Ruston
& Hornsby no. 115100 Hildary
a 1922 built tractor - reg no. DO2953
Ruston and Hornsby
was an industrial equipment manufacturer in
Lincoln, England. They were most well known as a manufacturer of narrow and
standard gauge diesel locomotives and steam shovels. They also built cars, steam
locomotives and a range of internal combustion engines.
Ruston & Hornsby was a major producer of small and medium diesel engines for land and
marine applications. It began to build diesel locomotives in 1931 (and continued
up until 1967). It was a pioneer and major developer in the industrial
application of small (up to 10000kW) heavy duty gas turbines from the 1950s
onwards. Ruston still build gas turbines today, in Lincoln.
History
On September 11, 1918, the company of Ruston,
Proctor and Company amalgamated with Richard Hornsby
& Sons of Grantham to become Ruston and Hornsby Ltd. Hornsbys were world
leaders in vaporizing oil engines, building them since 1891, a full eight years
before Rudoph Diesel's engine was commercially produced.
The company were involved in production of a diverse range of products and by
the 1930 following the depressed years of the 1920s after WW One they were
involved in major restructuring of several companies.
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies
A controlling share was purchased in the Ipswich firm of Ransomes, Sims
& Jefferies, agricultural engineers. Rustons then transferred to them
the manufacture of steam
engines, threshers,
and the other of smaller agricultural implement lines they produced. This move
helped to revitalise Ransomes company and freed up production space for Rustons
growing diesel engine business in the Lincoln factory.
Aveling Barford
Ruston and Hornsby were involved in the deal to rescue Aveling &
Porter and Barford & Perkins when the AGE colapse occured during the 1920s depression. Rustons
refinanced the firms of Barford & Perkins of Peterborough, and Aveling & Porter of Rochester to
create Aveling Barford Ltd. The deal moved the new firm to Grantham commencing production
in part of the old Hornsby factory. To help them, Rustons transferred their road
roller manufacture to the new company, with the new firm using Ruston engines in
their Oil engined rollers. A-B subsequently became world leaders in their field
for a period. A-B was later taken over by Leyland and merged with the Marshall
Fowler operation to form Aveling
Marshall.
Aveling Barford still survives after several restructuring's and take overs
building Dumper Trucks as part of Wordsworth Holdings in the old factory.
Rail locomotives
The range of diesel rail locomotives was developed further during the war
with special flame proof versions for use in ammunition depots and mines.
Military production
During WW II the companies heavy engineering capacity was in demand for both
engine production from small low horsepower units for pumps and generators etc
through to industrial power units for standby generators for factories and for
navel craft. with the heavey excavator factories turning out Tanks and heavy
machinery parts.
Ruston Gas turbines
Part of the original Ruston company went on to manufacture gas turbines and
became as subsidiary of several firms over the years. The business was still
based in Lincoln for many years. The Company entered the gas Turbine marked
after the war when they gambled on the new technology developed for fighter
jets. They recruited some of the development team and created units for use in
package generating sets for the Oil & Gas industry.
English Electric
The English Electric Co. in November 1966 took over Ruston & Hornsby Ltd.
Then two years later, English Electric were taken over by the GEC Group (UK not
GE of the USA). This resulted in the break-up of the Lincoln company, with
sections merged ith oter GEC subsidaries. The large diesels joined up with the
English Electric Vulcan Works at Newton-le-Willows, to become Ruston
Diesels Ltd. The Newton-le-Willows "Vulcan Works" had a history that went
back to 1830, as the factory where Robert Stephenson produced large numbers of
steam locomotives.
The small diesels moved to Stafford to become part of Dorman Diesels Ltd. The
Paxman engines subsidiary continued to build engines and boilers in Colchester, as
Paxman Diesels Ltd. At Lincoln, excavator building continued at the Ruston
Bucyrus factory with Bucyrus-Erie
subsequently taking control.
The former Ruston turbine division expanded under the name Ruston Gas
Turbines Ltd., and they were strengthened by the move of the Napier Turboblower
subsidary of GEC which was moved from Liverpool to Lincoln.
Cars
In 1920 Ruston-Hornsby introduced the 16hp A-1 Tourer. with about 1300
Ruston-Hornsby cars produced between 1920 to 1925, when the cheaper Fords &
other proved too much competition and production stopped (like lots of other
firms who tried car production after WW I and were then hit by the depression)
Excavators
A Range of excavator models from 16 to 120 tons were produced. The early
machines were steam operated but latter models used diesel engines and were sold
under the Ruston Brand. Later to become Ruston-Bucyrus
following agreements to build Bucyrus-Erie designed machines under licence, and the subsequent merger with
Bucyrus of the
division to form Ruston-Bucyrus Ltd, with the Agreement that RB would use Ruston Engines.
Industrial machinery
- Rustons designed a gas producer that would burn any combustible material.
- Early Caterpillar machines (built by Hornsby)
- Ruston-Holt
tracked tractor built under licence from Holt with a Ruston-Hornsby Engine for
the Government ( a lot sold to Russia)
- Road rollers - Production transfered to Aveling-Barford
when the firm was created and moved into Hornsbys old works in Grantham, after
Ruston Hornsby bailed Aveling
& Porter out after the AGE
collapse.
Steam machinery
- Steam boilers were available for a variety of purposes
- Portable steam engines
- Steam Tractors and Rollers
The Steam machinery production transfered to Ransomes,
Sims & Jefferies during the 1930 restructuring.
