Robey & Co

Robey & Co.

Robey engine plate Type 4P 14144 Gas Engine, produced in 1895
Industry	Engineering
Defunct	1988
Successor	Babcock International
Key people	Robert Robey, John Richardson.
Products	Steam engines

Robey and Co. was a Lincoln-based engineering firm in England, with origins dating back to approximately 1849.

By 1854, the company known as Watkinson and Robey, operating as Engineers and Millwrights, was producing portable engines along with a wide range of machinery on Rumbold Street in Lincoln. George Lamb Scott later joined the partnership; however, in 1855 Watkinson departed—having formerly been employed by Clayton & Shuttleworth in Lincoln. Following this change, the enterprise became Robey and Scott and relocated by 1856 to Canwick Road, Lincoln. Thomas Gamble entered the partnership subsequently, and Scott left in September 1856 to establish his own manufacturing business in Manchester. The firm was then renamed Gamble & Robey, eventually adopting the title Robey & Co Ltd by 1868.

After Robert Robey’s death in 1876, John Richardson took the helm as the partnership continued. In 1893, Robey & Co transitioned into a limited company. By the year 1913, their product range included steam motor wagons, tractors, and ploughs; during the First World War, they also produced aircraft. In 1984, ownership of the company was acquired by Babcock International.

Threshing machines

Robey Trust, Tavistock - threshing machine

Threshing machines represented one of the core product lines for Robey. An impressive threshing machine was showcased at the Manchester and Liverpool Agricultural Show in 1859. Production of threshing machines persisted until the 1930s and they were frequently paired with portable or traction engines for operation. Over this timeframe, their design remained largely unchanged. Often these machines were also marketed alongside elevators. The Robey Trust located in Tavistock preserves threshing machine No. 3331 from around 1880, which stands as the oldest known surviving example from Robey.

Portable engines

Messrs. Robey & Co Ltd, Lincoln portable compound engine 1890s

One of the earliest mentions of a Robey portable engine dates back to July 1855, when the Stamford Mercury reported that Messrs. Robey and Scott, from St. Rumbold's Lane Foundry, dispatched on Monday the 1st a ten-horsepower high-pressure portable steam engine destined for the Crimea. This single-cylinder engine was designed to withstand the demanding conditions it would face and was intended for various uses, including supplying bread to the troops. Production of portable engines by Robey continued through to the 1940s. These portable engines served as a foundation for the later development of traction engines.

Robey traction engines

Robey Traction engine towing a thrashing machine 1862

Taplin Lincoln Traction Engine 1862

Robey played a leading role in advancing traction engine technology. The concept of converting a portable engine into a self-propelled machine emerged around 1859. The traction engine, as it is recognized today, partially originated from an 1859 experiment when Thomas Aveling adapted a Clayton & Shuttleworth portable by installing an extended driving chain connecting the crankshaft to the rear axle. Manufacturers in Lincoln quickly embraced this innovation. Robey’s initial model featured a traction engine steered by an operator positioned in front of the boiler. This design was showcased at the International Exhibition of 1862, with illustrations depicting it pulling a thrashing machine. At the same event, Benjamin Dutton Taplin, who owned an iron foundry near St Peter at Gowts in Lincoln, presented a traction engine resembling the form that would become standard. Additionally, in May 1862, a traction engine labeled Taplin, Robey and Co. was displayed at the Royal Bath and West Show. Taplin appears to have overextended his business ambitions and declared insolvency by late May. It is probable that Robey acquired his remaining assets at that time. Robey continued manufacturing traction engines with front-steering operators; one such model was exhibited in Manchester in 1869.

Robey steam tractor, Pendle Knight

Robey traction engine

By 1875, the traction engines displayed at the Smithfield Show had adopted a more conventional configuration. Around 1879, Robey produced several of Box's Patent Traction engines, which featured an innovative mechanism allowing the rear driving wheel to be raised—these were especially suited for extended road travel. Robey sustained its production of traction engines and steam tractors well into the twentieth century.

Road steam vehicles

Robey Steamer

Robey patent highway locomotive 1862

Robeys played a significant role in the early development of steam-powered road vehicles. An image of Robey's Patent Highway Locomotive appeared in the 1862 illustrated catalogue for the Industrial Department at the International Exhibition of that year, though no technical details were provided. Subsequent Robey steam road vehicles were influenced by Robert William Thomson's designs, incorporating his patented rubber tyres and powered by vertical boilers. Thomson designed these steamers primarily for passenger carriage or heavy road haulage. The initial model, named ‘‘Advance’’, was commissioned by the Woolwich Arsenal in 1870, with trials conducted in December of the same year. During its inaugural test at Robey's Canwick Road facility, the steamer pulled a covered wagon and an omnibus carrying 45 passengers, maintaining a brisk speed of at least six miles per hour as it crossed the iron bridge over the Witham and ascended Lindum Hill, which has a gradient of one in nine, reaching speeds between four and five miles per hour. At the hilltop, the 'Advance' executed a circular turn with its load before descending a half-mile stretch at considerable speed, impressing onlookers who hurried to keep pace.

A subsequent trial involved pulling two four-wheeled trucks, each weighing three tons and loaded with two tons. The 'Advance' successfully climbed Canwick Hill south of Lincoln, featuring a gradient of one in eight. This test aimed to demonstrate the steamer's capability for hauling heavy loads over standard roads and was deemed successful.

In July 1871, another road steamer undertook a journey from Lincoln to Grantham, towing two large omnibuses filled with passengers; this trip was completed without incident.

Within the following two years, Robeys manufactured 32 units of these steam vehicles, available in either 8 or 12 horse power models. A substantial number were exported internationally, including three sent to Vienna and others delivered to Ireland, Italy, Greece, Moscow, New Zealand, Australia, and Chile. Another Thomson-inspired steam vehicle was constructed in 1877; however, aside from traction engines, Robeys appears to have ceased production of road steam vehicles until resuming with steam road lorries in 1904.

Railway steam engines

Between 1876 and 1884, Robey produced six steam locomotives for railway use. From 1889 through 1924, two narrow gauge engines named “Joubert’’ and ‘‘Kruger’’ operated on the Oriental & Sheba Valley Railway in Transvaal. Comparable locomotives were also distributed to Chile through their agent Rose Innes.

Robey steam rollers

Robey Trust - steam rollers. The original 1930 steamroller is in the foreground

The first Robey & Co steamroller was introduced in 1913. Production of Robey's steam rollers largely expanded after World War I. Between 1923 and 1927, several Australian municipalities imported Robey 10-ton rollers.

Robey sold its inaugural tandem roller in 1921. The final steamroller from Robey was exported to India in 1934. One early Robey & Co roller bearing works number 32387 has been preserved.

Robey steam wagons

Robey was among the pioneers in the development of steam-powered road vehicles, initiating the creation of steam wagons as early as 1906.

Tipper steam wagon

In approximately 1925, Robey secured a contract to supply steam-powered tipper trucks to Ceylon. One such Robey Steam Lorry, numbered 42888, is preserved at the Training Centre of Ratmalana Works in Ceylon.

Engines for generating electricity

Robeys established itself as a prominent manufacturer of engines designed for electric power generation. Notably, the company implemented electric lighting within their Canwick Road factory back in 1880.

Robey - Westinghouse generating set (Rankin Kennedy, Electrical Installations, Vol III, 1903)

Robey combined engine and dynamo (Rankin Kennedy, Modern Engines, Vol II)

Engines driving looms in textile factories

Steam engine, Lower Heys Mill

• Steam engine at Lower Heys Mill. This twin-cylinder diagonal engine powered a calender at The Barracks Fabric Printing Co Ltd in Macclesfield’s Lower Heys Mill on Black Lane. Constructed by Robey of Lincoln in 1913, it was the last operational steam engine within the UK textile sector until it ceased operation in 1995. Subsequently, it was relocated to Dingles Museum in 1996 and later came under the stewardship of the Robey Trust.

Winding engines

Papplewick Pumping Station, steam winding engine

Robey manufactured winding engines utilized within collieries. By 1894, the company had developed such engines, as documented in 'The Engineer' featuring a Robey Compound Underground Hauling Engine. One surviving example is housed at Papplewick Pumping Station: a horizontal duplex steam winding engine built by Robey in 1922. Originally employed at Linby Colliery as the smaller yet faster coal-puller among two steam winders, it remained operational until 1982. It was transferred to Papplewick in 1983 and has been fully restored to function closely to its original working condition. This unit is among the rare remaining duplex winders and stands as the sole example still demonstrated in operation.

First World War aircraft production

Alongside licensed manufacturing projects, Robey undertook design and construction of the Robey-Peters Gun-Carrier for the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). This sizable three-seat fighter was commissioned by the RNAS in 1916; its first prototype flew for the first time at Bracebridge Heath in May 1917. After crashing during this initial flight and not being repaired, a second aircraft was left unfinished.

Second World War and post-war production

From 1939 onwards, Robey’s manufacturing focus shifted to gun mountings, frigate engines, and other substantial components. Post-war operations leveraged the company’s capabilities to fabricate a diverse range of products including steelworks converters and parts for the Jodrell Bank radio telescope. In its final years before closing permanently in February 1988, Robey primarily produced boilers fueled by oil, gas, or solid fuels in relatively high volumes.

Robeys Works, Canwick Road, Lincoln

Robey Lincoln Factory 1879

Robeys Globe Works, Canwick Road, Lincoln

By 1865, Robeys had established itself as a significant employer in Lincoln, with a workforce of 114 men. The factory complex extended over seven acres along Canwick Road. Around 1870, the facility formerly known as Perseverance Ironworks was renamed the Globe Works. An 1879 print illustrates the layout of the site. The main facade facing Canwick Road originally featured a grand entrance topped by a tower, potentially designed by the Lincoln-based architect William Watkins. Watkins was responsible for an extension to the factory completed in 1873 and also designed a substantial residence for Robert Robey overlooking South Park nearby. In 1871, a new fitting shop was incorporated into the works. On the opposite side of Canwick Road, a Coffee Palace and dining rooms for workers were constructed in 1883. The principal entrance on Canwick Road, distinguished by a globe mounted above the doorway, likely dates from approximately 1910. Further development of the site continued in subsequent years, including the addition of a cooling tower in 1912.

Significant expansions took place during the First World War, with new workshops added along both Canwick Road and Coultham Street. Some of these buildings were designed by architect F. W. Horton. In 1915, a new power house featuring a chimney was erected. Towards the latter part of the war, additional facilities including a shop and offices dedicated to aircraft production were established on the Canwick Road frontage.

Robey Trust

Located in Tavistock at the New Perseverance Ironworks, the Robey Trust operates as a charitable organization committed to preserving the heritage of the Robey Engineering Company of Lincoln. Its mission encompasses not only keeping numerous Robey engines—predominantly steam-powered—in operational condition but also ensuring that the specialized knowledge necessary for their upkeep and operation is passed down to future generations.

The foundation of the Trust followed its acquisition of Robey Tandem Steam roller No 42693, which had been salvaged from a children's playground in 1983; this machine became the first engine restored and owned by the Trust. The collection also includes other steam rollers such as the Tri-tandem No 45655, manufactured in 1930 and notable for its role in constructing Britain's inaugural motorway, the M1. Additionally, the Trust maintains stationary engines and a Robey 6-ton Steam Wagon (No 42522) dating from 1924. Its archive continues to expand with historical documents, technical drawings, photographs, and publications; contributions or loaned materials are welcomed for inclusion or copying. Efforts are underway to compile a 'Robey Register' documenting known surviving Robey machinery worldwide.

Literature

• Brooks R. (circa 1988), Lincolnshire Engines Worldwide, Lincolnshire Life Museum, Lincolnshire County Council. ISBN 086-1111362
• Clarke R.H., 2nd edition (1998), Steam Engine Builders of Lincolnshire, Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. ISBN 090-3582120
• Southworth P.J.M. (1986), Some Early Robey Steam Engines. ISBN 978-0951185605
• Walls J. & Parker C. (2000), Aircraft made in Lincoln, Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. ISBN 9780903582162

External links

• Grace's Guide: Robey & Co. [1]
• Robey Archives held at Lincolnshire Record Office. The collection includes board meeting minutes, manufacturing records, product brochures, photographs, and engineering drawings. The archive is not yet fully catalogued; inquiries should be directed to the appointed archivist. [2]
• Photographic collection of Robey Traction Engines. [3]
• Robey Trust official site. [4]
• Robey Traction Engine images. [5]
• The Survey of Lincoln website. [6]
• Vintage Machinery: Visual documentation of Robey Engines. [7]