J&H McLaren & Co.

J&H McLaren & Co. was a British engineering manufacturer based at the Midland Engine Works in Hunslet, Leeds. Founded in 1876 by brothers John and Henry McLaren, the company emerged from the industrial traditions of northern England and initially concentrated on steam-powered machinery. Both founders had trained at Black, Hawthorn & Co. in Gateshead, a builder of railway locomotives and marine engines, before establishing their own works on Jack Lane in an area surrounded by major Leeds engineering firms such as Hudswell Clarke, the Hunslet Engine Company, Manning Wardle, John Fowler & Co., and Kitson & Co. McLaren built its first traction engine in 1877 and subsequently developed a broad range of steam products. Its portfolio included traction engines, steam rollers, portable and stationary engines, agricultural implements, ploughing engines, crane engines, showmen’s engines, railway locomotives, and Darby steam-diggers. The company also patented a traction-centre engine in 1880, a design intended to power steam-operated fairground roundabouts. During the 1890s it expanded into large vertical triple-expansion engines for electricity generation, including two engines rated at 3,000 indicated horsepower for Leeds Corporation’s Whitehall Road Power Station. In the early twentieth century, McLaren introduced direct-haulage tractors and powerful direct-ploughing engines. Some of these machines incorporated superheaters, feedwater heaters, and insulated cylinders, helping the company win awards in Britain and overseas. The business developed a substantial export trade. More than half of its output was reportedly sold abroad, supported by offices or representatives in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, South America, Hungary, Germany, and Italy. Its international customers included the French postal service, which purchased three traction engines in 1886. McLaren produced its final steam roller in 1928, while the last traction engine left the works for South Africa in 1938. A number of its steam machines later entered preservation. After the First World War, the company moved increasingly toward internal-combustion power. It developed equipment for cable ploughing and sought a suitable diesel engine for this work. In 1926, McLaren reached an agreement with the German company Benz to manufacture diesel engines. These became some of the earliest automotive-type diesel engines produced in volume in Britain. McLaren-built diesels were used in early diesel railway locomotives, commercial vehicles, road rollers, agricultural equipment, industrial machinery, and standby generating sets. The company produced its own diesel road roller in 1927 and eventually designed engines ranging to approximately 400 horsepower. The family business was sold in 1943 to the Associated British Oil Engine Company. The new ownership initially produced strong growth, particularly after McLaren secured a major contract to supply diesel-generator sets to the Soviet Union. Employment reportedly increased tenfold and additional buildings were obtained. In December 1945, McLaren acquired the remains of Kitson & Co. and its Airedale Works. It also maintained an arrangement with Petters Limited, under which some engines were marketed as Petter-McLaren products. The company’s later history was shaped by consolidation in the British engine industry. After Hawker Siddeley acquired the Brush A.B.O.E. Group in 1957, the Leeds production operation declined. The main works closed in January 1959, bringing the company’s manufacturing history to an end. J&H McLaren & Co. is remembered for its contribution to British steam engineering, agricultural and road machinery, and the early industrial adoption of diesel power.

J&H McLaren & Co. was established in 1876 by John and Henry McLaren, two engineers whose apprenticeships at Black, Hawthorn & Co. gave them experience in locomotive and marine-engine construction. Their Midland Engine Works was built on Jack Lane in Hunslet, Leeds, within one of Britain’s most concentrated engineering districts. The company’s first traction engine appeared in 1877, followed by a growing catalogue of steam machinery for agriculture, transport, construction, public utilities, and entertainment. McLaren became known for traction engines, steam rollers, stationary engines, portable engines, ploughing engines, agricultural implements, crane engines, showmen’s engines, railway locomotives, and steam diggers. In 1880 it received British Patent 763 for a traction-centre engine designed to drive steam fairground roundabouts. During the 1890s, the company entered the electricity-generation equipment market with vertical triple-expansion engines. Its largest reported installation consisted of two 3,000-indicated-horsepower engines supplied to Leeds Corporation’s Whitehall Road Power Station. At the beginning of the twentieth century, McLaren developed direct-haulage tractors and direct-ploughing engines. Its largest ploughing model was rated at 125 horsepower and used features including a superheater, feedwater heater, and lagged cylinders. These designs were promoted for efficiency and received awards in Britain and other countries. The company also established a significant export business: more than half of its production was sold outside Britain, with offices or representatives in several parts of the British Empire, South America, and continental Europe. In 1886, the French postal service bought three McLaren traction engines. The company built its last steam roller in 1928 and exported its final traction engine to South Africa in 1938. The First World War brought war-related production, including collet chucks used to hold shells during machining. John McLaren was knighted for his wartime contribution, but died in 1920. Following the war, the company began shifting toward diesel power. Its cable-ploughing windlass initially used a Dorman petrol engine, but McLaren sought a diesel alternative. An agreement with Benz in 1926 allowed the Leeds company to manufacture diesel engines of automotive type at a time when volume diesel production in Britain was still new. McLaren diesels powered early British applications in rail, commercial transport, road construction, agriculture, and industrial generation. Hudswell Clarke used a McLaren engine in what is described as Britain’s first diesel-powered railway locomotive. Richard Garrett & Sons and Kerr Stuart produced some of Britain’s earliest diesel commercial vehicles using McLaren engines. McLaren also built Britain’s first diesel-powered road roller in 1927 with its own engine. Its diesel range eventually extended to roughly 400 horsepower, with standby generator sets becoming an especially successful application. In 1943, the McLaren family sold the business to the Associated British Oil Engine Company. The company initially expanded under the new ownership, helped by a major Soviet contract for diesel-generator sets. Employment grew substantially and the works acquired additional buildings. In December 1945, McLaren took over the remains of Kitson & Co. and its Airedale Works. A commercial arrangement with Petters Limited also resulted in engines sold under the Petter-McLaren name. The business declined after Hawker Siddeley took over the Brush A.B.O.E. Group in 1957. The Leeds manufacturing operation was progressively reduced, and the main works closed in January 1959. Around 40 McLaren steam engines survived into preservation, providing a tangible record of the company’s role in British heavy engineering.

• 1959

  Main works closed

  [1]J&H McLaren & Co.en.wikipedia.org

  The principal Leeds works closed in January, ending the company’s manufacturing operations.

• 1957

  Ownership consolidation under Hawker Siddeley

  [1]J&H McLaren & Co.en.wikipedia.org

  Hawker Siddeley’s takeover of the Brush A.B.O.E. Group preceded the decline of McLaren’s Leeds production operation.

• 1945

  Acquisition of Kitson & Co. remains

  [1]J&H McLaren & Co.en.wikipedia.org

  McLaren took over the remains of Kitson & Co. and its Airedale Works in Leeds.

• 1943

  Sale to Associated British Oil Engine Company

  [1]J&H McLaren & Co.en.wikipedia.org

  The McLaren family sold the business to the Associated British Oil Engine Company.

• 1927

  Diesel road roller

  [1]J&H McLaren & Co.en.wikipedia.org

  McLaren built a diesel-powered road roller using its own engine, an early British application of diesel power in road construction.

• 1926

  Benz diesel manufacturing agreement

  [1]J&H McLaren & Co.en.wikipedia.org

  McLaren agreed with Benz to manufacture diesel engines, supporting the company’s transition from steam technology.

• 1886

  French postal-service sales

  [1]J&H McLaren & Co.en.wikipedia.org

  Three McLaren traction engines were sold to the French postal service.

• 1880

  Traction-centre engine patent

  [1]J&H McLaren & Co.en.wikipedia.org

  The company received British Patent 763 for a traction-centre engine used to drive steam-powered fairground roundabouts.

• 1877

  First traction engine

  [1]J&H McLaren & Co.en.wikipedia.org

  McLaren completed its first traction engine and began building a broader steam-engine product range.

• 1876

  Company founded in Hunslet

  [1]J&H McLaren & Co.en.wikipedia.org

  John and Henry McLaren founded the engineering company and established the Midland Engine Works on Jack Lane in Hunslet, Leeds.

A heavy-engineering manufacturer positioned around durable steam and diesel power equipment for agriculture, transport, electricity generation, industrial machinery, and export markets.

• Steam agricultural and haulage equipment · 1877

  Traction engines

  McLaren’s first traction engine was completed in 1877. The company produced traction engines for agricultural work, haulage, and export markets, including machines supplied to the French postal service. The last recorded McLaren traction engine was exported to South Africa in 1938.

• Steam road-construction equipment

  Steam rollers

  McLaren manufactured several types of steam roller and produced a total of 81 examples. Its final steam roller was completed in 1928 and exported to New Zealand.

• Steam agricultural machinery

  Direct-ploughing engines

  Developed after the beginning of the twentieth century, McLaren’s direct-ploughing engines were high-powered agricultural machines. The largest cited model was rated at 125 horsepower and used a superheater, feedwater heater, and lagged cylinders to improve operating efficiency.

• Steam electricity-generation equipment · 1890

  Vertical triple-expansion engines

  During the 1890s, McLaren developed vertical triple-expansion engines for the emerging electricity-generation industry. Two large units rated at 3,000 indicated horsepower were supplied to Leeds Corporation’s Whitehall Road Power Station.

• Industrial internal-combustion engines · 1926

  Diesel engines

  Following its 1926 agreement with Benz, McLaren manufactured automotive-type diesel engines in Britain. Its range extended to approximately 400 horsepower and was used in railway locomotives, commercial vehicles, road rollers, agricultural machinery, and industrial power systems.

• Industrial power-generation equipment

  Diesel-generator sets

  Diesel-generator sets became one of McLaren’s more successful later applications. A major contract to supply generator sets to the Soviet Union contributed to significant post-war expansion in employment and factory capacity.

• 1957

  Production wind-down after industry consolidationStrategy

  Background

  Hawker Siddeley’s takeover of the Brush A.B.O.E. Group changed the ownership structure surrounding McLaren’s manufacturing operations.

  Action taken

  The Leeds production facility was progressively reduced and the main works were closed in January 1959.

  Aftermath

  J&H McLaren & Co. ceased manufacturing, ending a history that had covered steam machinery and early diesel engines.

  Source

• 1945

  Takeover of Kitson & Co. remainsM&A

  Background

  Kitson & Co., another Leeds engineering company, had ceased operating as an independent concern.

  Action taken

  McLaren acquired the remains of Kitson & Co. together with its Airedale Works.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition broadened McLaren’s industrial base in Leeds, although the company later declined after wider ownership consolidation.

  Source

• 1943

  Sale to Associated British Oil Engine CompanyM&A

  Background

  The family-owned engineering business was transferred during a period of consolidation in Britain’s engine industry.

  Action taken

  The McLaren family sold the company to the Associated British Oil Engine Company.

  Aftermath

  The business initially expanded, winning a substantial Soviet diesel-generator contract and increasing its workforce and facilities.

  Source

• 1926

  Move into diesel-engine manufacturingStrategy

  Background

  The company needed an internal-combustion power source for cable-ploughing equipment and was operating during the early development of diesel applications in Britain.

  Action taken

  McLaren entered an agreement with Benz to manufacture automotive-type diesel engines.

  Aftermath

  The agreement helped McLaren become an early British volume producer of diesel engines, which were subsequently used in rail, road, agricultural, and industrial applications.

  Source

1. 1J&H McLaren & Co.en.wikipedia.org