Foden

1870s? Edwin Foden engine, ex-BWB Northwich Yard slipway. Now at the National Waterways Museum, Gloucester.

Exhibit at National Waterways Museum, Gloucester.

Exhibit at National Waterways Museum, Gloucester.

Exhibit at National Waterways Museum, Gloucester.

1887. Compound traction engine.

1887.

1893.

c.1880 E. Foden rolling mill engine at Kidwelly Industrial Museum, one of two similar engines at this site.

1925.

1925.

March 1928.

January 1944.

January 1944.

1944.

March 1949.

September 1954.

November 1954.

Edwin Foden, Sons and Co of Elworth Works, Sandbach produced commercial vehicles.

General

In 1856 Edwin Foden became apprenticed to the agricultural equipment manufacturing company of Plant and Hancock.

He left the company for an apprenticeship at Crewe Railway Works

1860 He returned to Plant and Hancock at the age of 19.

1866 He became a partner in the firm and it was re-named Hancock and Foden

1874 Listed as Edwin Foden, Coal dealer of Railway Station; Elworth Foundry, Sandbach. Also mentions the brass and iron foundry of Edward (sic) Foden at Bradwell / Sandbach. Also listed as Edwin Foden, engineer, iron founder and agent for the principal agricultural makers, Elworth Foundry.

Edwin Foden's great innovation was the development of a practical and highly efficient compound steam unit. From this time on the majority of steam power units produced by the firm benefited from the use of this design. Experimental steam lorries were first produced shortly after the start of the 20th century.

1880s Supplied an engine to the Kidwelly Tinplate Co. Edwin Foden.

1880s Supplied an engine to the Baglan Bay Tinplate Co. E. Foden, Son and Co.

1882 Edwin Foden designed his first steam tractor.

1887 George Hancock retired and the company was renamed Edwin Foden Sons and Co Ltd. The company produced massive industrial engines, as well as small stationary steam engines and agricultural traction engines. Regular production of the steam tractors commenced.

1889 Traction engine shown at the RASE at Windsor.

1900 The first Foden steam lorry was produced and continued until 1932.

1901 There work led to the design of the successful vehicle that was entered into the 1901 War Office trials. The Foden vehicle came second to a Thornycroft wagon but was nevertheless regarded by most commentators as a clear winner (the result was questioned in Parliament). This model was the basis for a highly successful line of vehicles which were produced over the next 30 years.

1902 Production of the 5 ton lorry commenced until 1923

1904 Steam wagon. (Exhibit at Birmingham Thinktank museum).

1913-1917 For a list of the models and prices of Steam Motor Wagons, Tractors and Ploughs etc. see the 1917 Red Book

1920 The C-type 5/6 tonners produced.

1930 One railway locomotive built and delivered to Palmer Mann and Co, salt producers.

1931 Commenced diesel powered lorries using the Gardner engine but also used other makes later.

1932 Produced vehicles from 4 ton to 15 ton payload until the outbreak of WW2.

1932 Fodens split and Edwin Richard Foden founding the ERF company. Edwin's son E. R. Foden saw that the future lay in diesel power. In 1931 he was thrown out of the boardroom for advocating diesel over steam, and he subsequently retired. However, his son Dennis, George Faulkener and Ernest Sherratt (all Foden employees) decided to design a new diesel wagon. To help finance the venture, E.R. was persuaded to come out of retirement and head a new company. This company eventually became known as ERF.

1935 Last steam wagon built. A total of 6,500 were made.

WW2 Produced 1,750 vehicles for the War Department including 6 x 4 Army lorries and 770 Centaur and Crusader tanks. Also 7.5 million 20mm shells.

1944 Advert for Foden Diesel.

1961 Employed 2,000 persons.

1964 Received order from the Steel Company of Wales for large-capacity tip lorry and this led to many giant dump trucks being produced.

1964 The Foden two-stroke diesel engine produced and continued until 1977.

1974 Opened new factory.

1977 New Fleetmaster (with Cummins or Rolls-Royce 290bhp engine) and Haulmaster (with Cummins) models with introduced.

1980 Financial difficulties and Paccar International acquired control. The company was renamed Sandbach Engineering Co

1983 Renamed as Foden Trucks

Buses

See Foden: Buses

Lorries

See Foden: Lorries

Road Locomotive

See Foden: Road Locomotive

Steam Vehicles

See Foden: Steam Vehicles

Farm Machinery

See Foden: Farm Machinery

Notes

AL on 30/072012 writes:

As a long time employee of Fodens Ltd; researcher for the publication of the History of ERF Ltd; etc. I find your web page very well informed. However the piece about Edwin Foden's departure from Fodens and his setting up ERF has more holes than an old dish cloth. It relects the story, I should say myth, put out by ERF's second wife to explain his departure under a cloud from his father's Company.

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See Also

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Sources of Information

• British Lorries 1900-1992 by S. W. Stevens-Stratten. Pub. Ian Allen Publishing
• Ian Allan - British Buses Since 1900 - Aldridge and Morris
• The Modern Diesel edited by Geoffrey Smith. Published by Iliffe and Sons 1944
• The Steam Engine in Industry by George Watkins in two volumes. Moorland Publishing. 1978/9. ISBN 0-903485-65-6
• Traction Engine Album by Malcolm Ranieri. Pub 2005
• [1] Wikipedia
• British Steam Locomotive Builders by James W. Lowe. Published in 1975. ISBN 0-905100-816
• 1961 Dun and Bradstreet KBE