J&H McLaren manufactured traction engines, stationary engines and later, diesel engines in Hunslet, Leeds, England. The company also built a Diesel engined (road) tractor in the 1940.

Steam Engines Edit

The company was founded in 1876 by John and Henry McLaren. They had both been apprenticed to Black, Hawthorn & Co of Gateshead, builders of railway locomotive and marine engines. The new Midland Engine Works was situated on Jack Lane in Hunslet, Leeds within sight of many of the great engineering companies of Leeds, e.g. Hudswell Clarke, Hunslet Engine Co., Manning Wardle, John Fowler & Co. and Kitson & Co.

The company rapidly developed a range of traction engines, road rollers, ploughing engines, agricultural implements and stationary engines. One of their forgotten achievements is the invention (see British Patent 763 of 1880) of the traction-centre engine, for driving steam-powered fairground roundabouts. This is often wrongly attributed to Savage of King's Lynn.

In the 1890s McLarens developed a range of vertical triple-expansion engines for the new industry of electricity generation. The zenith of this effort was a pair of 3000 i.h.p. engines for Leeds Corporation’s Whitehall Road Power Station.^[1]

After the turn of the century the company introduced a tractor for direct haulage and a range of powerful direct ploughing engines. The largest of these, rated 125 i.h.p, was fitted with superheater, feedwater heater and fully lagged cylinders. This provided a very efficient engine, which won many awards both at home and abroad. Other minor products were, showman engines, crane engines, portable engines, railway locomotives and Darby Diggers.

McLarens had a good overseas market with over 50% of goods exported. They had local offices in New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and South America with smaller representation in Hungary, Germany and Italy. The last of the traction engines was exported to South Africa in 1938 and is preserved in Johannesburg.

Steam Engine Model RangeEdit

• Stationary engines (Portable Engines)
• Traction engines
• Ploughing engines

Preserved Steam EnginesEdit

• Several Machines are preserved overseas, due to popularity in export markets.
• The Last machine built was exported to South Africa, and is preserved in Johannesburg
• A Pair of Fowler ploughing engines were converted to diesel power by J&H McLaren for use on Dredging works. - (see Fowler list for details)

Known engines built by John & Henry McLaren Ltd in preservation. (TER 2008 lists 47)

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Engine No.	Name	Build Date	Type	Weight	Power nhp	Reg No.	Owner	Image	Other info
McLaren no. 2	-	1877	Traction engine	weight ?	power ?	-	Owner ?, New Zealand	To add	remains of Boiler, Firebox and cylinder only
McLaren no. 60	Seana Mac	1879	TE	? ton	6 nhp	MI 2317	Tim and Rory Nagle in Kinsale, ROI	To add	Oldest known survivor.[2]
McLaren no. 112	Empress of India	1881	TE	?	?	KL 2126	Science Museum	to add	In storage at Wroughton. [3]
McLaren no. 127	-	1882	TE	-	? nhp	HO 5618	S. Arrowsmith, Barton Under Needwood, Staffordshire		At Cromford Steam Rally 2008 (roads to most events)
McLaren no. 163	Invincible	1883	Traction engine	weight ?	7 nhp	MI 2833	Neville Bros, Wexford ROI		Visited GDSF McLaren Special 2010
McLaren no. 428	-	1891	GP Traction engine	weight ?	8 nhp	BP 6143	M. Evans, Tring Herts	To add	Visited the GDSF McLaren Special 2010
McLaren no. 435	Himself	1892	GP Traction engine	weight ?	6 nhp	F 15	J. Cavanagh, Oflay, ROI	To add	Visited GDSF McLaren Special 2010
McLaren no. 510	Phoenix	1893	Traction engine	weight ?	6 nhp	NM 54	R. Wilcox, Gloucestershire	to add	At GDSF McLaren Special 2010
McLaren no. 547	The Mac	1896	GP Traction engine	weight ?	? nhp	BD 5448	J. Hodgeson, Gloucestershire		Visited GDSF McLaren Special 2010
McLaren no. 551	Centura	1896	Agricultural Engine	weight ?	power ?	AH 5507	A. Hinman, Gloucestershire	to add	At GDSF McLaren Special 2010
McLaren no. 616	Rambler	1898	Traction engine	weight ?	6 nhp	HD 1493	M. How, Wales	to add	At GDSF McLaren Special 2010
McLaren no. 682	-	1899	Traction engine	weight ?	8 nhp	Reg no. ?	D. Bradley, Yorkshire	to add	At GDSF McLaren Special 2010
McLaren no. 701	Jim	1900	Traction engine	weight ?	power ?	ZV 163	W. Glynn and family, Co. Carlow, ROI	to add	At GDSF McLaren Special 2010
McLaren no. 752	-	1908	Steam roller	weight ?	power ?	WY 981	A. Smith and J. Wade, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire		Only McLaren Roller in the UK
McLaren no. 757	Apollo	1904	Traction engine	weight ?	7 nhp	AI 3029	C. Brown, Swindon, England	to add	ad the GDSF McLaren Special 2010
McLaren no. 767	-	1904	TE (rebuilt from incomplete engine)	? ton	? nhp	-	Engine is in South Africa.		Rebuilt in South Africa.[4]
McLaren no. 787	Loughrig	1904	GP TE	weight	8 nhp	WR 6497	I. Cragg, Stockton-on-Tees	To add	At GDSF McLaren Special 2010
McLaren no. 849	-	1904	Traction engine	weight ?	10 nhp	Reg no. ?	Owner ? Kent[5]		Boiler and crank only repatriated from Argentina
McLaren no. 897	Colossus	1904	Traction engine	? ton	10 nhp	Reg no.?	John Atkinson, Cornwall ?	to add	At Powderham Castle Rally 2011
McLaren no. 943	-	1906	Road Locomotive	weight ?	8 nhp	Reg no. ?	Owner ? Northern England		parts only
McLaren no. 957	"Name"	year ?	type	weight ?	power ?	Reg no. ?	Earle Warwick, Rangiora, NZ (?)		Seen on Traction Talk
McLaren no. 1012	Micks Mac	1908	RL	weight ?	7 nhp	-	Mick Gains-Burrill, Teesside	to add	At GDSF 2010 & Old Warden - Ex New Zealand
McLaren no. 1019	"Name"	1909	type	weight ?	6 nhp	Reg no. ?	Owner ?		Ex H.G. Feather, Rangiora, NZ
McLaren no. 1038	-	1909	GP TE	? ton	8 nhp	CT 4212	V. & C. Whitwell, of Leeds, West Yorkshire	to add	at Duncombe Park Steam Rally 2009
McLaren no. 1110	The Big Mac	1910	Road Locomotive	? ton	8 nhp	BF 5258	Pete & Dave Ingall, Lincolnshire		Restored in UK, Ex. H.G. Feather, Rangoria, NZ(from 1959-98)
McLaren no. 1160	The Favourite	1912	Traction engine	? ton	8 nhp	HO 5570	M & J Hillary, Southampton		At Netley Marsh Steam Show 2011
McLaren no. 1181	King Harry	1912	Road Locomotive	18 ton	8 nhp	BF 4595	S & D Sanders, Cornwall		At GDSF 2008
McLaren no. 1242	-	1911	DC TE	weight ?	8 nhp	Reg no. ?	G & J Winter, New Zealand	to add	At GDSF 2010 & Welland 2011
McLaren no. 1244	The Emerald	1911	TE Road Loco	? ton	8 nhp	-	Howth Castle National Museum of Transport ROI[6]		(in OG list of engines in Museums)
McLaren no. 1266	"Name"	1911	TE DCC	weight ?	5 nhp	28 THR(NZ no.)	G.C. Calder and Sons, New Zealand	To add	Ex H.G. Feather, Rangiora, NZ (At GDSF)
McLaren no. 1292	Hanibal	1912	RL	weight	power	Reg no. ?	W Woodward, Congleton	To add	At GDSF McLaren Special 2010
McLaren no. 1295	Name ?	1911	RL	weight	power	Reg no. ?	R. Morris, Droitwich	To add	At GDSF McLaren Special 2010
McLaren no. 1332	Gigantic	1911	Road Locomotive	?	10 nhp	DS 7128	A. Warwick, Sandy Bedfordshire		Seen at Old Warden 2009
McLaren no. 1413	May Queen	date built	Tractor	weight	4 nhp	Reg no. ?	Owner ?, Essex		Misc info Listed in GDSF cat as under restoration
McLaren no. 1421	Captain Scott	1913	Road Loco	11 ton	8 nhp	B 7518	J. Blagg, Nottinghamshire		at Sheffield Steam and Vintage Rally 2009
McLaren no. 1428	?	1916	TE	?	8 nhp	-	Museum of Transport and Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
McLaren no. 1433	Name ?	date built	type	weight	power	Reg no. ?	Owner ?, Northern England		Misc info - parts or under restoration
McLaren no. 1434	Name ?	1917	RL	weight	10 nhp	Reg no. ?	R & L Greenwood, Barton under Needwood, Staffs	To add (parts)	At GDSF McLaren Special 2010
Aveling & Porter no. 1447	Name ?	1917	TE	weight	6 nhp	Reg no. ?	H. Rowntree, Cavan ROI	to add	At GDSF McLaren Special 2010
McLaren no. 1497	Fred	1917	TE type DCC	? ton	5 nhp	-	Glynns of Carlow, ROI	To add (GDSF)	Repatriated from Patagonia to Ireland in 2004[7]
McLaren no. 1532	Name ?	1917	TE	weight	5 nhp	Reg no. ?	K. Bragg, Oakhampton Devon	to add	At GDSF McLaren Special 2010
McLaren no. 1533	Vulcn	1917	TE	weight	5 nhp	Reg no. ?	I, Langley, East Sussex	to add	At GDSF McLaren Special 2010
McLaren no. 1534	"Name"	1917	TE DCC	weight ?	5 nhp	BS 9066	John Wakeham, Cornwall ?	To add	At Padernham & Welland 2011
McLaren no. 1541	Avis	1918	Ploughing Engine	weight ?	power ?	Reg no. ?	Owner ?		Seen on the Steam Scenes web site.
McLaren no. 1552	Hero	1919	Ploughing Engine	22 Tons	16 nhp	BD 5504	C & R Daniel, Bodmin.		at ?
McLaren no. 1623	Goliath	~ 1920	SRL	weight	10 nhp	DH 2482	M. Dreelan, Aberdeen	To add	At GDSF McLaren Special 2010
McLaren no. 1641	-	date built	?	weight	power	-	Owner		Salvaged parts used to restore other engines
McLaren no. 1642	Marion ?	1918	TE	weight ?	5 nhp	BE 8739	W Woodward, Cheshire	to add	At GDSF 2010 & Pickering 2011
McLaren no. 1647	-	1919	Road Locomotive	weight ?	5 nhp	MA 5131	A Sparks, Bristol	To add	At GDSF McLaren Special 2010 & Seen on Steam Scenes web site
McLaren no. 1652	Boadicea	1919	Road Locomotive	14 ton	10 nhp	WF 1864	L & D Searle collection, West Sussex		Seen at Hillhead 2010 show
McLaren no. 1663	Pamir	1919	tractor	weight	4 nhp	U 2689	M. Gull, Chelmsford Essex		At GDSF McLaren Special 2010
McLaren no. 1713	The Banshee	1922	Showman's road locomotive	weight ?	8 nhp	NH 3998	D. Birch Ashford Kent		Seen on Steam Scenes web site
McLaren no. 1718	"Name"	1925	GP Engine	weight ?	power ?	Reg no. ?	Owner ?		Seen on Steam Scenes web site
McLaren no. 1719	"Name"	1925	GP engine	weight ?	power ?	Reg no. ?	Owner ?		Seen on Steam Scenes web site
McLaren no. 1817	"Name"	1926	G.P	weight ?	8 nhp	4 HPMAC	John Kyle, New Zealand		At GDSF & Welland also seen on Steam Scenes in NZ
McLaren no. 1835	Pocket Rocket	1930	Tractor	weight ?	? nhp	Reg no. ?	Peter Butterick (in New Zealand)		Featured on Steam Scenes
McLaren no. 1837	Bluebell	1936	Steam Tractor	?	4 nhp	AAM 801	R. Coulson, Cambridgeshire (family owned since 1959)	To Add	At Old Warden 2009. Youngest known survivor.[8]
McLaren Living Van	na	date built	Ploughing Contractors	-	na	-	Tommo Thompson		Misc info
McLaren no. 1234	"Name"	date built	type	weight ?	power ?	Reg no. ?	Owner ?

Diesel Engines Edit

During the First World War, McLarens inevitably became involved in the war effort. The works were particularly noted for producing a collet chuck for holding shells during turning. For his efforts during the war, John McLaren was knighted, but unfortunately his reward was short lived, for he died in 1920.

After the First World War, McLarens built a cable-ploughing windlass, initially powered by a Dorman petrol engine but a diesel engine was sought. In 1926 the company entered into an agreement with the German Company Benz to manufacture diesel engines. These were the first automotive type diesel engines produced in volume in Britain, and as a result were in the forefront of the use of diesel engines for road, rail, and agricultural purposes. Examples include the first diesel powered railway locomotive, built by Hudswell Clarke in Leeds and powered by a McLaren built diesel. The first diesel powered commercial vehicles in Britain were made by Richard Garrett & Sons of Leiston in 1928, and Kerr Stuart of Stoke-on-Trent, again powered by McLaren built diesels.

In addition, McLarens built Britain's first diesel powered road roller in 1927 using their own engine.

A complete range of diesel engines was designed up to around 400 h.p. and these were very widely used for industrial applications, one particularly successful use was in standby power sets.

In 1943, the business was sold by the family to the Associated British Oil Engine Company and this was initially very successful. A major contract with the USSR for diesel-generator sets resulted in the number of employees increasing tenfold and new buildings acquired. In December 1945, McLaren tool over the remains of Kitson & Co. and with it their Airedale Works. Unfortunately these glory years did not last. In 1957, the take over of the Brush A.B.O.E. Group by Hawker Siddeley saw the Leeds production facility fade away and the main works closed in January 1959.

McLaren Motor Ploughing Windlass They built a stationary ploughing engine, consisting of a large petrol-paraffin engine of 40 hp mounted on a steel chassis, with 4 steel wheels for transport. A large winch drum was vertically mounted at the back, fitted with 400yds of cable. They were used in pairs sited at each side of the field, with a balance plough pulled between them across the field.

Diesel Engine ModelsEdit

Diesel heavy haulage tractorEdit

A one off diesel engined heavy haulage tractor was built in 1940 by McLaren's.^[1] The vehicle was hybrid of steam & 'modern technology with an unconventional lay out. A 'truck' type cab on a chassis with mid mounted McLaren Diesel Engine of 95 bhp driving solid Steam type rear wheels, and fited with a ballast box.

References / sources Edit

• Classic Farm Tractors by Michael Williams
• Showman's Road Locomotives by the NTEC

External linksEdit

• Steam rally photos

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