Description and History of Site:-
Manufacturers of steam wagons on this site since 1903, having previously operated on a small site in Ingham Street, Leeds in 1901 under the name of the Yorkshire Steam Motor Company.
In 1900 patents had been taken out, by Joseph Clayton and George Mann, for a transmission to the rear axle, also a double ended transverse boiler which was to become the characteristic of all ''Yorkshire'' wagons. The transverse boiler was designed to prevent problems with the water level exposing the boiler tubes being caused by the tipping of the boiler when the vehicle was descending hills.
George Mann was brother of James Mann, owner of nearby Mann's Patent Steam Cart and Wagon Company. Joseph Clayton was a director in the firm of Clayton, Son and Company of Moor Works, Hunslet who supplied most of the boilers to ''Yorkshire''.
The first engines used were a two cylinder compound with the cylinders mounted one each side of the chassis, the high pressure on the offside and the low pressure on the nearside. The valves were actuated by a single eccentric reversing gear, similar to that used by Mann's. (See also WYK02322).
Sliding gears on the crankshaft driving onto the second-motion shaft provided the two speeds. The differential was mounted on the second shaft with gears driving the rear wheels.
An early modification was to relocate the differential to the rear axle which reduced the number of gears required in the transmission.
In 1906 a new design of engine was used which affected the layout of the wagon. The engine now had a fully enclosed cast iron crank case and was mounted vertically between the chassis frame inside the cab. Hackworth valve gear was used with drive to the rear axle being by roller chain. The revised layout had the gearing mounted on an extension of the crankshaft which gave the ''Yorkshire'' the choice of a three speed version of the wagon.
The company also produced steam powered buses, road-rail tractors and powered rail-car bogie's. Having operated in Ingham Street, Leeds in 1901 as the Yorkshire Steam Motor Company, in 1902 the company was bought by Deighton's Patent Flue and Tube Company Ltd, and it's name became the Yorkshire Patent Steam Wagon Company with the sub-title of 'Branch of Deighton's Patent Flue and Tube Co Ltd'.
In 1903 the 'Yorkshire' moved to Pepper Road, Hunslet from Ingham Street to a new site, alongside the parent companies works, and those of Mann's.
The name of the company was changed in 1911 to the Yorkshire Commercial Motor Company, retaining it's sub-title. The change was adopted to reflect the companies brief diversification into internal combustion engine vehicles.
In 1922 it was decided by the directors of the parent company to change the name back to the Yorkshire Patent Steam Wagon Co (retaining the sub-title) to emphasise the type of vehicle still being produced.
The name of the parent company changed in 1971 to Yorkshire Vehicles Ltd, 34 years after the last steam wagon left the works in 1937, works number 2271, a shaft driven WH model.

The company finally closed in 1993.

A further detailed history can be found here:- http://www.leedsengine.info/leeds/histy.asp

Further Reading and References:-
http://www.leedsengine.info/leeds/histy.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yorkshire_Patent_Steam_Wagon_Co.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transverse_boiler
http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Yorkshire_Patent_Steam_Wagon_Co

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Key Words :- engineers steam wagon

Address :- Pepper Road, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS10 2PP
Grid Ref :- SE 31738 30833
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.772875 , Long -1.519927
Local Authority :- Leeds Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site extant - Protected status unknown
Site Condition :- Site in alternative industrial use
Site Dates :- 1903 -
Record Date :- 9 April 2019

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Andrew Garford