Foden
From Graces Guide
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