Foden

Foden of Elworth Works, Sandbach produced Lorries and Trucks

• 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.

• On the retirement of George Hancock in 1887 the company was renamed Edwin Foden Sons & Co. Ltd. The company produced massive industrial engines, as well as small stationary steam engines and agricultural traction engines.

• 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 Regular production of the steam tractors commences

• 1889 Traction engine shown at the RASE at Windsor

• 1900 The first Foden steam lorry produced and continued until 1932

• 1902 Production of the 5ton lorry commenced until 1923

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

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

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

• WW2 Produced 1,750 vehicles for the War Department including 6x4 Army lorries and 770 Centaur and Crusader tanks. Also 7.5 million 20mm shells.

• 1944 Advert for Foden Diesel

• 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

• Foden introduced diesels in the early 1930's.

• In 1933 the first PSV chassis The Bandmaster carried the famous Foden brass band.

• It had forward control layout with Gardner 4LW engine to the rear-side of the driver.

• Foden built three double-deckers and a small number of single-deckers with larger Gardner 4LW.

• 1945 a PVD6 double-decker demonstrator was made.

• This model had a full width bonnet, a concealed radiator, hydraulic brakes, and a speedometer in the middle of the steering wheel.

• 1946 a single-decker was launched, the PVSC6.

• 1948 Foden exhibited a two-stroke engine, 4.1 litre unit called the FD6.

• 1950 developed a single-deck coach chassis, it had full-front bodywork with a setback front axle.

• 1954 production of rear-engined Fodens had ceased.

• 1955 saw Foden produce five PVD6 double-deckers, 450 of these were built in the space of ten years.

• Seventy five of these were exports that were mainly sent to Australia.

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
• [1] Wikipedia
• The Engineer of 28th June 1889 p546
• 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