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Greens plate - VV shildon - IMG 0983

Greens name plate

Green no

One of only 6 Steam rollers by Greens known to survive in the UK

Greens mower at oickering 2009 - IMG 3098

A Greens mower

Thomas Green & Sons Ltd. were manufactures of Road Rollers and lawn mowers based in Leeds England. The firm was founded in 1835 by Engineer Thomas Green and set up the foundry at Smithfield Ironworks, North Street, Leeds in 1848. The Firm was taken over by Atkinsons of Clitheroe in the 1970s.

History[]

some early history unknown, can you help expand it ?

  • 1835 Company started by Thomas Green.
  • 1848 Thomas Green bought a site and founded the Smithfield Ironworks.
  • 1855 Green starts building Lawn mowers.
  • 1858 A Greens mower was entered in the 1st lawn mower trials at London Horticultural Gardens at Chiswick, and won the first prize.[1]
  • 1860 Thomas Green patented the first lawn mower with chain drive, this gave a lighter machine. Green named this design the Silens Messor which implies silent running. The range was to be the backbone to Thomas Green's business until production finally ended in 1935.
  • 1862 Incorporated as a Limited Company.
  • 1879 Private company. The company was registered on 14 June, to take over the business of the firm of the same name, as engineers, ironfounders and machinists.[2]
  • 1880s Started building locomotives.[3]
  • Between 1885-98 Greens built 157 tram locomotives.
  • 1890s opened a London works at New Surrey Works, Southwark, London.
  • 1905 Advert. for manufacture of Vertical, Cornish and Lancashire boilers. Of Smithfield Ironworks, Leeds and New Surrey Works, Southwark Street, London SE.
  • 1913-1917 Agents for the S. P. A. cars as listed in the 1917 Red Book.[4]
  • 1913-1917 For a list of the models and prices of Petrol Motors see the 1917 Red Book
  • 1914 Specialities: Lawn Mowers, Garden Rollers, Steam Tractors, Steam Road Rollers, Motor Rollers, Motor Street Sweeping Machines and Locomotives.
  • 1920 The last of the railway locomotives was built. The total was 38 in the life of the business. More than 200 tram engines were built.
  • Built steam road rollers from 1890s to late 1920s and five of these are known to be in preservation in the UK.[5]
  • 1937 Company listed as Engineers.[6]
  • 1961 General engineers, manufacturing lawn mowers[7], garden rollers, steam rollers and general agricultural implements. 520 employees.
  • 1975 Company bought by Atkinsons of Clitheroe.


Greens also built a batch of rollers for the roads contractor Eddisons, after they (Eddisons) decided that the various makes did not meet there requirements, so they designed and built there own design incorporating the features they desired and commissioned Greens to build them. (number built Unknown ?)

Model range[]

Greens motor roller at VV Shildon - IMG 0980

Greens motor roller

Greens motor roller - VV Shildon - IMG 0984

Rear of Greens motor roller

Rollers[]

Steam
  • details of model nos required - Can you help with information ?
  • Advert from C 1900 lists 8, 10, 12, 15, and 20 ton rollers.[8]
Motor rollers
  • Greens DR
  • Greens DRM built from 1960? to ?
  • Greens DER
  • Greens DRL
  • Greens DRX
  • Greens Eddimatic 10 ton with Brockhouse transmission and Ford 4D engine.
  • Greens Pacemaker - 1968 60 hp with 2 transmission options (twin disc clutch or hydrostatic
  • Greens Workman - 1944- fitted with a hydrostatic transmission

Mowers[]

more details of model nos required - Can you help with information ?

  • Greens Cadet - 12" side drive cyinder mower
  • Greens Master - 12 & 14" Roller drive
  • Greens Zephyr - 14 & 16"
  • Greens Master - 14" Light weight & 17-36" Motor mower
  • Greens Ranger - Gang mowers

Rail locomotives[]

Add details of engines built.

Blue plaque[]

Thomas Green - Smithfield Ironworks Leeds Blue Plaque-2763

A Blue Plaque was erected at the site of Thomas Green & Son's former works in North Street Leeds in 2001 by the Civic society and the Road Roller Association.[9]

Preservation[]

Have you any photos available of the rollers known in to be in preservation ? If so can you add them to the database.

Steam rollers[]

Thomas Green & Sons/PML of Steam engines

Motor rollers[]

Greens roller - CWY 263 - Armley Mills 2011 - IMG 2795

In Leeds Industrial Museum

There are about 60 Greens motor rollers listed in the RRA Register (3rd edition). But very few are ever seen out at events or on public display in museums.

Please add any examples you see at events, in museums or that are in private collections with a photo if possible to the list below.

Thomas Green & Sons/PML of Motor Rollers

Mowers[]

please add any preserved examples of mowers to the listing here

Template:PML Greens mowers

Locomotives & trams[]

please add details of any surviving examples

See also[]

References[]

  1. Hall & Duck trust lawn mower history
  2. The Stock Exchange Year Book 1908
  3. www.steamindex.com - info on engine building activity
  4. http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/wiki/Image:Im1917Red-p085.jpg
  5. TER 2008
  6. 1937 The Aeroplane Directory of the Aviation and Allied Industries (see graces guide)
  7. greens mower advert
  8. Graces Guide - old advert image
  9. Yorkshire Post report

External links[]


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