Foden

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

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

September 1954.

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 but returned to Plant and Hancock at the age of 19. Shortly afterwards he became a partner in the company.

• 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 On the retirement of George Hancock in 1887, 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.

• 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

• 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.

• 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.

• 1954 Advert on this page.

• 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.

Buses

See Foden: Buses

Lorries

See Foden: Lorries

Steam Wagons

See Foden: Steam Wagons

Farm Machinery

See Foden: Farm Machinery

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