Britain during and after the Second World War. The collection also notably includes some drawings for the Chinese National Railways 4-8-4 KF class from 1935, of which one example is now in the National Railway Museum's collection.

Drawings for diesel and electric locomotives built at Vulcan Foundry can be found in the General Electric Company collection. A larger collection of drawings for steam locomotives built at Vulcan Foundry are also held by Liverpool Maritime Museum.