Description and History of Site:-
A large engineering site covering 11 acres (45,000m2) manufacturing a huge range of products, from torpedoes for the Royal Navy, textile machinery, steam engines, munitions, electrical locomotives, electrical equipment and printing presses for the New York Times.

A visit to the works in 1876 by the Iron and Steel Institute reported that ''About 1,200 machines specially adapted for economical working are found at their establishment. One of the specialities is their machinery used in the manufacture of war materials of all kinds, viz., gun carriages, projectiles, rockets, small arms, powder barrels, &c. They have supplied this machinery to most of the foreign governments. Another branch of Messrs. Greenwood and Batley's business is the production of silk, preparing and spinning machinery, boot and shoe making machinery, bolt and nut waking machinery, and carriage wheel and cask making machinery. The firm are also large makers of general engineers' tools, and of wood working machinery. In their foundry are two 15-ton steam cranes, which are driven from belting. The fitting shops have an area of 9,628 square yards. The machines in one-half of the shop are driven by a 25 horsepower horizontal condensing engine, by Messrs. Fowler, and in the other half there is an engine of similar power by Messrs. Manning, Wardle, and Co. The firm have been engaged experimenting with Moy's engine, in which the cylinder is enclosed in the boiler''.

In 1894 the company installed their own electricity generating station, replacing it's steam engines enabling the works to operate its machinery by electric motors instead of line-shafting and leather drive belts. This gave it the expertise to develop electrical machinery for other companies which would provide a new line of business and prove profitable in future years. The company supplied a number of dynamo's used at the Cadogan lighting company's station in Chelsea in the late C19.

Thomas Greenwood and John Batley had both worked at Fairbairn's Wellington Foundry (NGR SE28914 33628). The foundry produced machinery for the flax milling industry, receiving large orders from John Marshall who owned the Marshall's and Temple mill complex in nearby Holbeck, Leeds. Marshall had helped Peter Fairbairn establish the Wellington Foundry in 1828 so he could meet demand from his mills. In the 1840's Greenwood became manager of the Wellington Foundry and soon after formed a partnership with Peter Fairbairn and John Batley as Farbairn, Greenwood and Batley.
The partnership lasted until May 1856 when Greenwood and Batley formed their own company at the Albion Foundry, Low Fold, East Street, Leeds, taking over from T.W. Lord, formerly Lord and Brooke (NGR SE31235 32794). They operated there until outgrowing the site and in 1859 a new works was constructed, Albion Works, Armley Road, Leeds.
Starting out by manufacturing machinery for textile mills and factories and by 1862 were also making machines for the manufacture of guns for The Royal Small Arms factory in Enfield, London which would prove to be a profitable line of business in future years.
In 1864 the company produced a 47' 7'' long (14.5m) hydraulic metal testing machine for David Kirkaldy. Metal wasn't tested then as now with small samples, but whole components being tested hence the size of the machine. It was used to test bridge components from the Tay Bridge disaster in 1879.
In 1873 Thomas Greenwood died and the running of the company was taken over by his sons George and Arthur, his nephew Henry and their brother-in-law John Henry Wurtzburg.
Walter printing presses were manufactured in 1876 for The New York Times, capable of printing copies at 12,000 per minute.
By 1881 the company was employing 670 men.
In 1885 the company acquired the Perseverance Iron Works on Kirkstall Road, Leeds as it moved into the production of flour and oil milling machinery.
On 7th July 1888 the company was registered as a Public Company with the family remaining as Directors but John Batley not taking an active role. 1,600 men were employed at this time.
As well as installing their own electricity generating station to power the works in 1894, the company developed electrical equipment such as dynamo's and motors which would lead to their involvement with electrical tramcars and supplying Leeds Corporation with 25 tramcars in 1896.
In 1896 they also acquired Smith, Beacock and Tannet's Victoria Foundry, another large machine tool maker, on the site of the former Matthew Murray's Round Foundry in Holbeck, Leeds (see WYK01412).
By 1900 the company were producing machine tools, ordnance, oil milling machinery, textile machinery, mill steam engines, steam turbines, Whitehead's torpedoes for the Navy, printing and sewing machines, machinery for the leather trade and specialist machinery for arsenals.
As well as venturing into electric tramcars for Leeds Corporation, Greenwood and Batley took out Patents relating to battery powered vehicles and in 1902 began making the first of 303 chassis for cars produced by Electromobile in London.
In 1907 they experimented with a petrol-electric hybrid bus where the petrol engine generated electricity for the two electric motors on the rear axle, trialled by Provincial Tramways and Co (Grimsby) in 1911, this is the only known example.
In WWI as well as ordnance, they made some of the first military tanks in the world.
In the 1920 Machine and Engineering Exhibition at Olympia, London they exhibited an electric truck with a 2 ton (2032kg) carrying capacity.
In July 1927 Greenwood and Batley moved into locomotive building under the 'Greenbat' trading name when they built five 4 h.p battery-electric narrow gauge locos for the Mersey tunnel contract. Proving reliable a total of 31 were built for the same contract.
In 1930 the first standard gauge loco was built for Luton Power Station, a 15 h.p. design and capable of hauling 100 tons (101,605kg) at 4 m.p.h on the level. A standard gauge passenger carrying loco was built in 1933 for the Royal Navy at Gosport, Hampshire, it used two 10 h.p. motors and could run at 20 m.p.h up a 1:137 gradient. Standard gauge locos were built for the Hong Kong Metro system. 1367 locos, for both home and export markets, were produced under the Greenbat name.
In the 1960's the company became part of the Fairbairn-Lawson Group (the Fairbairn name referred to in that company came from William, older brother of Peter Fairbairn with whom Greenwood and Batley had started their career).
In 1980 the Royal Mail ordered 35 Mail Rail units for their underground narrow gauge railway under London, however the company was in financial trouble and only 3 were built. The Receiver was called in and the company was bought by Hunslet Holdings. Hunslet completed the order along with 16 other locos. Manufacturing was transferred to the Hunslet Engine Works (see WYK00100) by 1984 and the Albion Works sold off in 1987 and demolished with the Albion Park Industrial Estate now standing in its place (2020).

Further Reading and References:-
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Greenwood_and_Batley#cite_note-12
http://www.leedsengine.info/leeds/histgbat.asp
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/1876_Iron_and_Steel_Institute:_Visits_to_Works#Greenwood_and_Batley

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Key Words :- engineers foundry munitions locomotives electrical equipment

Viewing the Site :- Public footpath alongside road.

Address :- Armley Road and Albion Way, Armley, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS12 2EJ
Grid Ref :- SE 28421 33589
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.797836 , Long -1.570000
Local Authority :- Leeds Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site demolished or no longer extant
Site Condition :- Site in alternative industrial use
Site Dates :- 1859 - 1987
Record Date :- 18 May 2020

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