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Muir Hill (Engineers) Ltd
Successor Lloyd Loaders (MH) Ltd
Founded 1920s
Founder(s) Messrs. Hill And Muir
Defunct 1991
Headquarters Old Trafford, Manchester, England
Products agriculture machinery tractor
Muir-Hill 121 at Bromyard 08 - P7060142

Muir-Hill 121 at Bromyard show in 2008

Muir Hill (Engineers) Ltd based at Old Trafford in Manchester, started in the early 1920's. Amongst other products they built rather basic petrol engined locomotives, mainly for narrow gauge. The early locos were little more than a Fordson tractor skid mounted on a rail chassis, with a chain connecting the rear axle of the tractor to the rail wheels. The firm was sold in 1959 to the Winget group from Rochester, Kent. The Brand Name now belongs to Lloyd Loaders (MH) Ltd of Mytholm Works, Hipperholme, Halifax, Yorkshire.


History[]

Muir-Hill dumper

A early Muir-Hill dumper at work with early Priestman dragline at Threlkeld mining Museum VET open day in Cumbria.

Amongst users of Muir Hill locomotives were the slate quarries of Blaeneau Festiniog, and the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway (who still have two). Production of locomotives did not continue beyond the 1930's, but Shunters based on the Fordson tractor were built till the 1950s; The company expanded on to building a range of heavy tractors and construction plant.

Time Line[]

Muir-Hill 171 at Belvoir - DSCF0261

A Muir-Hill 171 at the Belvoir Castle Steam Rally in 2007

  • 1920s - Founded in Trafford Manchester By Messrs. Hill And Muir, as a Foundry company.
  • 1921 build rail locomotive based on a Fordson skid unit, for Weldon & Portishead railway.[1]
  • 1926 - Build a improved engine for Weldon & Portishead railway.
  • 1927 - Dumper conversion based on a Fordson Model F
  • 1930 - Shovel based on Fordson tractor
  • 1931 - Taken over by E. Boydell a director of the firm who renamed it as E. Boydell and Company Ltd.
  • 1932 - 2 cu yd Dumper based on Fordson Model N, with bigger versions introduced. By 1939 they had built 1400 dumper and loading shovels.
  • 1939-45 - They built 14,000 dumpers for the Ministry of Supply. After the war they bought up surplus machines to stop the market being flooded and converted them to farm use as the "Powercart"
  • 1946 - MH 10B dumper introduced with forward or reverse driving position. Based on Fordson E27N unit.
  • 1954 - 2WL the first 1 3/8cu.yd capacity hydraulic Loading Shovel, introduced by E. Boydell.
  • 1959 - Sold to Winget Ltd of Kent.
  • 1962 - Winget relocate MH to Gloucester.
  • 1962 - BD4 4-wd loader of 1 cu yd capacity. Uses a Ford Skid unit, Brockhouse torque converter, Roadless Epycyclic gearbox, and a Kirkstall steering drive axle.
  • 1966 - David J B Brown Engineer joins from Northrop and instigates design of new Loading Shovel range with lifting capacity ranging from 4000 lbs to 6000 lbs. Also introduce the MH 101 tractor, for agricultural and industrial applications.
  • 1968 - Name change from E. Boydell and Co Ltd back to Muir-Hill Ltd following sale of Winget (Gloucester) Ltd to Babcock and Wilcox Ltd.
  • 1969 - Engine up grades to model range;
    • MH 101 fitted with a Perkins 6.354 engine a 6 cylinder and became the MH 110.
    • The new 110 tractor was designed for export as Perkins suited some markets.
    • MH 161 tractor introduced, with a Perkins V8.510 engine (the most powerful tractor in the country at this time).
    • Trailer Dumpers were introduced. Designed to be hauled by the new current tractors i.e.
      • The 13 and 20 ton models for use with either the MH 101 or MH 110 tractor.
      • The 25 ton model was designed for MH 161 tractor to pull.
  • 1971 - MH 101 fitted with Ford 2715E engine.
  • 1972 - MH 121 Series II tractor replace the MH 101 tractor, but continued to utilise the Ford 2715E engine, from the old MH 101.
  • 1972 - MH 111 introduced fitted with Perkins 6.354 engine, to replace the MH 110. (Cosmetic upgrades as well).
  • 1975 - MH 171 replaces MH 161, using Perkins V8.540 engine
  • 1978 - Corporate reorganisation see Muir-Hill, and Winget, along with Blaw Knox and Allatt move into Babcock Construction Ltd, division of parent co Babcock international (Successor co to Babcock and Wilcox).
  • 1978 - Series III range
    • MH 141 launched with choice of a Ford 2704ET engine or a Perkins T6.354.
  • 1983 - Tractor production ceases, under corporate restructuring.
  • 1982 - Muir Hill sold as part of the Babcock Construction Equipment division to Wilbau AG. of Germany. Wilbau was part of the IBH Group.
  • 1983 - IBH Group fails, and Muir-Hill and Winget sold by the receiver to the Sanderson Forklift company of Croft in Lincolnshire in June 1984.
  • 1984 - Sandersons complete 3 MH 171's left over at Gloucester, for sale to British Steel, at Ravens Craig steelworks.
  • 1990 - Sanderson Fails:-
    • Winget sold to Seddons of Bolton,
    • With Muir-Hill and Sanderson sold to Aveling-Barford of Grantham, Aveling Barford were then owned by Wordsworth Holdings. Aveling Barford had been part of Leyland
  • 1991 - Lloyd Loaders (MH) Ltd of Hipperholme, Yorkshire buy Muir-Hill from Aveling Barford. Lloyd loaders having being rebuilding and servicing Chaseside machines till JCB bought them out. They then started rebuilding MH machines for customers and build new machines to order.

Tractors[]

The range of tractors was designed as powerfull 4 wheel drive heavyduty models . They were sold to Larger farms for heavy ploughing and a lot were used by forestry contractors, some being fitted with Cranes. Others were utilised by Construction Contractors for site haulage on civil engineering contracts, some being fitted with swan neck dump trailers. The tractors were based on Ford parts.

Model Listing[]

Muir-Hill 121

Muir-Hill 121, seen at Astwood Bank Vintage show 2008

Tractors[]

Muir-Hill Tractor Models
Model Year(s) Produced Horsepower Engine Type Misc Notes Photo
Muir-Hill 101 1968-1972 108.5 hp (80.9 kW) Perkins M H 101
Muir-Hill 110 1969-1973 84 hp (63 kW) Perkins MH 101 - reg DUE 84K
Muir-Hill 111 1973- 110 hp (82 kW) Perkins Muir-Hill 111 sn 32051 at Somerset 2013 - IMG 6856|-
Muir-Hill 121 1972- 121 hp (90 kW) Ford Muir hill121 mk11
Muir-Hill 131
Muir-Hill 141 1978- 145 hp (108 kW) Ford/Perkins
Muir-Hill 161 1969-1975 185 hp (138 kW) Perkins Muir-Hill no. 10649 - JVA 163N at Old Warden 09 - IMG 1375
Muir-Hill 171 1975- 180 hp (130 kW) Perkins Muir-Hill 171 at Belvoir - DSCF0261
Muir-Hill 5000 Ford conversion
Myth-Holm 131 130 hp (97 kW) Ford Myth-holm agric

Loading Shovels[]

Muir-Hill A5000 - IMG 7140

Muir-Hill A5000 ex MOD loader

They started building Loading shovels in 1954.

  • MH LH1 MK III - 2-wd rear steer, front drive axle, manual transmission.
  • MH LH1 MK IV- 2-wd rear steer, front drive axle, hydrostatic transmission
  • MH LH2 MK IV (A preserved example was shown in CP&M V5-5)
  • MH FD2 Fitted with Brockhouse Torque converter (machine No. 372 for sale in CP&M V7-1)
  • MH RD2 2wd Rear wheel drive front steering. 6090kg 0.57m3 bucket 1964
  • MH 2-WL 2wd Rear wheel drive front steering.
  • MH BD4 4wd rear steer skid shovel. weight 6120kg 0.57m3 bucket 1964
  • MH BD6 4wd loading shovel. weight 7711kg 1.18m3 bucket 1966
  • MH BD8 4wd loading shovel. weight 11170kg 1.77m3 bucket 1964
  • MH A4000 - 4-wd & steer (all wheel steer)
  • MH A5000 - 4-wd & steer
  • MH B4000 - 4-wd fitted with Ford 2711E engine
  • MH B5000 - 4-wd
  • MH B6000 - 4-wd
  • MH B8000 - 4wd rear steer. weight 14.034kg. 2.29m3 bucket 1969
  • MH B9000 - 4wd rear steer. weight 12.755kg. 2.29m3 bucket 1971
  • MH B12000 - 4wd rear steer. weight 15.800kg. 3.06m3 bucket. 1969
  • MH F4000 - 2-wd fitted with Ford 2711E engine
  • MH F5000 - 2-wd
  • MH F7500 - 2wd 1978

Construction equipment[]

Muir-Hill A5000 shovel - IMG 4831

Ex-MOD Muir-Hill A5000 loader

They built a range of industrial Loaders and Dump trucks;

  • Fordson Std Based Dumper 1942-45
  • Fordson E27N based Dumper 1948-51
  • MH Powercart
  • MH 2-S 15cwt site dumper
  • MH 3-S 221/2cwt site dumper
  • MH 10B MkI 1946
    • MH 10B MkII 1959
  • MH 12B 1966
  • MH 14B 1963
  • MH 18B 1962
  • MH 13TD single axle 13 ton payload dump trailer. combined with the 101 or 110 tractor
  • MH 20TD twin axle 20 ton payload dump trailer. combined with the 101 or 110 tractor.
  • MH 25TD twin axle 25 ton payload dump trailer. Combined with 161 tractor. Lesney Matchbox SUPERKING model
  • MH 1250 "Earthmill"
  • MH T-100 Mobile strut jib carne (on a truck chassis)[2]
  • MH T-Six 6 ton lift capacity mobile strut jib crane. built 1966 could also be sold as a WINGET T-Six
  • MH T-Seven 7 ton lift capacity mobile strut jib crane. built 1966 could also be sold as a WINGET T-Seven
  • MH T-Eight 8 ton lift capacity mobile strut jib crane. built 1966
  • MH XL200 Hydraulic Mobile Crane
  • MH Four 5000 4wd artic steer Rough Terrain Fork Lift Truck. 2267kg lift capacity. Ford 71BHP engine. Built 1980

Rail Locomotives & Shunters[]

  • MH Shunter 1934
  • MH Model A locomotive
  • MH Model L Locomotive 1930's
  • MH Light Shunting Locomotive
  • MH Shunter based on Ford Super Major 5000 built in 1966

Muir Hill today[]

Myth-holm agric

Myth-Holm 131

Since 1991 the Muir HillBrand name and manufacturing rights has been owned by Lloyd Loaders (MH) Ltd. They supply Rebuilt and second hand tractors and loaders and as well as Genuine spare parts being readily available they also deal with repairs, sales and services. They have all the Technical info available, Parts lists, Build nos, original drawings. The firm also builds new tractors to order under the Myth-Holm brand, based on updated versions of the original models.

Current Models[]

Preserved Examples[]

MH 171 sn ? at Newby 2010 - IMG 8745

A restored MH 171 seen at Newby Hall Vintage Gathering 2010

Most models of the tractor line have examples preserved some in showroom condition, others have been adapted with bigger engines.

List of Preserved Muir-Hill tractors
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Make + Model No.
Reg No.
(if known)
Serial No. Build-Date Engine-Type/Make Owner
(if known)
Photo Were seen/Featured in Other info
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See also[]

References[]

External links[]



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