John Fowler and Co

Compound (Agricultural) Traction Engine. From ‘1892 The Practical Engineer’

John Fowler and Co of the the Steam Plough Works in Leeds produced steam Traction Engines and Lorries. See John Fowler for biography

• 1850 Company founded.

• 1862 (1850?) John Fowler established the business.

• 1864 His brother Robert Fowler became a partner in the company.

• 1864 John Fowler was killed in a hunting accident aged 38 years.

• 1866 The first railway locomotives were made.

• 1872 Beam engine. Exhibit at Anson Engine Museum.

• 1876 Exhibitor at the Royal Agricultural Show at Birmingham with engines of 6, 8 and 14 hp in a new very dark green colour.

• 1876 Members of the Iron and Steel Institute visited their works.

• 1886 The name John Fowler and Co (Leeds) Ltd was registered and listed as a manufacturer of steam traction engines.

• 1889 Engines of the House-to-House Electric Lighting Installation in Kensington.

• 1889 Showed a compound horizontal engine at the RASE at Windsor.

• 1891 Supplied horizontal twin-cylinder, cornish and drop valve winding engine for Abercynon Colliery. Works number 6029.

• 1894 Burton-on-Trent Electric light Works. Article and illustration in 'The Engineer'.

• 1894 Eight-furrow turnover steam plough. Article in 'The Engineer'.

• 1894 June. Royal Agricultural Society's Show. Turnwrest Plough for Steam Cultivation.

• 1900 Robert W. Eddison a director of the company died.

• 1900 Article and illustration on armoured train made.

• 1900 June. Royal Agricultural Show at York. Showed 'Several fine engines'.

• 1908 Private company.

• 1910 Produced agricultural tractors and machinery.

• 1911 Smithfield Club Show. Exhibited steam cultivating tackle, road locomotives etc.

• 1920 Royal Agricultural Show at Darlington. 8-Furrow Turning Plough.

• 1920 October. New steam ploughing engine rated at 70 hp and 6,000lb on the rope.

• 1924 Built steam powered lorries until 1935 and built 117 in this period.

• In 1927 the Gyrotiller was produced, having been designed to work on sugar cane plantations. Its rotary tines could penetrate the soil to a depth of 500 mm. It was successful not only at the sugar estates but also gained interest from contractors. The last Gyrotiller was produced in 1937.

• 1927 See Aberconway for information on the company and its history

• 1931 Produced their first diesel powered lorry for 6/7ton payloads.

• 1935 Ceased production of lorries and railway locomotives. It is estimated that they made between 150-300 of the latter.

• 1937 The last steam engine, a road roller, was produced.

• 1944 Producing the 2DY diesel marine engine.

• 1945 Company made public.

• 1947 The company was absorbed in to the T. W. Ward group.

• 1961 Manufacturers of diesel crawler tractors and diesel locomotives. 1,100 employees.

• 1974 Company ceased trading.

Sources of Information

• British Lorries 1900-1992 by S. W. Stevens-Stratten. Pub. Ian Allen Publishing
• Traction Engine Album by Malcolm Ranieri. Pub 2005
• From 1890 to the Present Day Farm Tractors by Michael Williams published in 2005 by Silverdale Books ISBN 978-1-84509-251-1
• British Steam Locomotive Builders by James W. Lowe. Published in 1975. ISBN 0-905100-816
• The Engineer of 15th August 1876 p180
• The Engineer of 21st July 1876 p40
• The Engineer of 24th May 1889 p435
• The Engineer of 28th June 1889 p544
• The Engineer of 8th June 1894 p508
• The Engineer of 29th June 1894 p563
• The Engineer of 29th June 1894 p562
• The Engineer of 25th May 1900 p536
• The Engineer of 25th May 1900 p562 & 564
• The Engineer of 22nd June 1900 p650
• The Engineer of 25th June 1920 p650
• The Engineer of 29th October 1920 p434
• The Engineer of 8th December 1911 p593
• The Modern Diesel edited by Geoffrey Smith. Published by Iliffe & Sons 1944
• The Steam Engine in Industry by George Watkins in two volumes. Moorland Publishing. 1978/9. ISBN 0-903485-65-6
• 1961 Dun and Bradstreet KBE