Displaying All Leeds Builders
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Engine builder statistics | Locomotive Manufacturers Association | Bradford | Rotherham
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Click onto the acronym to view full database listing for the relevant company. Clicking onto the name or works history link will display our brief history for the selected company. The companies may be filtered by the type of items produced using the links above. If there are survivors click onto the survivors to view.
Builder Products Notes
AAL Arrow Aircraft (Leeds) Ltd Aviation/Military

Aircraft manufacturer from Yeadon that produced two prototypes in 1932 but failed to find orders and concentrated on component manufacture until 1951 
Works History

ALR P.N. Lowe Rail

The late Peter Lowe rebuilt a number of engines at his Abbey Light Railway near to Kirkstall. 
Works History

APL Appleyard Road
Aviation/Military

Manufactured a few commercial vehicle bodies 
Works History

AT A.Taylor and Son

Metal working firm still going strong in Hunslet, operating in the former Mann works 
Works History

AVRO A V Roe (Avro) Aviation/Military

Plane manufacturer Avro were founded in Manchester in 1910. During the second world war they established a large "shadow factory" next to Yeadon Aerodrome (now Leeds Bradford Airport). 
Works History

Berry Henry Berry Crane

Mainly a builder of hydraulic machinery at Croydon Works in Hunslet. 
Works History

Bfth William Balmforth / Balmforth Bros Rail
Crane

The Balmforth family were partners with the Smiths and Booths that went on to form the famous Rodley crane makers. After these partnerships broke up William Balmforth formed the Peel Ings Foundry. The works produced steam cranes, though not to the extent their former partners enjoyed. A small number of locos were also produce before the firm crashed in 1916 
Works History

Bi John Bingley Rail

John Bingley of Harper Street built one loco for the Sheffield and Rotherham Railway in 1840 as a sub contract for Fenton, Murray and Jackson. 
Works History

BJ Benjamin Johnson Crane

Crane maker at Mill Lane Bramley, possibly also connected to Isles. 
Works History

BPL Braime Pressings Ltd

Metal working firm still going strong in Hunslet 
Works History

Bram Bramley Engineering Crane

Crane builder 
Works History

Bray Bray & Waddington Crane

Built a few cranes in Leeds, 
Works History

BUT Samuel Butler and Co Crane

Builder of cranes in Stanningley. 
Works History

CCB Clyde Crane and Booth Crane

Formed when Booth's merged with a crane builder in Clydeside. 
Works History

CH Campbell Hunter Ltd, Hunslet Machine Tools

Tool maker 
Works History

CLAY Clayton, Sons and Co Other Items

Clayton, Son & Co Ltd had works on Pepper Road, the Moor End Works off Balm Road and the Dartmouth Works just off Dewsbury Road in the Hunslet area of Leeds. Key products were mill boilers, gas holders, water tanks and pipes, they also produced boilers for Yorkshire Patent Steam Wagon Co, a member of the same group of companies. 
Works History

CM Carret, Marshall and Co Rail
Road
Other Items

The Sun Foundry on Dewsbury Road was one of a few works set up by Charles Todd, it built fairly few locomotives, though one of them was the first to run in South Africs. They went in to building steam powered pumps and after a few changes of ownership became part of the Sulzer group 
Works History

CS Clough, Smith and Company Limited Road

One of the early manufacturers of Trolleybuses to have premises in Leeds. 
Works History

CT Charles Todd Rail

See the history of Shepherd and Todd and also Todd Kitson & Laird. 
Works History

Day Day- Leeds Road

Job Day & Sons Ltd; produced a cycle-car between 1912 and 1924. 
Works History

Doug Dougill's Engineering Road

Dougill's Engineering built the Loidis between 1898 and 1904. They also built cars and commercial vehicles under the Frick name. 
Works History

EBW EB Wilson Rail
Road
Other Items

EB Wilson's Railway Foundry produced locomotives for many of the early railway comapnies as well as a number of overseas orders including several important orders for Spain and India. Many of their locomotives were based on the popular Jenny Lind design. The company also experimented with marine engines and road steam. 
Works History

Elect Electromobile (Leeds) Rail
Road

Made 'electric vehicles, trucks and locomotives' at their Prospect Works in Otley between 1914 and 1933 
Works History

FC Fenton and Craven Rail

The Railway Foundry in Hunslet saw a few changes of partnerships in the 1840s and 1850s. For a short time James Fenton (son of the James Fenton of the Round Foundry) and John Chester Craven were in charge while Edward Brown Wilson was absent 
Works History

FH Frederick Haithwaite & Co Machine Tools

Made some tools 
Works History

Fi Fisken Road

A photograph and drawings survive for one engine known to survive until it was scrapped during World War I. 
Works History

FMJ Fenton, Murray and Jackson Rail
Other Items

Under this partnership steam locomotive manufacture returned to the Round Foundry. Locomotives were built for many early railways, the works built a number of the Great Western Firefly class including the first locomotive to haul Queen Victoria and the locomotive chosen for the gauge trials 
Works History

FMW Fenton Murray and Wood Rail
Other Items

The Round Foundry was a pioneer not only for Leeds but for the world, producing the first succesful freight locos. They also produced fine stationary engines, experimented with steam ships. The core of their business was supplying machinery to the textile industry. After the death of Murray and Wood the firm became known as Fenton, Murray and Jackson 
Works History

GBAT Greenwood and Batley Rail
Road
Aviation/Military
Machine Tools

Often known as GREENBAT this company made all manner of machinery including a number of battery locomotives in their Albion Works in Armley 
Works History

GD George Depledge Machine Tools

Made a few tools 
Works History

GIN Ginetta Road

Ginetta are a manufacturer of sports cars in Garforth district of Leeds. 
Works History

Glov Glover's Motors Road

Glover's Motors, of Woodhouse Lane, Leeds Sold an "American car" designed and assembled in the UK in 1920's. Few were sold 
Works History

HC Hudswell Clarke Rail

For over 100 years Hudswell Clarke's Railway Foundry supplied large numbers of industrial locomotives for use all over the world 
Works History

HD Hathorn Davey Other Items

This firm built large numbers of stationary engines primarily for pumping purposes in the former Sun Foundry on Dewsbury Road Leeds. They became part of Sulzer Pumps and moved to Manor Mill Lane. 
Works History

HE Hunslet Engine Co Rail
Road
Other Items

One of the best known of the Leeds firms having produced many notable designs such as the Austerity 0-6-0STs and the Quarry Hunslets, this company's varied products were supplied all over the world. Parts were also supplied to other builders including gear boxes to BR Swindon for the class 14 0-6-0DH locos. Babcock and Wilcox built a few Hunslet locomotives in Spain under licence. 
Works History

HUD Robert Hudson Rail
Road
Other Items

Most of Hudsons locomotive orders were subcontracted to Hunslet, Hudswell or outside Leeds though they produced some locomotives in house in their Gildersome Foundry. The bulk of their manufacturing business was supplying light railway equipment, track, wagons, etc.

Some items were bought second hand (quite a lot after the first war), sold onto new homes or hired out and these were not necessarily built in Leeds. 
Works History

IS Isles Crane

One of the crane makers of Leeds 
Works History

Jac Jackson Road

Built a few traction engines in 1869 
Works History

JB Joseph Booth and Bros Rail
Crane

Primarily a crane manufacturer Booths also produced a small number of electric mine locos under the 'Union' brand in their Union Foundry at Rodley. 
Works History

Jbu Joshua Buckton Machine Tools

Manufacturer of machine tools at Wellhouse Foundry 
Works History

JBUT John Butler & Co Crane

Crane builder 
Works History

JF John Fowler Rail
Road
Aviation/Military
Other Items

Located in the Steam Plough Works they were pioneers of the agricultural uses for steam power. They went on to apply steam to road haulage, road construction, fairground use and built a number of locomotives. The firm also branched out in to power generation and rope winding engines amongst other things. 
Works History

JHM J and H Mclaren Rail
Road
Other Items

Primarily a manufacturer of traction engines, stationary engines and diesel engines this firm also made two or three locomotives based on their traction engine designs. 
Works History

JW Joseph Whitham Road
Other Items

The Whitham family engineering business was first established in 1794 by John Whitham. 
Works History

K Kitson Rail

One of the big Leeds loco makers, this firm made big locos as well as little ones. As well as producing large numbers of small tank engines like other local firms Kitson also won orders for the Great Northern, Great Central and London Brighton and South Coast, amongst others. They produced over 3000 locos in their century of existence 
Works History

KFO Kirkstall Forge Crane
Other Items

The firm was founded as Beecroft & Butler 
Works History

KH Kitson Hewitson Rail

Thompson retired in 1858 from KTH, once again there was a change of name, the company becoming Kitson and Hewitson 
Works History

KL Kitson Laird or Laird Kitson Rail

For a short period this was a name carried by the company that eventually became simply known as Kitson. 
Works History

KTH Kitson Thompson Hewitson Rail
Road

This was the name under which the Airedale Foundry operated for around 20 years before the name Kitson & Co was adopted. The two oldest working steam locomotives in the world, India's Express and Fairy Queen were produced in this period 
Works History

LC Lockwood and Clarkson Road

Early manufacturer of bus bodies on Barclay Street, Sheepscar, Leeds. 
Works History

LCT Leeds City Transport Road

Trams were built at Kirkstall Road works 
Works History

Leo The Bishop and Fuller Manufacturing Co Ltd Road

Made an 8hp cyclecar in 1913 called "The Leo" which was sold by Derry & Toms of Kensington. 
Works History

LFO Leeds Forge Rail
Other Items

The Leeds Forge supplied railway wagons and other items for many years. 
Works History

LTC Leeds Tramway Co Road

Produced 5 horse trams 
Works History

MANN Mann's Patent Steam Cart and Wagon Co Road
Other Items

Mann produced steam lorries in all shapes and sizes from their works on Pepper Lane in Hunslet 
Works History

MBIW Monk Bridge Iron Works Other Items

Many components were made here for the loco builders. 
Works History

MJC Marsh, Jones & Cribb Aviation/Military

Furniture manufacturer from York Road that turned its hands to Aircraft manufacture for the First World War. 
Works History

MW Manning Wardle Rail
Other Items

The Boyne loco works practically rose from the ashes of E.B.wilson and continued to turn out their designs of small contractor locomotives as well as plenty of narrow gauge locos and a few unusual orders 
Works History

Opt Switch mobility Road

Optare made buses in the former Cross Gates works of Charles Roe, taken over by employees and managers of that firm on its closure in the 1980s. The company has since moved to Sherburn in Elmet. In 2020 has changed name with the emphasis on electric vehicles and currently owned by the Indian company Ashok Leyland. 
Works History

Opt Optare Road

Optare made buses in the former Cross Gates works of Charles Roe, taken over by employees and managers of that firm on its closure in the 1980s. The company has since moved to Sherburn in Elmet. In 2020 has changed name with the emphasis on electric vehicles and currently owned by the Indian company Ashok Leyland. 
Works History

PK Pickersgill-Kaye Other Items

With roots in making oil cans in Horsforth the company now supply specialist locks for the rail, architectural, high security and custodial industries. Pickersgill-Kaye is also been involved in supplying components to railway rolling stock manufacturers across the world. 
Works History

Pott Potts Other Items

Potts made about 1700 clocks in Leeds that use precision engineering. Many are still in use in original locations. 

RB Blackburn Aviation Road
Aviation/Military

Aviation manufacturing commenced on Balm Road at Hunslet not far from the Middleton Railway. Between the wars built a few road vehicles. 
Works History

RET Railless Electric Traction Company Road

This company carried out pioneering work into Railless trams, or trollybuses as they became better known, from a small works and office on Balm Road. 
Works History

Rice Rice Road

The Korte car was produced by Rice & Co. Ltd of Low Hall Mills, Holbeck between 1903 - 1905 
Works History

Rodl Rodley Road

In 1953 Henry Brown designed and had built a micro car in Rodley, a forerunner to Hunslet's Scootacar 
Works History

ROE Charles Roe Rail
Road

Charles Roe began by making trailers for locally produced traction engines produced and bodies for commercial vehicles in a rented works on Balm Road. They went on to make large numbers of bus bodies in a much larger works in Cross Gates. 
Works History

ROF(L) Royal Ordnance Factory Barnbow Road
Aviation/Military

Royal Ordnance Factory was opened during the First World War making ammunition later to produce many of the familiar tanks such as Centurions, Challengers and Chieftains. 
Works History

SAP Smith & Parker Crane

Crane builder 
Works History

SBT Smith, Beacock and Tannett Crane
Machine Tools

Manufacturer of machine tools that took over the former Round Foundry, they became part of the Greenwood and Batley Group. 
Works History

Scr Scriven Machine Tools

Made a few tools including rail benders. 
Works History

SH Shepherd Hill & Co Machine Tools

Made a few tools 
Works History

SP Sulzer Pumps Other Items

Having taken over Hathorn Davey and their Sun Foundry on Dewsbury road this firm continue to have a presence in Leeds but at their more modern Manor Mill Lane facility. 
Works History

SR Swillington Rollers

Leeds firm producing small rollers for cricket pitches and sports grounds 
Works History

ST Shepherd and Todd Rail

The Railway Foundry. Some books list many of these as built by Charles Todd. Also see Sun Foundry & TKL. 
Works History

Ster Sterling Engineering Road

Sterling Engineering produced a few cycle-cars powered by a JAP V2 8hp engine 
Works History

TandF Thomas and Foster Machine Tools

Heavy machine maker 
Works History

TG Thomas Green Rail
Road
Crane
Other Items

Thomas Green began as a big manufacturer of lawnmowers, they diversified somewhat in to producing steam rollers, tram engines and locomotives in their Smithfield Works on North Street 
Works History

TKL Todd, Kitson and Laird Rail

The first engine makers in the Hunslet area of Leeds, they built a small number of locomotives, including the Liverpool and Manchester's Lion before changes in partnership that eventually lead to the company becoming Kitson & Co 
Works History

TO Turner and Ogden Rail
Other Items

A short lived early manufacturer who had begun locomotive and stationary engine production at their Providence Foundry on Hunslet Lane in 1839 but were devastated by a fire at the works. 
Works History

TSSR Thomas Smith Crane

One of the crane makers of Leeds producing steam diesel and electric cranes in their works next door to Joseph Booth in Rodley 
Works History

TW Tannett, Walker & Co Crane
Other Items

Crane builder 
Works History

Vic Vickers Aviation/Military

During 1986 Barnbow RoF was privatised and bought by Vickers Defence Systems. Vickers constructed a specially-designed new factory at Cross Gates for production of Challenger Tanks 
Works History

Wbo Wellman Booth Crane

Formed of a series of mergers including Leeds firms Joseph Booth and Thomas Smith, this firm are still producing cranes. Design work takes place in Yeadon but production is in Gateshead. 
Works History

WC Walsh and Clark Road
Other Items

Built a few plough/tractors in Guiseley 1910-1919. Also a few oil engines. 
Works History

WCC William Cook Cast Products Other Items

The rail division of this company is situated in Leeds and has made components for anything from a replica LNER class A1 to the high speed Pendolino and TGV trains. 
Works History

West West Leeds Motor Co Road

Produced Dennell motorcycles from 1906 to 1908 
Works History

Whit Whitaker Bros Crane

One of the smaller makers of cranes in the city of Leeds situated in the Horsforth subburb. 
Works History

WM Wilks & Meade Road

Coach and Motor Bus Body Makers established around the early 1940s, after the second world war the firm was taken over by coach operator Wallace Arnold, allowing that firm to overcome post war shortages. Though this meant much of Wilks & Meade's production was for Wallace Arnold, the firm did produce coach and bus bodies for a number of other operators. 
Works History

Y Yorkshire Patent Steam Wagon Co Rail
Road
Other Items

This company produced quite distinctive steam lorries with their patented double ended boiler in their works on Pepper Road Hunslet. They dabbled with internal combustion engines and produced specialist bodies for commercial vehicles such as the gully emptiers that featured on some of their own steam wagons. The last steam wagon left the works in 1931 but the Yorkshire Patent Steam Wagon Co name was retained for a further 40 years 
Works History