Tractor & Construction Plant Wiki
(→‎History: update)
m (cat)
Line 73: Line 73:
 
[[Category:Construction plant manufacturers]]
 
[[Category:Construction plant manufacturers]]
 
[[Category:Defunct companies of the United Kingdom]]
 
[[Category:Defunct companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Steam machinery manufacturers]]
+
[[Category:Steam Machinery Manufacturers]]
 
[[Category:Cranes]]
 
[[Category:Cranes]]
 
[[Category:Draglines]]
 
[[Category:Draglines]]

Revision as of 05:35, 4 December 2012

Smith no 8 face shovel

A Smith no.8 face shovel

Thomas Smith & Sons (Rodley) Ltd was formed in 1918, The firm originating in the Village of Rodley, Leeds in Yorkshire. The Firm were a builder of Steam Cranes for Railways and Quaries, before going on to build Diesel engined excavators and cranes, and eventually Lorry mounted Latice jib cranes.

History

40px-Crystal Clear app kedit.svg Please help improve this article or section by expanding it.

Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.
Smith Rodley rail steam crane remains at NCMM - IMG 5268

Remains of a rail mounted Smith steam crane in the National Coal Mining Museum for England storage yard

Smith Rodley ME Crane on Atkinson chassis at Llandudno 09 - IMG 8600

A Smith Rodley T10 ME crane on a Atkinson chassis at the Llandudno Transport Festival 2009

The Company started in 1820 when a firm of millwrights was started by Jeremiah Balmforth, David Smith, and Jeremiah Booth in the village of Rodley. The company progressed to making Stone cutting machinery & winches. By 1840 most of the equipment being made was cranes. These being of various capacities from 1/2 ton to 10 ton, hand operated machines. They built there first steam crane in 1860. By 1861 David Smiths Son Thomas had taken control. The company was run as a partnership with his sons till he died in 1902, with the sons incorporating the company in 1918, as Thomas Smith & sons (Rodley) Ltd.

Early Developments

  • 1887 Build 1st excavator, of a steam crane fited with a shovel attachment.
  • 1894 Build an Electric crane.
  • 1887-1893 Contract to supply 5 & 10 ton cranes to Manchester ship canal builders "Thomas A Walker.
  • 1900 Build a trencher machine designed by Jubb from Manchester. Built on a 3 Ton Steam crane.

....


  • 1978 taken over by the NEI group who owned a number of related engineering and construction machinery businesses, before the 1980s recession forced the closure or disposal of a number of them.

The company built a few truck mounted cranes based on chassis from Atkinson and AWD.

Model Range

  • Smith 1/3 yd. (1930)
  • Smith 1/2 Yd.
  • Smith 1/4 Yd. (1934)
  • Smith Tree-Twelve. (1935)
  • Smith Four-Fourteen. (1935)
  • Smith Five-Twenty. (1935)
  • Smith Two-ten (1935)
  • Smith Seven
  • Smith No.8 (eight)
  • Smith No.10 (super-ten)(1946)
  • Smith No.12 (19?
  • Smith No.14 (1960)
  • Smith No.21 (1946)
  • Smith No.26 (1960)
  • Smith no.28 (1970)
  • Smith No.40 (1968)
    • Smith E4000 Excavator
    • Smith C4046 crane
    • Smith C4050 crane
    • Smith Eurocrane 25C
  • Smith Eurocrane 35C

Preservation

A few examples of Smiths cranes and excavators are in preservation including;

  • A Smith No. 8 (photo above) at the Vintage Excavator Trust museum in Cumbria.
  • A Smith T10 ME of Buckley Crane Hire - VUG 175 on Atkinson chassis.(photo above)
  • Smith steam crane sn 9087/1917 ? as WD2528 at the Berlin Tecnical Museum
  • Smith steam crane sn 9511/1920 ? 10T Capacity on 4+4 Wheel bogies Mexico City Museum
  • Please add any other examples in preservation to this list

Template:PML Smith Rodley(link for future PML table)

See also

References / sources

External links