Clayton Wagons

Clayton Wagons Ltd.

Company type	Private company
Industry	Manufacturing, Engineering
Founded	1920 (1920)
Founder	Philip Warwick Robson (chairman)
Defunct	February 18, 1930 (1930-02-18)
Fate	Ceased trading; facilities taken over by Clayton-Dewandre Ltd. and Smith-Clayton Forge Ltd.
Headquarters	Lincoln , England, United Kingdom
Products	Steam wagons, electric vehicles, railway carriages, rolling stock, drop forgings

Clayton Wagons Ltd. was founded in 1920 in Lincoln as a branch of Clayton & Shuttleworth, operating out of Abbey Works, Titanic Works, and Clayton Forge. The company focused on producing drop forgings, Steam Wagons, Electric Vehicles, Railway Carriages, and various Rolling stock. At the same time, Clayton & Shuttleworth maintained its agricultural machinery manufacturing at Stamp End Works. Both firms encountered difficulties adjusting after World War I; by 1923, Clayton & Shuttleworth’s trade with Eastern Europe had diminished to just 6% of its pre-war volume. The economic hardships of the Great Depression further strained operations, leading to the cessation of trading on 18 February 1930. Subsequently, their facilities were taken over by Clayton-Dewandre Ltd. and Smith-Clayton Forge Ltd.

Company History

The production of Steam Motor Wagons by Clayton and Shuttleworth commenced in 1912. During the First World War, Abbey Works and Clayton Forge were constructed to support military manufacturing efforts, including railway wagons for both British and French armed forces. Following the war’s conclusion, chairman Philip Warwick Robson restructured the business, resulting in the establishment of Clayton Wagons Ltd. In April 1920, a prospectus was issued to raise £1 million through share sales to acquire Titanic Works, Abbey Works, and Clayton Forge for the production of Steam Motor Wagons, Transport Vehicles, Railway Rolling Stock, Forgings, and Drop forgings. These facilities had been largely funded by government investment during wartime and were valued at £696,000, representing advanced manufacturing capabilities. By that time, over 1,000 steam motor vehicles had been built since 1912, with ongoing orders from the Pullman Car Company, demonstrating robust market interest.

The company’s initial trading year yielded a profit exceeding £90,000. In the second year, trading profits amounted to £48,909 but were offset by stock write-downs totaling £39,725 and a carried-forward loss of £417,831; consequently, no dividends were distributed. Despite the downturn impacting heavy engineering sectors, chairman Robson maintained an optimistic outlook. By October 1925, capital had been reduced to £500,000 without dividend payments. Production diversified with the commencement of Dewandre Servo brake manufacturing at Titanic Works for Daimler and other automobile manufacturers. In September 1926, profits rose to more than £20,700 despite disruptions caused by the general strike. Nevertheless, this recovery was not sustained; a voluntary liquidation petition was initially rejected but ultimately approved on 18 February 1930.

Railway rolling stock

Clayton manufactured various goods wagons including a large quantity of covered four-wheel wagons exported to the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway in southern India. The company also produced oil tank wagons for Shell-Mex & BP and exported tank wagons to both the Egyptian National Railways and South African Railways.

Pullman coaches

Three Pullman coaches constructed in 1922 for the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway have survived; two of these are presently undergoing restoration at the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway.

Clayton Dewandre

Founded on 30 September 1928, Clayton Dewandre acquired the motor engineering operations of Clayton Wagons at Titanic Works, along with certain equipment from Clayton & Shuttleworth. The initial financial statement from December 1929 revealed a profit amounting to £16,694. By the year 1937, the firm's earnings supported the distribution of an 8% dividend.

Later History

Operations of Clayton Wagons came to an end on 18 February 1930. The Clayton Forge facility was purchased by Smith-Clayton Forge Ltd., which expanded by obtaining the Abbey works in 1935 and concentrated on drop forging processes for aircraft engine components and automotive applications. Initially, Richard Duckering Ltd. provided spare parts for railcars and shunting locomotives; however, this responsibility was later assumed by Stanley Reid Devlin, who had served as Chief Draughtsman at Clayton Wagons and went on to establish the Clayton Equipment Company in 1931. This enterprise remains active at Centrum Business Park in Burton upon Trent.

External links

• Grace's Guide: [1]

Literature

• Muir A (1958) 75 Years: A Record of Progress, Smiths Stamping Works, Coventry and Smith Clayton Forge, Lincoln. Ribble Works, Coventry.
• Ruddock J.G. and Pearson R.E.(1989) Clayton Wagons Ltd.: Manufacturers of Railway Carriages and Wagons 1920-30 Ruddock, Lincoln