Description and History of Site:-
In 1876 the Midland Engine Works was established by John and Henry McLaren for building agricultural engines. In around 1890, the firm began to construct stationary engines for electricity generating stations, and this developed into a large scale business supplying engines to many municipal and other electricity undertakings. One of the first engines used by the Leeds City Corporation in their electric lighting works on Whitehall Road (WYK00142) were supplied by McLaren's in 1903. Earlier examples were supplied to the Harrogate Corporation for their electricity works (NYK02555) in 1897. By 1912, however, the firm had largely returned to its agricultural roots in the manufacture of traction engines which were, at that time, developing into a large scale trade. Power for the mechanical operations of the works was supplied by one of their own 300 hp engines which drove line-shafting, a generator to supply current for an electric crane, and an air compressor to supply pneumatic tools. In 1926, the company began to make diesel engines, by agreement with the German Benz company, and soon they were producing automotive type diesel engines in quantity, the first company in Britain to do so and, as a result, led the way in the manufacture of diesel engines for road, rail, and agricultural purposes. After a number of mergers and takeovers in the 1940s and 1950s, production at the Midland Works faded away and the works finally closed in January 1959.
Further Reading and References:-Pease, J. The history of J. & H. McLaren of Leeds: steam & diesel engine makers. Landmark Publishing, 2003.
http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/J._and_H._McLaren
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Key Words :- agricultural stationary power station traction engines engineering
Address :- 100 Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS10 1BN
Grid Ref :- SE 3051 3199
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.783347 , Long -1.538445
Local Authority :- Leeds Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site demolished or no longer extant
Site Condition :- Site redeveloped to industrial / commercial use
Site Dates :- 1876 - 1959
Record Date :- 16 October 2018
Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Nick Nelson
Grid Ref :- SE 3051 3199
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.783347 , Long -1.538445
Local Authority :- Leeds Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site demolished or no longer extant
Site Condition :- Site redeveloped to industrial / commercial use
Site Dates :- 1876 - 1959
Record Date :- 16 October 2018
Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Nick Nelson