Lambert Steam Engines

Steam Engine Builders

Allchin

Founded by William Allchin in 1847 the Globe Works, located by the River Nene in Northampton. The firm built its first steam engine in 1872 and incorporated at the turn of the century and traded as William Allchin (& sons) Ltd.

The steam engines were considered high quality but the output was low. There are only circa 20 preserved examples known to have survived, which is about 10% of the total production over a 50 year period.

The last Allchin steam engine was built in 1925 with the economic depression post World War One putting pressure on the purse strings of key customer segments such as the farming industry.

Aveling & Porter

Aveling and Porter was a British agricultural engine and steamroller (road roller) manufacturer based in Strood, Rochester. Thomas Aveling and Richard Thomas Porter entered into partnership in 1862, and developed a steam engine three years later in 1865.

By the early 1900s, the company had become the largest manufacturer of steamrollers (road rollers) in the world. The company used a rampant horse as its logo derived from the White Horse of Kent.

Burrell

Charles Burrell & Sons were builders of steam traction engines, agricultural machinery, steam lorries and steam tram engines. The company were based in Thetford, Norfolk and operated from the St Nicholas works on Minstergate and St Nicholas Street, some of which survives today.

At their height they employed over 350 people and were the largest employer within the town. The company became known for producing reliable and good-looking traction engines which were always built to customers’ requirements. The company declined after the First World War when internal combustion engines started to become a cheaper alternative to steam power. The company finally closed in 1928, with the final engines being built by Richard Garrett & Sons at Leiston, Suffolk.

Clayton & Shuttleworth

Clayton & Shuttleworth was an engineering company located at Stamp End Works, Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The company was established in 1842 when Nathaniel Clayton formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, Joseph Shuttleworth.

33 of the company’s traction engines survived into preservation along with 11 steam rollers and 3 steam wagons. 19 portable engines have also survived.

Davey Paxman

Paxman was founded by James Noah Paxman, Henry and Charles Davey as Davey, Paxman & Davey, Engineers in 1865, later Davey, Paxman & Co. which became a limited company in 1898. In 1920 the company became a member of the Agricultural & General Engineers (AGE) combine. In 1932 AGE collapsed and Paxman emerged as Davey Paxman & Co (Colchester) Ltd.

Davey, Paxman and Davey conducted business as general engineers and ironworkers. The company manufactured steam engines, boilers, agricultural machinery, and mill gearing. By the early 1870s the company was supplying machinery to the Kimberley diamond mines in South Africa.

Foden

Edwin Foden Sons & Co of Sandbach, Cheshire was formed in 1887, building on an established stationary steam engine business that had entered the stream traction market in 1880. By 1900 Foden had plenty of experience in producing steam traction engines, incorporating the compound design and so moved into three-ton steam lorry manufacture.

Foster

William Foster & Co Ltd was an agricultural machinery company based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire often called “Fosters of Lincoln.” The company can be traced back to 1846, when William Foster purchased a flour mill in Lincoln. William Foster then proceeded to start small scale manufacturing of mill machinery and threshing machinery. The mill was converted to an iron foundry by 1856, thus becoming the original Wellington Foundry. By 1899 the works had moved to the Wellington foundry in New Boultham and the original works were then occupied by William Rainforth. During the First World War Fosters built some of the first tanks for the British Army.

Fowler

John Fowler & Co Engineers of Leathley Road, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire produced traction engines and ploughing implements and equipment, as well as railway equipment. Fowler also produced the Track Marshall tractor which was a tracked version of the Field Marshall. British Railways Engineering Department locomotives ED1 to ED7 were built by Fowler.

Garrett

Richard Garrett & Sons was a manufacturer of agricultural machinery, steam engines and trolleybuses. Their factory was Leiston Works, in Leiston, Suffolk, England. The company was founded by Richard Garrett in 1778. The company was active under its original ownership between 1778 and 1932.

Marshall

Marshall, Sons & Co. was a British agricultural machinery manufacturer founded in 1848. The company was based in the Britannia Iron Works, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. Early production was of steam engines and agricultural machinery. Later production included diesel tractors such as the Field Marshall, Track Marshall and former Leyland wheeled tractors.

Ransome Sims & Jeffries

Coming soon.