Richard Garrett & Sons
| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Agricultural equipment, steam engines, trolleybuses |
| Founded | 1778 |
| Founder | Richard Garrett |
| Defunct | 1981 |
| Fate | Closed |
| Successor | Richard Garrett Engineering Works (after 1932) |
| Headquarters | Leiston , England, United Kingdom |
Area served | Worldwide (notably exports) |
Key people | Richard Garrett III |
| Products | Portable steam engines, traction engines, steam rollers, steam tractors, steam wagons, electric vehicles, trolleybuses |
| Owner | Garrett family (until 1932), then Beyer, Peacock & Company (from 1932) |
Number of employees | ~2,500 (late 1840s) (1840s) |
| Parent | Agricultural & General Engineers (1919–1932) |
Richard Garrett & Sons was a producer of agricultural equipment, steam engines, and trolleybuses, operating from Leiston Works located in Leiston, Suffolk, England. Established in 1778 by Richard Garrett, the firm remained under its founding family's control until 1932.
By the late 1840s, having secured a robust position in agricultural machinery manufacturing, Garrett expanded into the production of portable steam engines. The workforce grew to approximately 2,500 employees. Richard Garrett III, the founder’s grandson, attended the 1851 Great Exhibition in London and implemented an early version of flow line manufacturing—an innovative assembly method—leading to the construction of the "long shop" workshop in 1852. This facility allowed machines to move systematically through various stages of assembly; components were fabricated on an upper floor and then assembled below, with finished products emerging at the line’s end.
After a significant fire in 1914, operations were relocated to a newly built factory on adjacent farmland used for demonstrations near the railway station, resulting in the division into "Old Works" and "New Works" areas. In 1919, Garrett became part of the Agricultural & General Engineers (AGE) consortium, which ultimately went into receivership in 1932.
Following AGE's failure, ownership transferred to Beyer, Peacock & Company in 1932. The enterprise continued as Richard Garrett Engineering Works until its closure in 1981.
Currently, a section of the original factory is maintained as the Long Shop Museum. Several former office buildings have been transformed into residential flats, while other portions of the site have been redeveloped for housing or industrial purposes under the name Colonial House. Approximately 120 steam engines manufactured by Garrett remain preserved today.
Portable engines
The primary product range consisted of portable steam engines, which together with fixed and semi-portable variants made up 89% of total factory production.
Traction engines
Garrett produced a wide array of traction and ploughing engines, nearly half (49%) of which were exported internationally.
Steam rollers
Within the AGE group, steam roller manufacturing was predominantly handled by Aveling & Porter, thereby limiting Garrett's volume in this product category. Nonetheless, 90% of Garrett’s steam rollers were sold overseas. Additionally, these rollers were manufactured under license as "Ansaldo-Garrett" by Gio. Ansaldo & C. in Italy.
Steam tractors
Richard Garrett and Sons became well-known for their steam tractors, particularly the Number 4 compound tractor model, commonly referred to as the "4CD".
Steam wagons
The company produced both undertype and overtype steam wagons. Early undertype models produced between 1904 and 1908 did not achieve commercial success.
Following this, Garrett introduced a prosperous overtype series beginning in 1909 that drew upon their expertise with tractors. Most overtype wagons included superheaters and were marketed as superior compared to un-superheated wagons from competitors such as Foden. The initial overtype model had a 5-ton capacity; a smaller 3-ton version was added in 1911. By the early 1920s, demand for overtypes declined due to competition from undertype wagons and petrol-powered vehicles. A final upgraded 6-ton overtype appeared in 1926 but only eight units were manufactured. In total, Garrett produced 693 overtype wagons.
Under agreements within AGE, Garrett also assembled the last overtype wagons originally designed by Aveling & Porter.
By 1920, with undertype wagons from Sentinel gaining market traction, Garrett resumed production of undertype models. The initial prototype launched in 1921 featured a two-cylinder engine equipped with piston valves operated via Joy valve gear, incorporating Timken roller bearings on critical components—a significant technological advancement at that time. This design was licensed for manufacture as "Adamov-Garrett" by Adamov in Czechoslovakia starting in 1925. A rigid six-wheeled prototype followed in 1926, succeeded by a poppet valve engine introduced in 1927 that remained in production until operations ceased in 1932. During this period, Garrett produced a total of 310 undertype wagons.
Electric vehicles
Garrett began investigating the electric vehicle sector in 1912 and created its inaugural 3.5-ton battery-powered vehicle intended for local delivery services by 1913. In 1916, the company secured a patent for an interlocking mechanism that automatically cut off motor current when the brakes were engaged and prevented operation with the handbrake applied. Early electric models, such as one acquired by the Great Eastern Railway for use in Norwich, were equipped with an 8 hp motor, a chain-driven differential, batteries positioned behind the driver, and offered six forward speeds along with four reverse gears, achieving a range of 35 to 40 miles at speeds between 9 and 10 mph. By 1917, Garrett introduced a smaller 2.5-ton variant retaining a similar configuration.
After World War I, Garrett resumed production of its 3-ton and 5-ton steam wagons alongside three electric vehicle variants weighing 1.5, 2.5, and 3.5 tons. In 1919, Lieutenant-Colonel F Garrett acted as a representative for electric vehicle manufacturers on the Electric Vehicle Committee. That same year, Garrett unveiled a 2.5-ton electric vehicle featuring an electrically operated end-tipping body. To overcome supply shortages of motors and electrical components, Garrett acquired a manufacturer specializing in these parts.
By 1922, Garrett had delivered 33 out of the total 501 electric vehicles utilized by municipal authorities. To enhance perceived speed, the company introduced a lighter chassis tailored for rapid urban deliveries, capable of carrying loads between 1.5 and 2 tons with an approximate range of 45 miles per battery charge. This model included eight forward gears and seven reverse speeds controlled via foot pedals, employing a worm drive connected to a Timken-Detroit rear axle through a carden shaft instead of traditional chains. Larger capacity models were also launched; in 1923 Garrett secured a contract to supply ten 5-ton electric dustcarts to Sheffield Corporation—most featured chain drives while one utilized worm gearing.
By late 1923, Garrett's advertisements promoted electric vehicles ranging from 1.5 to 6 tons across various chassis lengths; shorter wheelbase models could be outfitted with tipping bodies. In 1924, Garrett patented a control mechanism enabling operators to move vehicles while walking alongside them—a feature particularly useful for doorstep deliveries.
In 1926, Garrett won a contract from Glasgow Corporation to provide dustcarts designed specifically for collecting refuse from Govan’s tenements during nighttime hours. The GTZ model featured front wheels positioned behind the cab and maintained a low loading height of only 4 ft 8 in above road level. Batteries were installed over the front axle between the cab and bodywork. The tipping mechanism was centralized at the recycling facility rather than being installed on individual vehicles. The first unit of thirty-six was completed in February 1927; ultimately, Garrett supplied fifty-four GTZ units fitted with solid tires and later some versions equipped with pneumatic tires. These vehicles remained operational in Glasgow until the GTZ system was discontinued in 1964.
Trolleybuses
When Ipswich Corporation launched its initial trolleybus route in 1923, Garrett partnered with local manufacturer Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies to enter the trolleybus market. In February 1925, Garrett produced an experimental trolleybus featuring a high straight chassis, solid tires, and rear-wheel braking systems. The motor was supplied by Bull Motors while Garrett engineered a foot-pedal-operated controller. The chassis was sent to Charles H Roe of Leeds, who constructed a 32-seat body with central entrance access. After trial runs in Leeds, Keighley, and Bradford, it returned to Ipswich for extended testing in July of that year. Ipswich retained this vehicle until March 1926 when deliveries commenced for fifteen trolleybuses fitted with Strachan & Brown bodywork accommodating thirty-one seats with dual entrances; front wheels were set back to facilitate one-man operation.
Garrett’s second prototype was unveiled at the Commercial Motor Show in November 1925 featuring a lowered chassis and a thirty-six-seat central entrance body built by Strachan & Brown. This model underwent demonstrations on the Mexborough and Swinton Traction Company network and conducted trials in Leeds until November 1926 before being sold to Bradford. Ipswich’s fleet had a specific wheelbase length paired with solid wheels; additionally, the Type O trolleybus was available with an alternative wheelbase option and optional pneumatic tires on shorter chassis versions. All models utilized British Thomson-Houston controllers. A double-deck variant seating fifty-seven was offered but failed to secure orders. In November 1927, Garrett introduced the three-axle Model OS featuring self-constructed double-deck bodywork at that year’s Commercial Motor Show.
Following this exhibition, the Model OS was initially hired then sold to Southend-on-Sea Corporation. Doncaster placed an order for four similar units fitted with sixty-seat Charles H Roe bodies; the first underwent testing on Mexborough and Swinton routes. Southend subsequently ordered five additional vehicles equipped with sixty-seat bodies built by Garrett itself. Despite releasing an extensive fifty-two page catalogue in May 1929, only three single-deck Type O trolleybuses were sold to Mexborough and Swinton operators. Due to unprofitable production outcomes within this segment, Garrett withdrew from trolleybus manufacturing by late 1930. Their last sale involved a European demonstrator converted for right-hand drive operation and delivered to Ipswich in November 1931. Over five years of production, Garrett sold a total of one hundred one trolleybuses.
Diesel wagons
Garrett was at the forefront of diesel-powered road vehicles with their 1928 experimental Crude Oil Wagons (COWS), which are considered the earliest British-built wagons originally equipped with diesel engines. These vehicles utilized chassis derived from undertype wagon designs—one featuring four wheels and the other six—both driven by McLaren Benz power units.
Building on this initial success, Garrett developed a production model in 1930 incorporating the BHV6 engine supplied by Blackstone, reflecting its connection to the AGE group. The first unit, named the GB6, was completed in 1931 and subjected to trials. Unfortunately, the project was discontinued due to reliability issues with the Blackstone engines and the company's fragile financial state. Following its takeover by Beyer Peacock, a limited effort was made to offer a variant powered by a Gardner engine, but this did not lead to any production vehicles.